It almost sounds too good to be true, but you can actually put TV series to good use – namely, to help you in the world of escape rooms. We’ve put together a list of three series that can make it easier for you to solve an escape room. Doesn’t that sound like yet another good excuse to binge-watch yet another series?
Criminal Minds
The hit US series follows the FBI's elite Behavioural Analysis Unie (BAU) group of profilers who analyse the country's most dangerous suspects in the hope of predicting their next move. The team analyses everything from potential childhood trauma to recent diagnoses, all of which helps them one step closer to understanding the killer and his motive. By building a profile of who the killer is and what he wants, they also get closer to the clues the perpetrator may have left behind. Think like the suspect is the main way the team uncovers the most clues.
If you’re giving an escape room a go – where, for example, you have to escape from a psychopathic serial killer’s cellar, as in our ’The Killing Room’ – you’d do well to use the same techniques as the BAU team. Although you may not necessarily have the time or resources to analyse childhood traumas, you can still make use of many of the techniques employed by the Criminal Minds team. The better you are at putting yourself in the shoes of the escape room’s protagonist, the easier it will be for you to find potential clues and leads within the room itself. Think like the killer – where would he hide the key to the lock?
A Series of Unfortunate Events
The series, known in Danish as “En Ulykke Kommer Sjældent Alene”, follows the three Baudelaire children – Violet, Klaus and Sunny – who have been left orphaned following the death of their parents during the destruction of their home. Whilst the children are shunted between various children’s homes, they are pursued by Count Olaf, who wishes to gain control of the vast Baudelaire inheritance before the children themselves come of age. But to get his hands on the inheritance, Count Olaf must first get rid of the three siblings. Throughout the series, their lives are put to the test time and time again, and only their creativity can save them – which, time and time again, it does. The three siblings are an unbeatable team – one we’d rather not compete against in an escape room, but whose methods we can certainly learn from. Violet has a saying: “there is always something” when it comes to escaping unfortunate or potentially deadly situations. She always manages to find materials that can be used to escape, whatever the circumstances. This can, with good reason, be applied to escape rooms. Because there’s ALWAYS something. Have you had a look over in the corner? Is there actually something between the cushions on that sofa? Or perhaps the answer is hanging right above you on the ceiling? Do as Violet does and keep this saying in mind, and you’ll definitely have greater success finding clues and keys in an escape room.
FRIENDS
We know what you’re thinking, but yes, FRIENDS can actually help you win an escape room challenge! Despite the fact that the series has absolutely no criminal undertones (apart from that episode where Phoebe dates a policeman), there’s still plenty you can take from it that will stand you in good stead in an escape room. One of the most popular series of our time, it follows the six friends – Joey, Ross, Chandler, Rachel, Phoebe and Monica – through their ups and downs in New York City. The elements worth noting when it comes to escape room techniques are that, despite their differences, the six friends always stick together. One is a palaeontologist, whilst another works in fashion, but that doesn’t stop them from having fun and working together when the going gets tough. When you’re in an escape room as a group, your group dynamics are put to the test to the very highest degree. Not only do you have to be patient with one another, but you should also make the most of the fact that you all bring different ways of thinking, perspectives and techniques to the table. It’s therefore not just your chance to prove that you’re sharp enough to work together and escape the escape room, but it’s also your chance to show that you stick together just as well as the FRIENDS gang, even under pressure.
Have you already seen all three series? Then why don't you book your escape room today and see if the theories hold true.
Frequently asked questions about escape room tactics
Can you learn escape room tactics from TV series?
Actually, yes. Good detective series train your eye for detail, patterns and hidden clues – exactly the skills that’ll make you sharp in an escape room. The rest is all about working together and sharing your findings.
Where can you test your tactics?
With us, you can put your theories to the test in a Mystery Room or on a Mystery Hunt in Copenhagen.
Put your detective skills to the test
Ready to take centre stage yourself? Book a Mystery Room, or go on a Mystery Hunt. Call 30 80 30 50.