Being a relatively new concept, a lot of people still don’t have much of an idea about what escape games are or if they’ll like them. An original concept dating to 2006, no other game has all the elements of an escape room, but there are a few things with similarities.
Escape games are really all about adventure, but it’s an adventure that tests you in a combination of ways. At Trapped Escape Game, in Nashville and Pigeon Forge, we aim to test how you would react in high-pressure situations by giving you critical thinking tasks with the impending risk of failure and the illusion of danger. No other type of adventure activity blends these factors so well and gives you so much insight into yourself and others.
However, there are a few activities that cover certain elements of an escape game, so if you like one of the things on this list, you’ll probably enjoy an escape room.
Haunted Houses — Adventure, Test of Fight or Flight
Haunted Houses are the original king of thrilling adventures. Escape rooms and haunted houses both give you a similar sense of the unknown upon entering. You wonder what surprises will await you, you wonder if this will be hard to get through, at some point you might have to make a decision about what route you’re going to take, but in the end, there’s no real decision making involved and you only have to look out for yourself. You just have to get from point A to point B and try not to accidentally hit the employees.
In an escape game, you’ll get some of those same elements, but it will be fully on you and your teammates’ shoulders as to whether or not you succeed.
The Settlers of Catan® — Critical Thinking
Catan is a popular strategy game that has developed a dedicated group of followers over the last few years. This game tests your critical thinking skills and your ability to strategize. In the game, players start with set resources and territories and then try to gather as many resources and territories as possible until one player has racked up enough points. It can be quite a thrill because you never know what another player will do next. However, there’s really no urgency to how fast you play the game, it typically has no team aspect, and players are usually in a familiar setting.
MegaGames — Critical Thinking, Adventure, Thrill
MegaGames are maybe the most similar thing to escape rooms on this list. Another relatively new concept, they started to rise to popularity around 2014, just before people started forming companies to put the game on. It’s essentially a mix of Catan and live-action role-playing, where teams represent nations or organizations and try to expand their fictional reach as much as possible. These games are usually played over the course of a day and mimic the process and circumstances of some of the biggest decisions a person could possibly make.
MegaGames are essentially a bigger, more plain cousin to escape games. The teams, time to play, and stakes, are all larger. However, while escape rooms take far less time and set stakes on a smaller scale, the manufactured environment of the rooms helps make them more immersive than MegaGames and they have more of a thrill because of the set time frame.
Puzzles — Critical Thinking, Team Bonding
Puzzles play a critical role in escape games. In order to get through the room, you’ll need to solve certain puzzles, of both the physical and logical varieties. Puzzles can also be something to bond over when they’re done with others, however, there typically isn’t a lot of conferring on things and there are very little stakes established.
Doing puzzles with your team is a great warm-up to escape games. They get your critical-thinking skills rolling and can help you decide what role everyone will play in the escape room, but they’re unlikely to give you any of the other elements that an escape game provides.
Interactive Theater — Thrill, Personal Growth
This one is really not for the faint of heart, but in a completely different way than the other strategy and thrill activities on this list. Interactive theater is what it sounds like. They’re varying levels of interactive theater, but they’re each going to require you to participate.
In traditional interactive theaters, some have an audience and will address the audience for questions, opinions, and solutions in regards to what’s happening on stage. They may also call you up to play a role. With other traditional interactive theaters, the audience is fully immersed in the play, where there’s no wall or barriers to separate actors from those who paid for tickets.
Interactive theaters really don’t share much in common with escape rooms except for the fact that they’re immersive and they’ll put you into a situation you’re probably not usually involved in. While lacking in many characteristics of an escape game, they share the critical aspect of giving you a chance to learn about yourself.
Play Trapped Escape Game Today
If you like the idea of any or all of these activities, then the Trapped Escape Game likely has an escape room for you. Our rooms come at different levels of intensity and difficulty, so whether you’re just looking to test the waters or you want a big thrill, that’s something we can provide. If you’re in Nashville or Pigeon Forge and looking for a unique adventure experience, book with us now!