Are Escape Rooms Scary? Common Escape Room Fears Answered

They sound fun - but are escape rooms scary?

After all, you’re locked in a room and placed on a time limit to escape. Will there be scares in horror or even non-horror themes? What if you get claustrophobic? What if you can’t solve the puzzles?

These escape room fears are common and understandable. That’s why companies specifically design their games to be fun, not scary – even if they’re horror themes!

Knowing what to expect can be a great relief before trying out an escape room. We’re here to help. 

Let’s explore what escape rooms really are, and why you have nothing to worry about, so you can enjoy these games!

What are Escape Rooms?


An escape room is a puzzle-solving adventure game. These games always involve:

  • A Story: You and your group of family or friends enter a room that was designed based on a theme or story – such as a deserted island, the scene of a crime, or a bank vault.
  • Puzzles: This room is full of puzzles, clues, and even secret compartments. Your goal is to find the clues and solve all the puzzles before the time runs out!
  • High (But Fun) Stakes: Depending on the theme, your goal may be framed as “escaping the island” or “breaking into the vault,” but all escape room games involve racing the clock to solve a series of puzzles.
What Kind of Puzzles Do They Have?

The puzzles themselves may lead you to ask, "Are escape rooms scary?" After all, who likes feeling stumped?

While the puzzles vary from room to room, they can include word puzzles, math puzzles, or physical puzzles.

Don’t worry – you’ll never be expected to know every solution to a puzzle! As such, clues to these puzzles are hidden throughout the room; maybe in a book on a shelf, pressed behind a picture frame on the wall, or even played in a series of Morse code beeps in the background music!

The puzzles usually follow a sequential order and play into each other, keeping your brain engaged throughout the game.

What is the Time Limit?

Escape rooms usually have a time limit to add a challenging element to the game. This means that you and your family will have to manage your time to beat the escape room!

An hour-long time limit is common, though the limit may be longer or shorter based on the difficulty level of the room.

Are escape rooms scary because of this? Not at all!

Because of this time limit, you and your group will have to work quickly if you want to win. You’ll typically get so immersed in puzzles that you’ll forget you were ever scared in the first place!

Number of Players

Escape rooms are not solo activities. The point is to work together as a team, so the puzzles are usually spread out all across the room, their relevant clues hidden in various locations.

Escape rooms are designed for groups, and these groups are usually more than two people. Some games will hold as many as 16 players. As such, you’re never alone inside of an escape room; friends and family are there to help!

Are Escape Rooms Scary? No, and Why Not

Some escape rooms are ‘horror’ themed, such as escaping a zombie apocalypse or solving the mystery of a haunted house. Even still, they’re designed to be fun, not genuinely terrifying. You’ll get a good spook, but never be actually afraid for your safety!

Is horror not your style? Don’t worry. These games are clearly defined as “horror” in their description – both at the business itself and online. You’ll never be surprised, and can always choose a non-horror theme.

For horror and non-horror escape rooms, you still may have concerns. Here are some fears you can put to rest.

Is It Actually Being Locked Up?

You need to solve puzzles in order to “escape” a room, and that means you’re genuinely locked inside the game, unable to leave until you lose or win. Right?

This is a common misconception.

If you’ve changed your mind, are feeling a bit overwhelmed, or have an emergency that requires you to leave, never fear. You can always exit the room before the time limit runs out!

Some escape rooms provide you with an exit button to press, while others will tell you to simply open the front door. Depending on the rules of the specific escape room, you might not be allowed to re-enter the room if you choose to leave. This helps to avoid cheating.

However, you are never truly locked into an escape room. Being “locked-in” is an illusion to raise the stakes for the story, but is never designed to actually frighten you. You can leave the game at any time!

What If You Lose?

If you can’t find the clues or solve the puzzles, will you stay locked in? Is there a punishment? Will you be shamed?

The answer to all three is: “Absolutely not.”

Remember: these games are designed to be fun! Losing games is both entirely normal and entirely okay.

Should you be unable to finish the game, or should the time limit run out, the game is over. At this point, there may be a conclusion to the story, such as you being notified that a zombie virus was released or the police arriving to bring your bank heist to an end. That’s a bummer, but – ultimately – it’s just a game.

The door is then unlocked, and the escape room game-master congratulates you on your hard work. You’re welcome to try the game again or simply high-five your teammates for a valiant effort and call it a day. No worries!

What If You Cannot Solve the Puzzle?

You do not need to be a puzzle-solving genius to have fun in an escape room! Escape rooms are designed with everyone in mind, from all walks-of-life and education levels.

Check the escape room’s description before you visit to evaluate its difficulty level. Some rooms are designed with younger or more inexperienced players in mind, while others will involve trickier puzzles that will delight expert puzzle-solvers.

Some rooms even require some physical activity. These details are always set out in the room’s description before you play. If you get really stuck on a puzzle, some escape rooms will provide you with a certain number of extra hints if you ask for help!

How Can You Call For Help?

Escape room employees or a designated game-master will always be observing your game in real-time. This allows them to provide clues if needed, unlock the door at your request, or answer any general questions you may have about the rules.

This is true no matter the escape room, its theme, or its difficulty level.

Some escape rooms provide you with a walkie-talkie or other device to communicate with the game-master. You can always ask for help at any time, whether you want to be let out or just need a helpful tip.

While escape rooms are not scary, if you get scared, then help is always close at hand!

Why 60OUT?

Are escape rooms scary? No – they’re fun!

