ESCAPE ROOM THRILL LEVELS: ARE ESCAPE ROOMS SCARY?

Escape rooms are immersive and interactive experiences in which participants are locked in a room and must solve puzzles and find clues to escape within a set time limit. These rooms vary in difficulty, genre, and thrill level, offering a wide range of experiences for players.

When it comes to thrill levels, escape rooms can be as scary as a horror movie or as mild as a game of Scrabble. Some rooms may feature jump scares, eerie atmospheres, or intense psychological elements, while others may focus more on puzzles and problem-solving without relying heavily on horror elements.

It's important to note that each escape center has its own thrill levels, and the scenarios can vary significantly. Whether you're a horror enthusiast seeking a scary escape room or prefer a milder adventure, there's an escape room with the right thrill level for you.

Are Escape Rooms Scary in General?

Escape rooms in Los Angeles (and beyond) aren’t inherently scary. Most escape rooms are based on puzzle solving and teamwork and the scenario merely heightens the excitement by adding a time limit to the goal of escape. You are never really locked in the room, can always ask the game master for help, and can leave at any time (although you should think about this carefully as leaving might end the game for the entire group).

To make escape rooms family-friendly, providers generally offer fun escape rooms alongside adventure, historical, and scary escape rooms. Beginners and seasoned aficionados will find many escape rooms at Quest Room and other escape room venues where they can quench their thirst for escape without feeling frightened.

Escape Rooms vs Haunted Houses

Escape rooms have come to be associated with the haunted house experience in some people’s minds. While selected escape room scenarios are built around the haunted house concept, there are several basic differences between the two activities:

1. Haunted houses are always intended to be scary. Escape rooms come in a wide variety of genres, of which “scary” is only one.
2. Haunted houses are self-navigated experiences whereas escape room games include the initial and ongoing support of the game master and (usually) a clear narrative.
3. Haunted houses are purely designed to scare whereas an escape room engages your problem-solving and communication skills, and builds teamwork.
4. It may be difficult to find the exit door of a haunted house. Escape rooms have a prominent exit door—usually within meters of the players—that can be opened at any time.

Common Escape Room Fears

The following are a few of the most common fears about escape rooms:

Anxiety about Beating the Clock

Escape rooms come with a time limit, after which you “lose the game.” This might induce fear or stress in some people. The reason escape games come with a time limit is that this challenges the players to solve the puzzles efficiently and makes the experience more exciting. If you don’t solve the room the first time you try, you can always come back and play again!

Fears Surrounding Physical Safety

Some people are afraid of being injured in an escape room. Our article about escape room safety will calm your fears. Escape rooms aren’t any more dangerous than real life, and the most players will generally get is a small bump or scrape. Our room descriptions indicate if there is greater physical challenge or a heightened risk of injury in specific games.

Fear of Jump Scares

Jump scares are surprises that make you jump. Escape room games that involve jump scares will generally include a warning in the description. People who are easily frightened and don’t enjoy feeling scared are advised to choose a genre and scenario that are more suited to their taste.

Fear of Confined Spaces (Claustrophobia)

Some escape rooms include tunnels or similar small spaces that the players need to crawl through. We include this detail in the escape room description so that participants with claustrophobia can make an informed decision. It’s sometimes possible to skip that part of the game or have only some people go through the tunnel to avoid excessive psychological discomfort.

Fear of Being Trapped (Cleithrophobia)

You are never truly trapped in an escape room or any area within it. Escape room providers have to follow strict rules surrounding fire safety, which include providing a way to leave the room quickly in case of an emergency.

All of our escape rooms have a prominent exit and you can also ask the game master to let you out. It could be a good idea to speak with our staff beforehand to discuss your concerns if you suffer from cleithrophobia to see how we can make your experience more comfortable.

Fear of Failure

The fear of failure appears to plague more adults than the fear of spiders and the paranormal. However, you’ll never succeed unless you try! Only 26% of escape room groups in the Americas beat their rooms on average (page 15 of the linked PDF), so it’s more normal to fail than to succeed. Our main advice to counter this fear is to go with people who you trust and who will take failure on the chin. You can always try the room again!

Fear of the Unknown

A fear of the unknown is related to uncertainty. Simply not knowing exactly what is going to happen is enough to make some people very anxious.

New escape room guests won’t be able to know all of the details of a room before going in (as that would spoil the experience!). However, we provide warnings on each escape room page about specific details that some people might find scary or traumatic (such as confined spaces, live actors, strobe lights, and the use of liquids) so that they can either avoid that room or go in mentally prepared.

Tips for Overcoming Your Escape Room Fears

The following tips have proved helpful for previous escape room players. Some apply to escape rooms in general and others are specific to scary escape room themes.

Read the Escape Room Description

Knowing as much as you can about the escape room game you will play removes much of the fear of the unknown. Read the descriptions provided on our game-specific pages along with our articles about escape room rules and escape room tips for beginners to be as familiar as possible with the escape room experience before you arrive.

Practice Puzzle-Solving Before You Go

There are certain puzzle types that are common in escape rooms, even though we try to make the specific puzzles a surprise. Check out our article about escape room puzzles and practice a few of those puzzle types at home before booking your escape room experience.

Go with People You Trust

Escape rooms are meant to be a bonding experience and also help to improve communication and teamwork skills. This makes it essential to go with people you trust and who will look out for your well-being throughout the experience. Going with someone who has been to an escape room before can also help you feel more at ease.

Arrive Early

Arrive at least 15 minutes before your game’s scheduled time to give yourself time to take a few breaths, go to the bathroom, and mentally prepare before going in. Arriving at the last minute (or late) is only likely to heighten feelings of stress and will give you less time to solve the puzzles and beat the room.

