Post #14 Replayability: The Challenges and Potential Rewards Part 2
Okay, once again my train of thought took on way too many cars and had to be pared down … or simply made into two blog posts. If you didn’t read Part 1, it’s here.
I have some ideas for changing the physical makeup of some of our boxes also. Moriarty’s Mayhem, the full size version, is a box two feet wide, four feet tall and three feet long. That’s a lot of real estate to build puzzles on. Not every team will have to play every puzzle. By having numerous paths to the final solution we can offer a good deal of variation in the game. I can envision a game with a dozen different game flow diagrams. Many of the puzzles would be used more than once but in a different order. Throw in word and number puzzles and variation can increase quite a bit. For us, this could be valuable in a con or festival setting where players might want to ‘take another crack at it” (and pay for the opportunity). Even a team building exercise could benefit from multiple options to play. I’ll let you know how this works out when we finish building the big guy next year.
Now if we had a brick and mortar location this would be a less viable option. Hard to move walls (although some locations have done this well). Honestly, for me to replay a game, a LOT would have to change. Most owners figure it’s a Better use of their time and money to make a second room. Probably true. But let’s look at the other option. First, some escape rooms are in venues that are chock full, giving them no room to expand. Maybe they’re still running their original room and it’s kind of tired (the zombie’s chain has worn a groove in the floor and the black light paint is starting to peel). So if a remodel is in the works anyway. maybe it’s a good opportunity to try something new. Oh, and while you’re in the planning stage, don’t forget your accessibility checklist. (Discussed here).
Of course there’s a good chance that the build will be more expensive and running the room may require more staff than you have currently. So let’s take a look at an idea that might work (a nod to Matthew DuPlessie, Founder & CEO of Level99 & 5 Wits who has this method down). you build an escape room with four separate areas. Game flow only requires three of the four to complete the story. Rooms are designated A, B, C, and D. A-B-C or A-B-D will complete the story but with a different ending. Group 1 goes into the first room for 20 minutes. The story is such that they MUST move to the next room. Maybe their choices determine which room is next. (Think Door #1 and Door #2 on Let’s make a Deal). As soon as they are in their second room, a new group enters room A. Now you have 8 people playing at the same time but in different rooms. In 20 minutes you’ll have 12 people playing at the same time (we’re assuming 4 player groups here). Maybe players even know about the alternative ending and that’s part of the puzzle. Maybe you plan ahead so that the alternatives can be changed from time to time. (Time travel comes to mind.) Game 1, prevent an historical catastrophe or cause it to be worse. Then change the outcome for good or bad. Like anything else, quality requires extra effort. But if you’re a small escape room company with one less than spacious location, being able to make such changes might be a good draw for repeat business that otherwise wouldn’t happen.
Hey, you got some new batteries for this hand-held black light? I think I hear a zombie.
Have a great day and be nice to someone.