Planning an escape room outing, and wondering how long the escape room will take?

Looking for some tips and tricks on managing your time during an escape game?

Want to know what to do if you get stuck?

Then this is the blog post for you! Allow Lost Reality Escape Room to unpack everything you need to know about escape room game times!

What happens in an escape room game – quick recap

You and your group are assigned a mission and “locked” inside a themed room.

Working together as a team, you must solve puzzles, find hidden objects, open special locks and spot clues that reveal the way forward.

Almost like finding yourself in the middle of your favourite movie or video game!

Here’s the crucial bit: Can you and your team accomplish your mission and “escape” the room before time runs out?

It’s this time limit that adds a whole new flavour to the experience. And it’s this time limit that we’ll discuss in this blog post.

How long does an escape room experience last?

Here’s the deal: Most escape rooms have a time limit of 60 minutes.

However, there’s no universal rule, and there are escape games with time limits as small as 30 minutes, and there are escape games where you get 75 minutes or even one and a half hours to escape.

Take our own Perth escape room. While most of our escape adventures are 60 minutes long, one – The Witch’s Potion – gives escapers 75 minutes to escape.

Now…does that mean every team spends 60/75 minutes inside the escape room? As you’ve surely guessed, no.

For example, for 60-minute games, teams can take anywhere from 45 minutes to the full hour to break out.

How long it takes for a team to escape the room depends on several factors, which we’ll see now.

Factors on which the length of your actual escape room experience will depend

From the difficulty level of the escape room to whether you’re using all your resources effectively, here are some of the most crucial factors affecting your actual time to break out.

Difficulty level of the rooms

Generally speaking, escape rooms have 3 difficulty levels:

Easy escapes, which are aimed at beginners and first-timers.
- Example at Lost Games: The Frozen King.
Moderately challenging escapes, aimed at casual players. First-timers can try them out too, for an extra challenge.
- Examples at Lost Games: The Jungle and Sherlock Holmes: London Is Falling.
Difficult escapes, aimed at experienced escapers.
- Examples at Lost Games: The Witch’s Potion and The Mafia.

As you’ve guessed, the easier the game, the quicker you can expect to find your way out.

Experience of the players

Just like with difficulty levels, escape room players can be ranked into three categories based on their experience level:

Beginners: Who’ve never played before.
Casual players, or moderately experienced players: Who’ve played before and know the basics, but aren’t very experienced.
Highly experienced players: Escape freaks, puzzle enthusiasts, competitive players all fall into this category.

And you’ve guessed what’s coming – beginners would need time to complete their mission, while highly experienced players would go through many rooms like a knife through butter.

The size of the game space

This is obvious, isn’t it?

An escape game that’s spread over a large area may take a longer time to complete than one that takes place in a small space.

Simply walking around the space would eat into your time.

Group size and dynamics

Are you able to work with your group members as a team?

Is your group the right size, or is it too large and unwieldy, with different team members just doing their stuff with no joint group effort?

While a larger group means more eyeballs and more brains to spot clues and solve puzzles, unless the group members are able to develop a team dynamic, even a larger group may end up taking a long time to accomplish the mission!

But don’t let that dissuade you if you’re planning an escape room date. The longer a date goes, the better, am I right?

Are you using your resources efficiently?

What are the resources you, as a team playing an escape room, have?

Well, first of all, there’s your team itself. As we discussed, are you able to leverage the collective capabilities of the group to tackle challenges quicker?
Second, there are in-game props and support. Should you, for example, chance upon a UV light inside the room, how long will you take to figure out how to use it?
Third, there are hints. If you get stuck, will you avoid asking for hints as you’re obsessed with solving the puzzle on your own? Or will you ask the game master for help while there’s still time to get through the remainder of the adventure?

Tips and tricks to improve your time management in the escape room

From the omnipresent strategies like “improve your teamwork” to practical tips like appointing a timekeeper, here are ways to improve your time management in escape rooms.

Improve your team dynamic

Teamwork makes the dream work!

To escape in the shortest time possible, it’s crucial for your group to communicate effectively and work together.

After all, two (or more) heads are better than one, right?

Divide and conquer

Assign roles: designate a leader, timekeeper, or puzzle specialist.
Split up: Tackle different puzzles simultaneously.
Regroup and reassess: come together periodically to share findings and progress.

Appoint a timekeeper

You’ll find this a very helpful strategy for managing time and ensuring the group stays on track.

The timekeeper must keep track of the time remaining and provide regular updates to the group.

By having someone designated to manage time, the group can focus on the tasks and challenges at hand without worrying about running out of time.

What happens if time runs out?

You’re a goner, condemned to spend the rest of your life…nah, only kidding.