Listen to the Game Master

The game master is there to set your group on the right track. Listen carefully to the introduction and follow all of the instructions provided to maximize your safety and chances of success.

Remember that you can also ask for hints throughout the game. We offer unlimited hints to help our guests relax and enjoy their escape room experience.

Breathe Deeply

Breathing slowly and deeply activates the parasympathetic nervous system, which slows your heart rate and induces feelings of calm. Take a few intentional deep breaths before entering the room, when you go in, and at any moment during the experience when you find yourself feeling scared or stressed.

Take an Objective Perspective on Scary Rooms

Scary escape rooms can be an enjoyable experience even for participants who don’t like scary movies—if you go with the right mindset. While we wouldn’t necessarily recommend a scare-averse person to book in for one of our thriller or horror escape rooms, the following tips could help if you book a scary room intentionally to increase your fear tolerance or to accompany someone close to you who enjoys this genre.

• Remind yourself that it’s just a game. No matter how real the experience feels at the time, you will come out of the other side unharmed.
• Go with someone who is more frightened than you. This allows you to be a protector and keeps you focused on the well-being of the other person rather than on your own fear.
• Remember that the escape room is there to make money. If no one enjoyed the scenario, the room would quickly go out of business. To maximize the entertainment value, the live actors in some rooms might adjust the “scare level” to the relative fear or audacity they observe in the group.
• Recognize that the actors are having fun. Escape rooms are ultimately an immersive fictional experience that is somewhat similar to theater. The actors enjoy playing their roles to facilitate an entertaining experience for you.
• Go as an “observer” and analyze the details of the experience that others praise or appreciate during the game. This will help you see the experience more objectively and appreciate the details that have gone into creating the escape room.
• Go again! Something you’ve already experienced is unlikely to inspire as much fear the second time around. Familiarity with the scene, sounds, plot, scare types, and solutions will help you appreciate the experience (and maybe even enjoy it!) rather than feeling anxious or overwhelmed.

Escape Room Thrill Levels at Quest Room

The escape rooms at Quest Room can be grouped into three general thrill levels:

Level 1: Not Scary

At this level, the fear factor in the escape rooms is minimal. These non-scary escape room games are suitable for kids and family bonding experiences. They provide a fun and exciting atmosphere without any intense or frightening elements.

If you're looking for a lighthearted adventure, the following rooms are available:

• Da Vinci's Challenge (Koreatown, LA, Dallas)
• Spell Breakers (Koreatown, LA, Dallas)
• Pirates: Wanted! (Culver City, LA)
• Red Giant (Hollywood, LA, Dallas)
• Warlocked (Redondo Beach, LA)
• Kablam (Redondo Beach, LA)

Level 2: Thrilling

At this level, creepy escape room experiences offer a heightened level of excitement and adrenaline without being too terrifying. The necessary atmosphere is created through carefully crafted elements such as music, lighting, decorations, and visual effects.

While there may not be any live actors involved, the immersive environment and cleverly designed puzzles create a sense of suspense and anticipation. The games at this level are perfect for those who want to experience a thrilling adventure with a touch of adrenaline but are wary of full-blown horror rooms. They provide an experience where players can feel a sense of urgency and excitement as they solve puzzles and unravel the mysteries within the room.

Rooms available at this level include:

• Heretics (Koreatown, LA)
• Perfumer (Hollywood, LA)
• Amnesia (Culver City, LA)
• Polar Station (Redondo Beach, LA)

Level 3: Horror

At this level, horror-themed escape rooms are designed to provide a truly terrifying experience. The fear factor is significantly heightened in horror escape rooms, and participants should be prepared for intense scares and psychological challenges. The necessary atmosphere is created through a combination of carefully selected music, decorations, visual effects, and live actors.

The rooms at this level are the scariest in our centers and are suitable for those who want to push the boundaries of their fear tolerance. Adding realism and suspense to the experience is the immersive environment, along with the presence of live actors.

If you're ready to have your nerves tested and enjoy a heart-pounding adventure, the following rooms are available at this level:

• Malediction (Koreatown, LA, Dallas)
• Cannibal’s Den (Hollywood, LA, Dallas)
• Resurrection (Redondo Beach, LA)
• Project Minotaur (Hollywood, LA) - our most immersive and scariest escape room

Prepare yourself for an unforgettable and spine-chilling experience with these frightening escape rooms!

FAQs

Are Escape Rooms Dangerous? No. Escape rooms are no more dangerous than everyday life. A few isolated rooms may have an increased danger level and this information will always be provided in the room description.

Are You Truly Locked in or Trapped?

You are never truly locked in or trapped in an escape room. While the concept is based on escaping from a locked room, all of our rooms have a prominent button that you can press if you want or need to leave. Please note that this may end the game for everyone.

Can You Ask for Help?

You can ask for help and hints at any time during the game. The game master can hear you and see you at all times and all of our rooms provide unlimited hints.

Are You Ready to Dive into the Story?

If you're seeking an immersive and adrenaline-pumping experience, look no further! At Quest Room, we offer a wide range of thrilling escape rooms that will transport you into captivating stories filled with mystery and excitement.

To book a room and embark on your adventure, book through our website at https://questroom.com/schedule. Our online booking system makes it easy to secure your spot and select the location that suits you best.

Our LA locations include:

• Koreatown
• Hollywood
• Culver City
• Redondo Beach

Our Texas venue is located in Plano (Dallas).

No matter where you are in Los Angeles or Dallas, Quest Room is nearby and ready to provide an unforgettable escape room experience. If you have any questions or need assistance, feel free to reach out to us. You can contact us by phone at 310-707-1240 or chat with us through our online chat support.

Prepare yourself for an unparalleled adventure, and get ready to test your wits in the heart of the action!