Now that your fears are alleviated, you may be excited to try a game for yourself! 60OUT hosts more than twenty different immersive, themed escape rooms, and they are constantly coming up with more titillating adventures.

These games range in difficulty level and cover many different genres, including fantasy and science-fiction themes. You’re sure to find a game that’s best for you and your group!

The best part? 60OUT escape rooms are always privately booked. If you’re worried about having to share your experience with a stranger, never fear a 60OUT escape room – you get to choose exactly who you bring in with you!

Are you ready to play? Then book your escape room adventure at 60OUT’s website today!

08 Aug 2019

Where to Find the Best Scary Escape Rooms in Los Angeles

What scary escape rooms does Los Angeles have to offer? Can they truly get your heart pumping?

Not all scary escape rooms in Los Angeles are created equally. Some offer soft-core scares best suited for families, while others have heart-stopping thrills that’ll satisfy life-long horror fans.

Which escape rooms have the best stories?

We’ve gathered all the frightening (and fun) details. Read on!

Why is Los Angeles So Attractive to Fun Seekers?

Whether it’s scary escape rooms or exciting tourist activities, Los Angeles has always been the top destination for anyone seeking a fun time.

Around fifty million people from across the world visited Los Angeles in 2018, and for good reason!

Excellent Museums, Art, and Weather

This city has over a hundred museums, the over two thousand stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, and the largest historical theater district in the nation.

Boasting great weather all year long, Los Angeles is the veritable entertainment capital of not only the United States but the entire world.

Fantastic Food, Beaches, and Festivals

In Los Angeles, you can find cuisines from cultures all around the world, over seventy miles of beautiful beaches, and festivals all year round. It’s hard to get bored with this range of options!

Countless Escape Rooms

There truly is something for everyone in Los Angeles, and this, of course, includes escape rooms of a wide variety of genres. If you are a horror fan, then Los Angeles absolutely has a scary escape room for you!

What are the Best Scary Escape Rooms You Must Try in Los Angeles?

So, are you ready to have a frightfully fantastic time playing a thrilling game? Here are some of the best scary escape rooms in Los Angeles!

Amityville – 1333 West Temple Street

All the families who have lived at 1333 West Temple Street suddenly disappeared without a trace – and you have just moved in!

Your new neighbors in this small town of Amityville are telling you to get out while you still can. Surviving your first night in your new home will be easier said than done. The evil spirit that inhabits this house might get you, too!

This eerie escape room is designed for two to six players and has a minimum age requirement of thirteen years. You have sixty minutes to decipher the clues and escape this medium-difficulty haunted house!

Ghost Ship – 7270 Melrose Avenue

Long ago, a ship lost at sea came under a terrible curse. Since then, the crew has wandered the world, capturing unwary travelers out of a desperate hope that someone might finally break the spell.

Now the ship has come for you. Will you and your group finally figure out how to release everyone on board from this dark curse? Or, like everyone else, will you too become a member of this spellbound sailing crew?

This hard-difficulty escape room takes two to six players on a high-seas adventure with a sixty-minute time limit. Sailors must be twelve years of age or older in order to join the crew!

Doctor Psycho – 1316 North Western Avenue

Any trip to the doctor’s office can be cause for anxiety, but this particular trip has gone horribly wrong! The psychotic doctor who runs this ward also moonlights as a voracious serial killer, and you and your fellow patients are his next victims.

You have exactly an hour before he returns to finish you off. Can you solve the puzzles to escape the room in time?

This escape room has a medium-difficulty level and a minimum age requirement of twelve years. It supports two to six players and has an hour-long time limit.

The Orphanage – 135 South Western Avenue

You are the newest arrival at the Fernvale Orphanage, a place known for keeping those in need of care… whether you like it or not.

Not long after the night begins, you realize that there’s something very wrong about the other inhabitants of this orphanage. Your goal is to quickly and quietly find your way out of the orphanage again, without waking the residents!

This scary escape room adventure has a medium-difficulty level, a sixty-minute time limit, and a minimum age requirement of twelve years. It requires some physical activity and is designed for a group of two to six people.

Dracula – 7270 Melrose Avenue

Word has it that your group is the best team of vampire slayers in the nation, and this community is in dire need of your services.

You arrive at the vampire’s lair an hour before the sun sets and the creature rises again. There’s no time to waste! Can you solve the puzzles and slay the vampire before it gets the better of you?

This spooky escape room supports two to six players and has a minimum age requirement of thirteen years. It has a hard difficulty level, an hour-long time limit, and requires some physical activity.

Why 60OUT?

If you are looking for frightful fun and a thrilling adventure, then check out the scary escape rooms at 60OUT!

60OUT has more than twenty immersive, themed escape rooms and is continually developing more unique games every day. These games cover a wide range of genres, including horror games that will make you jump!

Each room contains creepy clues and challenging puzzles that will keep you engaged and on your toes from start to finish. Best of all, all 60OUT escape rooms are always privately booked. This means that you don’t have to worry about a scaredy-cat stranger ruining the fun for everyone else – you get to choose who to bring with you!

Book your scary escape room adventure at 60OUT’s website today!

18 Jul 2019

Tips for Planning the Perfect Escape Room Proposal

When you're ready to pop the question, should you choose an escape room proposal?

Absolutely! Escape rooms can make this beloved moment exciting and memorable.

But what theme should you choose? Do you need extra props? How can you ensure it’s a surprise?