Your game master will step in, reveal the remaining clues, and show you the way out.

Some escape rooms may go a step further, using special effects to conclude the storyline.

What to do if you get stuck?

Don’t worry, lots of folks get stuck handling puzzles in escape rooms. Here are a few ways you can get back on track:

Breathe: If you start to panic, just take a step back and breathe. It isn’t the end of the world!
Involve the team: Tell everyone you need help.
Search the room: If the team can’t figure it out, search the entire room for a clue you may have missed.
Check your unused clues: Hopefully, you’ve remained organised and stored your unused clues somewhere you can easily see and review them.
Recall the briefing: As we mentioned, escape room adventures begin with a pre-game briefing. Think back to that; it could hold the key to your predicament.
Ask for help: Another omnipresent suggestion – just holler for help from the friendly game master!

Frequently asked questions about how long an escape room lasts

From what is the average time to complete an escape room to what the world record for the fastest escape room time is, find all the commonly asked questions about escape room adventure times answered!

What is the average time to complete/finish/escape an escape room?

On average, players would take anywhere between 45 to 60 minutes to escape a 60-minute escape room.

However, this is a very rough estimate, as escape rooms vary widely on everything from the length of the game itself (as we mentioned above, escape rooms may be 30 minutes to 75 or even 90 minutes long), how difficult it is, how experienced the players are and so on.

Lost Reality Adds: Here at Lost Reality, most groups use up the full time or may finish slightly earlier if they ask for hints when stuck.

How long should an escape room last?

As we said above, there is no set rule. While the majority of escape rooms are 60 minutes long, game times can vary from as little as half an hour to as long as 75 minutes or even one and a half hours.

Lost Reality Adds: Most of our escape rooms last 60 minutes. The exception is the magic/fantasy-themed The Witch’s Potion, which is 75 minutes long.

How long do you typically spend in an escape room?

Here’s the deal: escape room experiences typically comprise of three parts – a pre-game briefing and setup, the gameplay, and the post-game debriefing and photoshoot.

While the pre-game briefing and post-game debriefing & picture-snapping should take no more than 15-20 minutes each, how long the gameplay lasts depends on how long the game itself is.

Here’s a rough estimate for a 60-minute game: Assuming the average escape time of 45-60 minutes, you can expect to spend up to one and a half hours at the escape room.

How long are you given in an escape room?

It varies from game to game – while in most cases you’re given 60 minutes in the escape room, it could be anywhere between 30 minutes to 75 or even 90 minutes.

Lost Reality Adds: Most of our escape rooms last 60 minutes. The exception is the magic/fantasy-themed The Witch’s Potion, which is 75 minutes long.

What is the world record for the fastest escape room time?

While we can’t be sure, but according to this interview on Room Escape Artist, 21 minutes 0 seconds is one of the fastest escape room times.

But hey – records are meant to be broken, right? What’s stopping you from being the one to break it?

What happens if you get stuck in an escape room?

Don’t worry if you get stuck! Take a deep breath, relax, and huddle with your team. If you still can’t figure out how to proceed, ask the game master for help!

What happens if time runs out in an escape room?

Again, don’t panic! It’s just a game!

Either you’ll be able to just walk out, or the game master will let you out.

Some escape rooms may take the experience a step further and let the storyline conclude through special effects before you’re let out.

What happens if you are late to an escape room?

Escape room policies regarding late arrivals may differ. It’s always best to arrive early or on time to ensure a smooth experience.

Some escape rooms may require you to reschedule, while others might give you a choice between playing and rescheduling.

However, do understand that you may not be offered extra time, as the room will have to be reassembled for the subsequent team.

Lost Reality Adds: As we note in our FAQs, we recommend arriving 15 minutes before your time slot. If you’re more than 15 minutes late, your game time will be curtailed accordingly.

Are any escape rooms longer than 1 hour?

Yes, indeed! An example is our magic/fantasy-themed The Witch’s Potion, which is 75 minutes long.

Can you leave an escape room midway through the game?

Absolutely you can! If you want to leave, just let your game master know, and you’ll be guided out.

You should also know that most escape rooms simply leave the main door open throughout the experience, or they’ll have a panic button you can easily access.

#SafetyFirst

How long does it take to escape an escape room – key takeaways

How long your escape room experience lasts depends on various factors such as difficulty level, the experience of players, size of the game space, group size and dynamics, and efficient use of resources.

Most escape rooms have a time limit of 60 minutes, but it can vary from 30 minutes to one and a half hours.

Improving teamwork and dividing tasks among group members can help you better manage time.

If you get stuck, relax, ask your team for help, have another look at the room and unused clues – and finally, ask the game master for hints.