Competitive vs Fun Play: Is it Worth Trying to Get on an Escape Room Leaderboard?
By: James Butler
We’ve all played a game with an uber-competitive person. They are just that– super competitive. Now, this has its downsides, to be sure. However, it also has its upsides, especially in terms of the manner in which you play escape rooms. As it turns out, competitive vs fun play, especially in escape rooms, is quite the divisive topic. Should you attempt for a speed run of the game to get on the escape room leaderboard and show your prowess at puzzling? Or, alternatively, take your time and make your way through the experience without the high stakes? Keep reading to see which suits you best!
So Who's Setting the Escape Room Record?
Maybe it was a sibling or a friend, but someone you definitely don’t invite to Game Night. This is the person that grew up flipping Monopoly boards and sending little green hotels flying or hurling a video game controller across the basement. We love our “Uber-Comp” people; a little bit more when they are on our team, and maybe a teeny bit less when we are facing them on the other side of a volleyball net at a family barbecue. In an escape room, this is probably the person who most likely wants to try to set a record. If you are not this person, this type of experience may still be for you – let’s break down what each gameplay style entails.
The Choice is Yours: Escape Room Gameplay
Some venues give you a choice- play for fun and enjoy every minute of the experience or shoot for one of the top spots on the escape room leaderboard. Essentially, you’re choosing the difficulty level at which you play the escape room, when deciding between competitive vs fun play.
The Differences in Competitive vs Fun Play
While both ways to play are fun, make no mistake- it’s two very different ways to play an escape room. Even though almost everything about the game itself remains the same (the size, the puzzles, and the time limit), the biggest difference is the number of hints with which you play. For example, at many escape rooms players can choose to either chase a spot on the leaderboard with only 3 hints or play for fun with unlimited hints.
The Case for Competitive Play
Who doesn’t want to see their name on the top of a leaderboard? Playing a room in record time takes a lot of quick thinking, moving, and excellent communication with the rest of your team. Some escape room teams have learned to assign roles to each member of the team to optimize their strengths.
The Speed Reader gets first crack at journals and notebooks. Then, there’s the Code Breaker; they jump right into Pigpen or Caesar ciphers or the dreaded (by me at least,) Morse Code. The Finder frisks the top and bottom of every piece of furniture in the room.
Every minute is important – experienced and competitive teams know how far they should have progressed at the 10 minute mark, the 30 minute mark, etc. The pressure of trying to quickly analyze each clue and solve every puzzle in record time enhances the “beat the clock” feeling of doing an escape room.
Escape Room Leaderboards Can be Part of the Fun
Some escape rooms like Prisoner Z become enhanced in competitive mode because teams are trying to escape a zombie apocalypse as fast as possible anyway. How will your team handle increased pressure as you try to beat that room’s record? Upping the ante in this way can add to the experience by simulating the true stakes of the theme of the room. Plus, there are some clever and funny escape room team names out there that should be recognized as a top team. Then once you are the fastest in one room, why not try for another?
The Case for Fun Play
There’s a difference between a brisk walk and a stroll. When it comes to reading, sometimes you skim and sometimes you delve deeper. Even video games have learned to offer choices between both competitive/multiplayer modes and creative/story modes. Some players want to try to beat other players and climb the leaderboard ranks.
Meanwhile, other players never play against others online and prefer to take their time exploring a virtual world and enjoying side quests and beating bosses. Playing an escape room in fun mode doesn’t give you any more time, but it does give your team a chance to enjoy the immersive environments.
The Unlimited Hints
This something that is usually a feature of this mode of escape room gameplay. Unlimited hints in an escape room gives your team a chance to enjoy the story of the room knowing you’ll have plenty of help if you need it to get to the ending. Competitive players interact with puzzles as a series of clues and tasks to be completed as fast as possible. Whereas the fun play teams get the chance to interact with puzzles as chapters of the story. Trying to get on an escape room leaderboard potentially at the of experiencing a game in its entirety is something that should be considered when deciding between the two.