To make your escape room proposal go brilliantly, check out these tips. They’ll create a unique and oh-so-special moment for your partner!

Choosing the Perfect Escape Room Theme for Your Proposal

Pick a Theme That Fits Your Partner’s Tastes

When planning your escape room proposal, be sure to choose an escape room theme your partner will enjoy! The last thing you want is for them to be bored or unhappy when you pop the question. The more fun they have, the more ready they will be to give you a big, “Yes!”

Don’t Let the Theme Overwhelm Your Proposal

Escape rooms that get your heart pumping are excellent fun. However, you don’t want the theme to overwhelm the main event – your proposal!

If the theme includes a lot of music or ambiance, it can be hard to communicate with your partner when the time is right. Likewise, horror themes are exciting – but if your partner is too enveloped in the setting, they may have trouble focusing on you (and your important question!).

You may want to have a quieter moment between you and your partner and choose a calmer theme that won’t overwhelm the moment.

Tailor the Proposal to the Theme

The best escape room proposal is one that incorporates the theme into the "big question!"

If your loved one prefers science fiction, a theme that includes a spaceship crash-landed on a distant moon is sure to excite them. Then, after you’ve solved the puzzle, you can ask them to spend the rest of their life with you – throughout all the wacky and thrilling adventures.

Tips for Creating the Perfect Escape Room Proposal

Once you’ve chosen the theme for you and your fiancé-to-be, it’s time to plan the main event. Here are some tips for pulling off the best escape room proposal!

Make Sure It’s a Surprise

There’s nothing more romantic than a surprise proposal. However, surprise proposals are so common that they’re easily anticipated.

People expect to be proposed to while doing something they enjoy; for example, while eating at their favorite restaurant, or after completing a marathon together. While it’s a nice moment, it’s not much of a surprise!

This is why choosing an escape room for your proposal is a great idea. As your loved one focuses on the game, they won’t expect it to end with a ring!

Make It Seem Like It was Their Idea

Sometimes spontaneity can ruin a surprise. If you suddenly approach your partner and say, “Hey, we should do an escape room on this day!”, then they might think something is up!

How do you keep things incognito? Make it seem like the escape room was their idea.

Play an escape room a few weeks or months before the proposal. This gives you a chance to vet if your partner truly enjoys the games, and as a bonus? If they show interest in trying another escape room, you have a simple gateway to booking your escape room proposal!

Let them suggest coming back, and if they choose the date, they’ll think they’re the one organizing things - not you!

Relax and Go with the Flow

It can be tempting to plan literally everything about the proposal, down to the minute.

However, an escape room game does not always go according to plan! If your idea is to pop the question at the end of the game, then your nerves are likely to get the better of you toward the end. Your nerves may get even worse if it seems like your group will not solve the puzzles before the time limit!

Remember to take a deep breath, relax, and focus on having a good time. Even if you’re stressed out about not winning the game, focus on creating a good memory for you and your fiancé-to-be. The laughter and excitement will be more memorable than anything!

Follow Your Instincts

When it’s finally time to pop the question, your brain may go completely blank from nerves. It’s so easy to forget speeches when push comes to shove - especially if you’ve spent the last hour running around, solving puzzles!

As you propose, relax and follow your instincts. Get down on one knee and speak from the heart. Don’t worry if you stumble over your words; your loved one will understand. They will be just as excited and overwhelmed about the moment as you!

What to Consider When Planning an Escape Room Proposal

Does Your Partner Like Escape Rooms?

A proposal is all about your loved one. As such, it’s important to create a moment they’ll love and appreciate.

Be sure to try an escape room with your partner beforehand. Did they like it? Are they interested in trying it again? If your partner isn’t really a fan of puzzles or events with a time limit, then you should probably consider other venues instead.

However, if you already know they love escape rooms, get right to it!

Who Else Should be with You?

A marriage proposal is a moment between you and your fiancé-to-be. Plenty of escape rooms support a small group of two people. However, you may want to be surrounded by family and friends when you propose!

Consider what will make your partner happy and invite the people they love along with you.

Should You Ask the Escape Room Provider for Help?

The simplest escape room proposal just involves bringing the ring with you, waiting until you both win the game, and then popping the question.

However, notifying the escape room provider ahead of time allows them to help! They may be able to integrate the proposal into the game itself.

If the escape room ends with unlocking a safe, it’s possible to secretly stash the ring inside the safe before the game begins. The escape room employees may also ensure someone is on standby with a camera to capture the moment.

One thing’s for sure: the team will be more than excited to help make your proposal as perfect as it can be.

Why 60OUT?

If you’re ready to plan an escape room proposal, then you should check out the rooms at 60OUT.

Each of their rooms contains entertaining clues and challenging puzzles, all designed for fun and excitement. They’ll keep your partner on their toes, not suspecting a thing until you pop the question!

Most importantly, all 60OUT escape rooms are privately booked. You can choose exactly who is present during this special moment, without any strangers ruining the mood!

Ready to get started? Book your escape room proposal at 60OUT’s website today!

11 Jul 2019

How Can Escape Rooms be Family Therapy Activities to Build Trust?

What are family therapy activities to build trust? And can they be fun?

With escape rooms, yes.

If your family has a hard time trusting each other, you’re not alone. Every family struggles to be an effective team at some point. How can you help your family trust and talk to each other again?

Consider taking them to an escape room!

It might be surprising, but escape room games can serve as family therapy activities.

In this article, we'll tell you how an escape room can help build trust among your family members, and explore the best escape room themes for your family.

