Mazeoffeara guide to escape rooms and horror attractions

An independent guide to escape rooms and horror attractions. This is not the website of any escape room or attraction; we run no games and sell no tickets. Check rules and age limits with the operator.

Practical guides

Practical guides

The first article in this section covers how to choose and play a horror escape room. The result: you pick a format that suits the whole group, know the rules and age limits in advance, understand how to stop the game if you become uncomfortable, and spend your time inside on the puzzles and atmosphere rather than worrying about what comes next.

The scariest moment of an escape room often comes before it starts, when you don't yet know the rules. Learn them in advance and fear becomes part of the game rather than getting in the way.

— Editor's note

Before you start

  • Who is in the group and how each person feels about scares: some want more atmosphere, others less
  • The description and rules of the chosen game, on the operator's website
  • Any health information about players that the operator should know: medical conditions, photosensitivity
  • Comfortable clothes and shoes you can move and bend in and don't mind getting dirty

  1. Decide what you want from the game

    Talk with your group about what matters most: puzzles, atmosphere, scares or live interaction with actors. An escape room is built mainly on puzzles, an immersive show on actors and story, a horror quest on tension, and a haunted maze on movement and finding your way.

    If half the group loves puzzles and the other half wants thrills, look for a format whose description mentions both puzzles and a moderate fear level.

  2. Read the description and visitor rules

    Check the genre, whether there are actors, the fear level and the age limits. The rating and rules are set by the operator, so look them up on the specific game's website rather than relying on general assumptions.

    If the rules say players of a certain age are only admitted with adults, decide in advance which adult will go with them.

  3. Ask about safety

    Check with the operator whether there is a safe word or stop signal, whether the room is monitored on camera, how to reach the game master during the game and where the emergency exit is. These are normal questions, and operators usually answer them calmly.

    "How do we stop the game if someone feels unwell, and can the game master see what's happening in the room?"

  4. Consider health and tell the operator

    If any player has a medical condition that might be affected, talk to a doctor and tell the operator. Flashing or strobe lights can trigger seizures in people with photosensitive epilepsy, so warn them in advance and ask the operator about strobes.

    If one of your friends can't tolerate flashing lights, mention it when you book and ask whether the strobe can be turned off or whether you should pick a different game.

  5. Check the rules on contact with actors

    Games with actors usually follow a "no touching without consent" rule or have clearly agreed contact. Where the line is drawn is stated in the rules; if it isn't, ask. Players shouldn't touch the actors either.

    Before the game the game master explains whether contact is allowed. If you don't want to be touched at all, say so plainly. That is your right.

  6. Agree on team roles

    Decide who searches the room, who gathers everything you find in one place, who keeps track of time and who talks to the game master. First-timers do best staying close to someone who has played before.

    One person puts every item found on the table, another writes down codes and numbers, so nothing gets lost when things get loud.

  7. Inside: breathe and talk out loud

    A scare sets off the fight-or-flight response: your pulse and breathing speed up. This is normal and passes once the trigger is over. It helps to say out loud what you see and do, stay close to your team and not run in the dark.

    If it gets too scary, stop, take a few slow breaths and tell your team you need a break, or use the safe word.

  8. After the game: talk about what you enjoyed

    Share which moments stood out, what was too much and what was just right. This will help you choose the next game so that it suits the whole group.

    If someone felt uncomfortable, next time choose a format with a lower fear level or an escape room without horror.

Common mistakes

  • Choosing a game by its name without reading the description and rules
  • Not asking in advance about the safe word and how to reach the game master
  • Not telling the operator about players' medical conditions and photosensitivity
  • Pressuring a friend who clearly doesn't want to do a horror game
  • Running in the dark or pushing others when you're scared
  • Touching actors or props that the rules say must not be touched

Alternatives

  • An escape room without horror: the same puzzles and teamwork, minus the scares
  • A game with a reduced fear level or without actors, if the operator offers that option; check with them
  • A detective-style board game or home game, to see whether your group enjoys the puzzle format

Results checklist

  • The format was chosen together with the group
  • The description, rules and age limits have been read
  • Everyone knows how the safe word or stop signal works
  • The operator has been told about medical conditions and photosensitivity
  • The rules on contact with actors are clear
  • Team roles have been assigned
  • After the game, the group talked over what worked and what didn't

Article catalogue for English-speaking readers

This section will feature standalone articles for readers in the United States and other English-speaking countries. They are written with local entertainment formats in mind and are not translations of articles from other language versions of the site.

Topics the editors are planning

  • Escape rooms for a birthday party: picking a game everyone in the group will enjoy
  • Seasonal haunted attractions: how they differ from year-round escape rooms
  • Escape rooms as team building: running a work outing nobody feels forced into
  • How hints work: when to ask the game master and when to keep going

Editorial rules

  • Articles in this catalogue are written separately for each language version and are not translations.
  • Some articles link to third-party websites, including gaming services; we do not control their content, prices or terms.
  • We do not publish unverifiable ratings of quests or venues, prices or reviews.
  • Questions and answers

    Short answers on what to do before the game, during the game, and how to cope with fear.

  • Reference

    A glossary of formats, mechanics and puzzles, and safety terms: concise and sourced.

  • Reading lists

    Reading lists: your first escape room, a group of first-timers, escape rooms without horror.

Sources

  • Encyclopedic sources on the physiology of stress
  • Epilepsy organisations' guidance on photosensitivity
  • Escape room operators' visitor rules

Information is current as of the date it was prepared. Rules, formats and age limits for escape rooms and attractions change, so always check them directly with the operator, on their website and in their visitor rules.