Do escape rooms have live actors?
Calvin KammerYou are locked in a room…
A 60 minute countdown has started…
If you don’t escape, the killer wins and you meet an untimely end…
Sounds pretty edgy (and extreme) but you would be hard pressed to not find a similar escape room set up at one of your local escape rooms!
Maybe not with the exact wording, for example at the end of our medieval dungeon themed escape room the executioner returns to complete his “appointment” with the trapped players, but the point still stands.
If you are reading this and got extremely worried, just know:
The vast majority of the current escape room market does not use live actors in their rooms.
You will probably not be greeted by a serial killer at the end of your SAW themed escape, though it isn’t unheard of.
Live actors are typically going to be found in more horror-themed escape games, though it really depends on the location!
If you are worried that all escape rooms may be scary, we have an article on that as well!
There are other experiences where interacting with characters in the room is vital for you progress, especially in a murder mystery themed experience.
It’s funny, most people prefer not to have someone in the room with them, but don’t have a problem with being watched on a TV and have all their conversations heard over the CCTV!
The best way to tell if an escape room will have a live actor in the room with you is by asking the escape room either over the phone or email.
If you are booking for a “scary” theme then you may be greeted with unexpected surprises, but it is by no means a guarantee that you will meet a live actor in the room with you.
Escape rooms employ Game Masters, who monitor your game to make sure you stay safe and receive clues when necessary.
Depending on the location, these Game Masters may take on roles acting as characters in the room to add to the immersive experience.
Most escape rooms will not offer this, in favor of having the Game Masters monitor your game from a Control Room or something similar.
On the other hand, you may have some escape room staff be in the room with you who are… less than helpful for your escape.
I’ve heard of escape rooms where the killer occasionally stalks the room looking for prey, and the players have to hide and solve puzzles while the killer is not looking!
Some people LOVE haunted houses and look to have similar experiences as that.
For others, this would be a nightmare of a situation if you weren’t expecting it.
The Basement has been known to employ live actors in their rooms, as well as the highly interactive (and explicit) Murder Co rooms in the L.A. area.
A classic set-up is the killer-on-a-leash approach. The set-up: there is a zombie in the room with you. Luckily for your team they are on a leash attached to the far side of the room. Unfortunately for you, every 5 or so minutes their leash gets longer, up to the point where they have complete access to the room, as you presumably die!
(These are starting to fall out of popularity, as players have been known to hit the zombie. Not cool, they are just actors doing their job of scaring you.)
There are millions of different ways to incorporate live actors into the escape game with you, though most locations will not offer this.