Let’s dive in!

What are Escape Room Games?

Escape room games are themed puzzle-solving adventures.

Your family enters a room with a specific theme. For example, it could be an eerie Victorian-style haunted house, a peaceful tropical island environment, or a fortress surrounded by groaning zombies. Throughout the room are hidden puzzles and clues.

The goal of the game is to solve the puzzles and decipher the clues - before the hour-long time limit runs out. Escape rooms are meant to be played as a team, which makes them an ideal family outing.

Most escape rooms are completely immersive adventures. The final goal is typically unlocking a hidden door in the room. As such, they can feel like being in a real-life video game!

How Do They Work as Family Therapy Activities to Build Trust?

Escape rooms can be more than just a game. They can help your family learn to solve conflicts together and to build trust.

How? These lessons teach your family how to be closer by…

Encouraging Planning and Collaboration

Escape room puzzles usually can’t be solved by one person alone – you and your family must work together to win the game!

This requires planning and collaboration. You will have to agree on a strategy and assign roles to each family member.

Who will tackle the word puzzles? Who will run around collecting clues? Who will put the pieces together?

The planning and collaboration required make escape rooms a great family therapy activity to build trust.

Practicing Communication Skills

Because your family must work together to beat the escape room game, effective communication is key. They’re not just family therapy activities to build trust – they build better communication skills too!

Do your family members tend to keep their thoughts and feelings to themselves? Encourage them to say what they see and think throughout the game.

When your spouse at one side of the room says, “Here’s a lock that needs a four-number combination,” and your kid at the other side says, “There are four numbers repeated in the wallpaper over here,” then they’ve solved a puzzle together through communication!

As your family practices expressing themselves clearly to win the game, they will learn communication skills.

Developing Problem-Solving Skills

If you and your family tend to start shouting and slamming doors when things get difficult, then escape room games can help you break that pattern.

In an escape room, you only have an hour to solve the puzzles. Getting angry won’t fix that! The desire to win is a powerful motivator.

It gives you an opportunity to teach your family useful methods for staying calm and clear-headed. For example, taking a deep breath and counting to ten before trying to solve a challenging puzzle.

After the game is done, your family can remember the problem-solving skills they developed in the room. You just enjoyed family therapy activities to build trust without even realizing it!

Fostering Group Play

Put simply, an escape room is a safe space that is away from the normal arguments and frustrations of daily life. As your family works together to escape the room, you are able to “escape” the things that you usually fight about as well.

Escape room games pull everyone into an immersive, imaginative world. They require everyone to get on their feet and be an active part of the story - pouring through a mad scientist’s journals or pretending to be pirates in search of a hidden treasure.

The result? The game brings everyone out of their individual shells. You will create memories of laughter and fun together, which last long after the game is won.

What are the Best Escape Room Themes for Your Family?

Escape room stories can come from a wide range of genres.

You and your family may find yourselves exploring an undersea laboratory, sneaking through an abandoned casino, searching an old house for your eccentric uncle’s inheritance, or trying to escape a safe room with zombies trying to break down the door.

The themes can be adventurous, comedic, or focus on horror or mystery.

The best escape room theme for your family is one that everyone will enjoy! If your spouse is not a big horror fan, then try avoiding the zombie apocalypse escape rooms. If your kids love science fiction movies, then an escape room in outer space or in a high-tech laboratory might be perfect!

Try to closely align the theme with your family members’ hobbies and interests. As such, they’ll be more engaged. The more engaged they are, the more positive lessons your family will take away from the game!

That’s what truly makes these rooms work as family therapy activities to build trust. They allow your family to escape everyday struggles, create fantastic memories, and learn valuable lessons that you will carry with you for the rest of your life.

Why 60OUT?

Are you looking for an escape room game to help your family improve their trust and communication? Then you should check out the escape rooms at 60OUT!

Every 60OUT escape room has an immersive theme, which transforms the puzzle-solving fun into an exciting adventure. The games cover a vast range of genres and stories.

Each room is full of puzzles which encourage problem-solving skills. The clues require teamwork and communication to beat. Best of all, you never have to worry about a stranger intruding upon your family time. All of 60OUT’s escape rooms are privately booked!

You can book your 60OUT escape room adventure on their website today!

20 Jun 2019

4 Reasons Why You Should Have an Escape Room Birthday Party

Why should you host an escape room birthday party?

An escape room is like a real-life video game. You and a group of people must work together to explore the room, find clues, and solve the puzzles - before the time limit runs out!

In this article, we'll give you four other reasons why escape rooms are the best option for a birthday party, and tips for how to create your own!

4 Reasons Why Escape Rooms are the Best Option for Your Birthday Party

1. A Fun Time for Everyone

So many popular birthday party activities have age restrictions. A kid's birthday party held at an amusement park can easily be ruined by a “you must be this tall to ride” sign. For young adults, a birthday spent bar hopping with friends inevitably leaves anybody under 21 years old feeling left out.

Escape rooms, on the other hand, are for everyone. All you need to participate is a curious mind and desire to have fun!

The rooms are designed to be played in groups, instead of individually. As such, the rooms are full of enough puzzles and clues for everyone to get involved.

2. A Rewarding Challenge

Escape rooms are full of team-building puzzle games, so solving the puzzles inside can be a real challenge for participants.

You and your guests will have to work together to figure out the room’s clues and beat this challenge before time runs out!

The result is a great feeling of accomplishment, which is even better than the rush of joy when unwrapping a present.