Which Mode is Better - Competitive or Fun?
You do have a time limit in either mode and fun should absolutely be a part of your escape room experience. The big difference is hints. Anyone doing an escape room for the first time should enjoy the story and environment without the added pressure of trying to finish it as fast as possible.
Some funny (and well timed) hints from the Game Master can really help develop the immersive experiences that make escape rooms like Trap Door Escape so special. Some puzzles are worth taking a few extra seconds to appreciate their design and watch them tell more of the room’s story.
Some people thrive in competition, and play the games versus other teams on the escape room leaderboard. Others do their best thinking when they don’t feel rushed, and play the games to experience a story and hopefully escape the room.
Should I Attempt to Get on an Escape Room Leaderboard?
In conclusion, when deciding which style of gameplay is a good fit for you and your team, think about what will give you the most enjoyment at the end of the day. If you are more concerned about the journey, not the destination, fun mode is the gameplay style recommended for you. Alternatively, if adding stakes to the game makes you more immersed into the story you should definitely try to set a record and get on the escape room leaderboard!
Today’s Tip from an Escape Room Enthusiast:
Since the difference between Competitive versus Fun really comes down to hints… before you start playing any escape room take a minute or two to talk to your Game Master about hints.
- How many will you get? Competitive (limited) or fun (unlimited)?
- How do you ask for a hint? Where are the cameras? How do you tell the Game Master you want a hint?
- How will you receive them? Screen in the room? Audio? Is there a sound that will play when you get a hint?
- How do you want your hint? Do you want to be directed to a specific clue/missing piece/location or does your team just want a gentle nudge that they are headed in the right (or very wrong) direction?
Mentioned Experiences
We've Lost The Police Station!
Interrogate the Prisoner to find the location of the Zombie bomb before it is too late!
Witch Hunt Leaderboard
Cure Z Leaderboard
F5 Tornado Escape (Poconos)
F5 (Morristown) Leaderboard
The Greatest Freakshow
Bogeyman Leaderboard
Trap Door Escape Company
Trap Door Escape Room has 4 locations: 3180 Route 611 in Bartonsville, PA in the Poconos; 60 White St. in Red Bank, NJ; 34A Speedwell Ave. in Morristown, NJ: and 77 Wind Creek Blvd in Bethlehem, PA. The Red Bank location was the first of the 4 locations, opening in the fall of 2015. Morristown followed in the summer of 2017, and Bartonsville opened during the holiday season of 2018. Wind Creek is currently undergoing construction and will be opening in September 2022.
History
The idea came to Tone Purzycki back in 2011 after he wrote a screenplay that developed into a live-streaming game. The game revolved around an actor trapped in a situation and the audience had to solve puzzles to figure out where he was trapped. The “Find Me Event” had more than 1,000 people playing over the course of several hours. After the success of several other streaming events, the idea of an escape room was born.
Location
The idea came to Tone Purzycki back in 2011 after he wrote a screenplay that developed into a live-streaming game. The game revolved around an actor trapped in a situation and the audience had to solve puzzles to figure out where he was trapped. The “Find Me Event” had more than 1,000 people playing over the course of several hours. After the success of several other streaming events, the idea of an escape room was born.
Each location has different rooms from which to choose. Our Morristown location is home to Day of the Dead, Witch Hunt, and The Greatest Freakshow. In Bartonsville, you’ll find Cure Z, F5 Tornado Escape, Fear the Bogeyman, Mad Hatter’s Tea Party, We’re All Mad Here, and Prisoner Z. In Red Bank we currently have Everest – our first 2 story escape room. Ripper of London is also available at this location. Our pirate themed games will soon be open at Wind Creek.
Trap Door Escape Room also offers team building, streaming events, and birthday parties. For more information on any of our games, prices, and locations, explore our website or call 570-234-3366