What better birthday gift is there than being able to say, “We won the game!”

3. A Cost-Friendly Party

After buying the cake, preparing the drinks and snacks, reserving the space, and purchasing presents, even a child’s birthday party can quickly become very expensive!

The good news is: you don’t need to drain your wallet to host a fantastic birthday party. Instead of going on an expensive outing, an escape room birthday party is a cost-efficient alternative!

All you need is crafting supplies and your imagination!

4. A Unique and Memorable Experience

An escape room birthday party may seem unusual, but that’s part of the appeal!

Why play yet another round of musical chairs or “pin the tail on the donkey”?

You, your friends, and your family could go on a sci-fi adventure! Your party guests will fondly look back on time spent together in the escape room, solving puzzles and enjoying the room’s engaging theme.

Tips for Holding the Best Escape Room Game for Your Birthday Party

Considering the Group Size

Different escape rooms support different group sizes. When you plan your escape room birthday party, think about how many people you’re inviting!

A smaller group - of around three to five people - would have the most fun in a compact venue. For example, a single room or small tent.

However, if you have a larger group, you’ll want to devote a larger space to the game. Larger groups may also need more clues and puzzles in the escape room so that every partygoer has something to work on.

Another option for a larger group is to create multiple versions of the same small escape room. These include identical puzzles, which are then divided among the party attendees’ rooms. Challenge the groups to race and see which room solves the puzzles first!

Choosing a Theme

Most escape rooms have a theme or a story which the puzzles support, immersing the players in an exciting adventure. For an escape room birthday party, pick a theme that the birthday boy or girl will love!

If they’re a fan of science fiction, create puzzles that take you on a journey through a mad scientist’s secret laboratory, searching through his notes for clues to escape.

If they like horror movies, then a haunted house or zombie-themed escape room is a good match.

But stay away from horror games if the birthday kid doesn’t like to be frightened!

Creating the Clues

Once you’ve chosen your theme, you can create the puzzles and clues that will make the game an engaging challenge! Most puzzles you find in a public escape room can be made at home as well.

What’s the best escape room puzzle?


Most people favor physical puzzles. For example, you can lock a prize in a box, and hide the key to the lock elsewhere in the room.

You can also create a physical wood or plastic puzzle with a vital clue written on it; this can only be read once the puzzle is put back together!


Other puzzles are solved with your mind, rather than your hands. You can add detail to the escape room’s story, as well as create puzzles to solve, by leaving books and papers around the room.

Did a pirate leave behind cryptic instructions to find his buried treasure? Is the combination for a casino safe found by filling in the highlighted spaces on a Sudoku puzzle?


Don’t forget about clues hidden in the atmosphere of the room. If there is a tape player sitting on the table, your guests can search the room for a tape to play in it, and hear an important clue.

If the background music includes a series of mysterious, regular beeping sounds, then it might be a Morse code message!

Atmosphere clues take your escape room party experience to the next level.

Why 60OUT?

If you don't have time to create your own escape room birthday party, 60OUT escape rooms are the perfect place to host your birthday party!

Each of the more than 20 escape rooms at 60OUT create an immersive, themed experience for you and your party guests. They’re full of challenging puzzles and engaging clues.

Best of all, you don’t have to worry about sharing your escape room with strangers. All 60OUT escape rooms are privately booked!

Book your escape room birthday party by visiting 60OUT’s website today!

13 Jun 2019

How to Create the Best Escape Room Bachelorette Party

Why should you have an escape room bachelorette party?

Because you want the bride-to-be to have a carefree fun-filled night with her friends before the biggest day of her life!

If you are trying to organize a unique, entertaining bachelorette party for your sister, your friend, or yourself, you should consider an escape room party!

What can you expect? How many people should you invite? How can you create the best puzzles?

To find out, keep reading.

Why are Escape Room Games Perfect for a Bachelorette Party?

Teamwork and Bonding

While puzzle-solving is usually a solitary activity, escape rooms require that you come together as a group. You can figure out the clues and reach the solution together!

This makes an escape room game perfect for a group of friends - the kind you’d invite to a bachelorette party.

Combining brainpower to tackle a challenging puzzle can lead to interpersonal bonding.

Plus, humorous clues can leave you all laughing long into the night!

Symbolism to Married Life

There are many connections to be found between the nature of an escape room and the life change represented by a wedding.

For example, friends gather around the bride to help her solve the puzzles in the escape room. You will show her how much you support her now, and how you will continue to have her back throughout the game - similar to the support you will show during married life.

Also, a lot of the skills required to successfully win an escape room game – such as communication skills and team cooperation – are essential for a happy marriage! An escape room is consequently a safe, friendly “trial run” of the novel challenges of married life.


Not only that, but a bachelorette party is first and foremost about celebrating the bride-to-be and making sure that she has a great time.

Does this bride-to-be love puzzles and games? Then creating an escape room bachelorette party for her is an ideal way to show her how much you care about her interests!

What to Consider Before Your Escape Room Bachelorette Party

Here are tips to keep in mind while you prepare your escape room bachelorette party.

How Many People?

Escape rooms can support a wide range of group sizes. When planning your escape room bachelorette party, consider how many people will be attending the party.

A small group of four or five people may have a lot of fun with an escape room in a single room or a small tent.

However, for a larger group, you will want to devote a larger space. You may also want to establish a shorter time limit for a larger group’s escape room, to add to the challenge.

When you have a large group, you should include more puzzles and clues. This ensures everyone has something to work on and nobody ends up standing around, doing nothing.

You can also create multiple versions of the same smaller escape room - with the same puzzles - and divide your party among them. Even though you’re not all in the room together, everyone will get to have the same great experience.

Plus, you can race to see which group solves the puzzles first!

Choose the Best Theme

Escape rooms usually have a story or theme. This immerses the players in an adventure and increases the fun. The best escape room theme for your escape room bachelorette party is one that will be most exciting and engaging for the participants.

Most importantly, you should choose a theme you know the bride will enjoy! If she’s a science fiction fan, try creating puzzles that tell the story of exploring an undersea laboratory, searching through a mad scientist’s notebooks for clues.

If the bride-to-be enjoys horror movies, make the time limit of the game related to how long you have before a zombie breaks into the room!

Whatever theme you choose, you can add decorations and background music to enhance the theme. For example: palm tree cut-outs and Caribbean music for an escape room with a tropical island theme.

How to Create the Best Clues and Puzzles

If you’re not using a professional room, then there are plenty of puzzles and clues you can create yourself!

Once you know the theme of for your escape room bachelorette party, it’s time to create the clues and puzzles. These will engage your partygoers and bring the game to life. Here are some ways to make your party the best it can be!

Physical Puzzles

The most common type of escape room puzzles is the physical variety.

For example, you can create a plastic or wooden puzzle with an important clue written on it, which your friends will have to put together in order to read.

Alternatively, lock a prize in a box and hide the key somewhere in the room, such as in a drawer or taped to the bottom of a chair.

Be sure to let the participants know before the game begins whether or not they are allowed to move the furniture, especially if you are hosting the party at someone’s house. You don’t anything broken!

Word Puzzles

A simple way to flesh out the escape room’s story is to make use of papers, books, and notebooks.

Did a mad scientist leave behind cryptic instructions for opening a safe? Can the location to a pirate’s treasure be found by picking out the capitalized letters in a poem?

Sometimes combination locks require letters as well as numbers. You can spread the necessary letters throughout the room in signs or picture frames. You can also set out a crossword puzzle with highlighted spaces for important clues!

Math Puzzles

If you know your bride-to-be or her friends like to think in numbers, be sure to add a math puzzle to the escape room game.

Rather than simply hiding the code for a combination lock in a book, make the code the answer to a mathematical equation! Spread the math signs and symbols throughout the room for an extra challenge.

You can also incorporate a pre-made math puzzle, such as a Sudoku puzzle, into the escape room. Highlight the spaces with the numbers your participants will need, and leave it on a desk or corkboard for them to find!

Atmosphere Clues

To take your escape room to the next level, throw in clues that someone might not immediately recognize as a clue.

When choosing the background music for the room, you can choose songs with lyrics relevant to solving the puzzles. You can even hide a message in a series of Morse code beeps.

You can also record yourself reciting the answer to a puzzle onto a tape! Hide the tape somewhere in the room, and set a tape player in plain sight. Then, just wait and see how long it takes your friends to put two and two together!

Why 60OUT?

If you want a professional room that’s customized to the bride-to-be’s tastes, try 60OUT! 60OUT has over twenty immersive, themed escape rooms for you and your party to enjoy. Each room has a different theme, and they all contain entertaining clues and challenging puzzles!

Best of all, all 60OUT escape rooms are privately booked, so you don’t have to worry about a stranger intruding on your bachelorette party.

Book your escape room bachelorette party at 60OUT’s website today!

06 Jun 2019

Escape Rooms As Ideal Family Therapy Activities

Looking for great family therapy activities to improve communication?

Escape rooms could be your perfect fit.

They draw you and your family out of the routines that dominate life at home. The games encourage everyone to work together and communicate more effectively in order to win. This serves as practice for getting along and respecting each person’s unique strengths.

How can these immersive games help you achieve better family bonding – and improved communication (like they do during family therapy activities)? Let’s find out.

How Escape Rooms Can Help Strengthen Your Family Relationships

Escape Rooms Encourage Outside-The-Box Thinking

You may find that the members of your family seem to have fallen into roles and routines, forming patterns of behavior that are difficult to break free from.

Example: For instance, your spouse may grow agitated if the day’s usual schedule goes awry. Your children may be refusing to do their homework or clean their rooms for no evident reason other than to be rebellious.

In your home, where everything is familiar, it’s easy to remain stuck in the routines and roles that you have developed, even if these patterns have negative consequences.

Escape Room Solution:

An escape room, on the other hand, is a novel environment. The room is full of unusual objects, sights, and sounds, which might not make sense right away.

This is because the whole point of an escape room is to roam. You think outside the box. You turn puzzles that don’t make sense into solutions which do make sense!

As your family navigates the escape room, they will gain experience in breaking free from their usual thought patterns. This outside-the-box thinking can help you learn to break free of unproductive routines at home as well.

Escape Rooms Foster Teamwork

If you and your family just can’t seem to get along in daily life, an escape room can help you bridge the gap between you.

No man is an island, and that is especially true inside of an escape room. You and your family will quickly realize that you cannot win on your own!

Example: While a typical family game night may fall apart over accusations of cheating, in an escape room, everyone is on the same team.

Winning is a powerful motivator, and the only way to move forward and win an escape room game is to work together.

Escape Room Solution:

You’ll be committing to each other’s success within the context of the escape room. You’ll also be working as a team to find the clues and solve the puzzles. As such, your family will learn to be a cohesive unit in the outside world after the game is done.

Escape Rooms Help Improve Communication Skills

Communication is the most important tool for creating a stress-free family environment. However, communicating is often easier said than done.

Example: Perhaps no one in your family seems willing to have an open and honest conversation. Everyone ends up assuming ill intent rather than actively communicating. In order to effectively work together and win an escape room game, you and your family must put your communication skills to work - using similar skills that they teach in family therapy activities.

Escape Room Solution:

Escape rooms are a safe, low-stakes environment that gently forces your group to be clear and open with each other. After all, talking to each other and being as clear as possible is the only way to win the game. As such, your family will be compelled to do just that.

The communication strategies that you and your family develop in the escape room can then be transferred into your daily life. It’s possible your family won’t realize the game taught them anything at all, but the results will be clear!

Choosing the Perfect Room for Your Family

Every escape room is different. You want your family to be motivated to participate, improve communication, and get the most out of the experience. As such, be sure to pick the best room for your unique family! Here are a few tips to help you choose the ideal room.

Check the Recommended Age Limits

When checking out different escape rooms, be sure to make note of any minimum age requirements. That will be important if you have younger children, but will also indicate how complicated the puzzles will be.

For example, a room that requires a minimum age of eight years old might be an easier game than one that requires a minimum age of twelve or eighteen years old.

Choose an Appropriate Difficult Level

When it comes to precise difficulty, escape room games can vary widely.

Check the listed difficulty level of a room.

Rooms may be labeled as “easy,” “medium,” or “hard,” or with synonyms for each - such as “beginner,” “intermediate,” or “advanced.”

If this is your family’s first time entering an escape room, perhaps choose an easier difficulty level. This will help get your feet wet. However, if your family is full of avid puzzle solvers, they may thrive in a harder-level room.

Consider Your Family's Favorite Themes

Most escape rooms are more than just a series of puzzles. They also include a story!

You and your family may find yourselves:

  • Locked in a dungeon with a zombie
  • Exploring an undersea laboratory
  • Searching an old house for your grandparent’s inheritance
  • Sneaking through an abandoned casino

Also, some escape rooms are more adventurous or comedic, while others are more mysterious or horror-themed.

To ensure your family has a great time, choose a theme that they will enjoy. If your kids are not into horror, then pass over the murder mystery themes. If your spouse loves science fiction, then an escape room with a high-tech laboratory theme may be perfect!

The more closely the escape room aligns with your family’s interests, the more engaged they will be. As a bonus, they’ll learn more communication skills (similar to the skills learned during family therapy activities) from the experience!

Why 60OUT?

When deciding on family therapy activities to improve communication, it's good to have many options. This helps you best customize the experience to your unique family!

As such, 60OUT covers a wide range of genres and difficulty levels. You can decide which fits the tastes or puzzle-solving skill levels of your group.

Our escape rooms are ideal for encouraging you and your family to break free from routines and have a unique, memorable night out together.

Check out the 23 escape rooms at 60OUT and book your escape room today!

14 May 2019

Top 2 Casino Escape Room Tips for Your Family

Interested in the top two tips you'll need to solve the casino escape room?

Picture this: You enter an abandoned casino, cleared of people, but you know there’s a safe full of money somewhere inside. However, you’re not the only one looking for this payload!

In this escape room game, you and your family must work together to solve puzzles, find the money, and get out of the casino before your competitors catch up with you. To up the suspense, the casino is going to be demolished in an hour – so you’d better hurry!

In this article, we'll share the top 2 casino escape room tips to help you and your family get the payload before the building is demolished.

What Puzzles Are Usually In a Casino Escape Room?

What exactly is in store for you and your family inside a casino escape room? Here are two types of puzzles that you may discover and need to solve:

Word Puzzles

Many casino escape room clues can be found in the letters and words you find around the room. This can include papers and journals stashed in desks, or even scrambled letters on the wallpaper.

Sometimes combination locks to safes require letters as well as numbers, and stray letters left around the room might just give you the combination you need!

Math Puzzles

You don’t need to be a math whiz to beat a casino escape room, but basic math puzzles are often part of the adventure.

Keep your eyes open for common math signs or symbols left around the room, such as plus signs or minus signs. Choose someone in your family who likes playing around with numbers to focus on these puzzles.

What Top 2 Casino Escape Room Tips Do You Need?

Now that you know the puzzles to expect in the casino escape room, read are our top 2 tips to help you and your family create the best strategy to win the game!

1. Spread Out

While it’s important to work together in any escape room games, working together does not mean standing clumped around the same clue.

The clues to solving any single casino escape room puzzle are likely spread throughout the room, to make it more of a challenge.

There are also a lot of puzzles to solve, and only so much time. If you spread out, you increase your chances of success.

2. Talk Out Loud

Be sure not to keep everything you see, do, and think inside your own head.

Make a point of commenting out loud about anything you notice, even if you aren’t sure yet whether it’s a clue.

If you are looking at a combination lock that needs four letters, and you hear someone say across the room, “There are four letters repeated on this picture frame.” then you can put those clues together.

Why 60OUT?

Use these tips to solve the Casino Heist escape room at 60OUT, which has puzzles that are perfect for family bonding time. All of their 23 immersive, themed escape rooms are privately booked, so you don’t have to play with people you don’t know! 60OUT’s escape rooms include a wide variety of themes and difficulties, so you’re sure to find one that your family will love.

Check out 60OUT’s Casino Heist Escape Room, and book your puzzle-solving adventure today!

07 May 2019

6 Fun Escape Room Alternatives for You & Your Family

Looking for a few fun escape room alternatives for you and your family?

While escape rooms are a great way to spend time with the family, there may be times when a typical escape room theme isn't a good option for you and your particular group.

Will your friends enjoy solving puzzles? Can your family work together well? How will your kids do with the limited space and time limit?

If a basic escape room game isn’t exactly what you’re after, here are 6 fun alternatives you can try instead!

What Are 6 Fun Escape Room Alternatives for Your Family?

These 6 escape room alternatives can be created in your own home!

1. Mini-Escape Room

A typical escape room takes place in a large, closed-off room indoors, and lasts around an hour. You can make your own mini-escape room, in your house or backyard!

All you need is:

  • A tent
  • A small collection of props
  • Your own creativity!

Mini-escape rooms keep the puzzle-solving fun to a small area and usually last around ten to fifteen minutes.

For a simple mini-escape room game, you’ll also need:

  • A box with a combination lock
  • Some framed pictures
  • Some art supplies

Put the pictures up around the tent, and draw numbers onto the edges of the frames, as clues for the numbers needed to unlock the box!

Feel free to come up with a fun story to explain why your kids or friends are trying to open the box, such as that there is a pirate treasure inside.

All that’s left to do is place a little prize in the box, be it a sweet treat or a message from a pirate king!

2. Puzzle Races

Puzzle races serve as excellent escape room alternatives for a larger group. 

Separate your group into two or more teams, and give each team a similar series of puzzles. These puzzles can include jigsaw puzzles, Rubik’s cubes, or crossword puzzles.

The teams must work together to solve all the puzzles as quickly as possible. Whichever team finishes first, wins!

Puzzle races can be very similar to mini-escape rooms; it’s like having two escape rooms running at the same time. These races encourage teamwork and create excitement through their competitive spirit.

3. Tabletop Games

Tabletop games are a great way to spend a quiet evening in with the family while still having fun and creating great memories.

You don’t need to stick with the classic board games or card games like Monopoly or Go Fish, though. Many tabletop games are also role-playing games, which challenge your group to use their imaginations!

You can also find “escape room” tabletop games, which include all of the elements of a mini-escape room inside a handy box!

The perk of a tabletop game is that it does not require much set-up beforehand. These can be comfortably played sitting around the kitchen table.

4. Scavenger Hunts

You’re never too old for a good old-fashioned scavenger hunt! Scavenger hunts are excellent both for staying at home and for going out into the world.

For your group, create a list of items they are likely to find in your chosen location. Be sure to print off enough copies of the list for everyone! If you are playing at home, including items such as a roll of tape, a toothbrush, or a pillowcase.

If you are playing at the park, perhaps challenge your family to find a blue flower, a picnic table, or a perfectly round rock.

For more variety, add clues that could have multiple correct answers, such as “find something pink” or “find something that isn’t where it should be.”

Have your participants take pictures of themselves with the items to prove they found it! Scavenger hunts are great escape room alternatives for people who would prefer to be running around, instead of sitting still at a table.

5. Amazing Race

For even more running around, expand the scavenger hunt into an “Amazing Race” style challenge!

Find a local park or other large outdoor space, and set up several stations for challenges.

These challenges could include:

  • Puzzles (“Solve this jigsaw puzzle!”)
  • Riddles (“What is broken the moment you say its name?”)
  • Or physical challenges (“Do twenty jumping jacks!”)

Send several small teams around the park to take on the challenges. The first team to complete them all wins! You can have each team start at a different challenge station to ensure they don’t run into each other.

This kind of race is great for large groups that can be divided into many small teams. It's also one of many escape room alternatives that keeps you working together, without becoming too disorganized.

However, Amazing Races require more set-up and volunteers to help run the challenges, in contrast to the other options on this list.

6. Geocache Storytelling

Geocaching is an outdoor activity in which you use GPS coordinates to go find a hidden container.

This container, known as a “geocache,” holds items and clues that direct you towards the next container. All you need in order to set up this game is:

  • A GPS device
  • Several small containers
  • Once again, your imagination!

Give your family members the first set of coordinates and set them off on their adventure. In each container that you hide, leave behind pieces of a story for your group to find. To hear the next part of the story, they will have to find the next hidden container!

This activity turns reading, which is usually a sedentary activity, into an adventure that requires moving around!

How to Choose the Best Game for You and Your Family

When choosing the best game for you and your family to play, it’s important to consider your family’s unique traits. You want to pick something that everyone will enjoy, after all!

Are your kids' outdoorsy adventurers who love to get their hands dirty? If so, a scavenger hunt in the park would be perfect for them.

Do your kids prefer to spend their evenings curled up on the couch with a book? A tabletop game might be more appropriate for them.

Be sure to also consider your family’s likes and dislikes. If your spouse is deathly afraid of zombies, then a zombie-themed mini-escape room will not be fun for them.

Why 60OUT?

If your family enjoys one or more of these alternative games, then it may be time to upgrade to a more advanced theme.

60OUT offers twenty-three uniquely crafted games spread out across seven locations. No single location has two rooms that are the same, creating a unique experience for every visit.

Each escape room contains an immersive adventure full of challenging puzzles - encouraging teamwork and creating exciting, fun memories for all. These games range in both genre and difficulty level, so you are sure to discover one that best fits your family’s needs and interests.

Book a 60OUT escape room today, and let the family fun begin!

03 May 2019