Room Escape FAQ

[AARPTeri]

What is Room Escape?

Room Escape is a point-and-click game where you find yourself stuck in a room – and you have to get out. Explore every nook and cranny, solve puzzles and combination locks, and do what you need to do to find the key to leave.

How do I play?

All you need for Room Escape is a mouse (or your finger, if you’re playing on a tablet or phone). Click on any item of interest (a backpack, a plant, a couch, and so on) to zoom into that item. Click again to interact with it. A helpful black bar at the bottom of the screen will give you context clues when you click – maybe there’s nothing to see here, or you need an item to interact with what you’re clicking on. The goal is to solve enough puzzles to get a key that unlocks the front door.

What do I do with items?

While exploring – or after solving a puzzle – you might be presented with an item like a knife, screwdriver, or piece of paper with a clue for another puzzle. Click on the item and it will move to your inventory on the right side of the screen. Click an item in your inventory to select it. From there, you can do two things:

1. Click “Inspect Item” at the bottom of your inventory to get a closer look. This is helpful for some items that have small text.
2. Click on an item in the room, and if the item in your inventory can interact with it, it will. (For instance, if you’ve selected a screwdriver that you have in your inventory and then click on a light switch, the light switch plate may be removed. Perhaps there’s another clue or item inside!)

What happens if I use an item in the room and I don’t get another clue?

That will happen! It’s often that using an item successfully won’t give you another item or another clue. But your item will have a use somewhere – keep exploring!

What do I do if I get stuck and I’m not sure what to do next?

Room Escape can be a tough game. Luckily, if you get stuck, you have options! Once you feel like you’ve clicked everything and aren’t getting anywhere, you can try either of these:

1. Click “HINT” in the top-right corner of the screen. After you watch an ad, you’ll get a hint that can point you in the right direction.
2. When you zoom in on certain puzzles, such as combination locks or keypads, you may get a prompt in the bottom-left of the screen that says “OPEN IT!” Watch an ad and the obstacle will be gone.

How often are games available?

There is a new Room Escape game every day, so you can test your skills with your morning coffee! Click “Daily” from the home screen to access today’s game. You can also click “Levels” to get a list of archived rooms, so you can escape rooms all day long.

Can I get a game over?

No.

Can I pause the game?

Yes. This will pause the timer, so your high score is not affected. Click the “pause” symbol in the top-left corner of the screen to pause.

[SallyS707838]

Was very excited to play this game - am very disappointed in it.... it's not user friendly and I had to watch 5 ads and that got me nothing.... remember your audience, please.

[BtW751689]

I played on laptop and got all the ads but when I played on ipad, no ads.  still no score showing either way.

[JosephManyPoints]

"Open It" dosen't work with Firefox version 133.0, you just get stuck on the page then have to refresh and start over. Useless game.

[BtW751689]

you can contact arkadium directly, often times you can do things on their site which is also free that you have trouble with elsewhere.

[j521922d]

I can literally do nothing deliberately, other than smash things. Guess this game is not for me! There are other rooms? Where? I have had several puzzles solve themselves by clicking without me doing anything… how is that fun? Done a lot of actual escape rooms, but not an online one like this. Very frustrating. 

[BtW751689]

The firs t room is the one with the door which is what you are trying to open.  To open the door you need the key which is located in the box with letters above the shoe rack.  You have to find the letters throughout the rooms and then decipher it.  You will likely only get all but one letter which you will have to guess what it is.  For instance if you get piza and you don't know the final letter, you might guess that the word is pizza and spin the letters on the box to reveal the word.  But it is not always so evident like time.  You could add r or d or s but it might be another combo like it starts with m.  merit?  r.  remit?  so you will make a lot of guesses.  As far as getting the clues, click on drawers, safes, pictures, etc.  When you click on it it may open automatically and reveal a clue or it may reveal something that looks like it needs to be deciphered even if not letters.  Like boxes of color.  Or numbers.  or a safe with a dial.  For all of these you think where is the clue for this number or color or whatever.  If you really want to search for the clue you have several places to look.  Spoiler alert, you don't have to search at all.  Just click on the "open it" a few times and it will open without other input.  Then you will get another clue for something.  To get into another room click the arrows on either side of the room you are in.  Once in another room there are new things for you to explore.  Each tool does something special.  Hamer breaks vases and cups and overhead lights.  Screwdriver opens all wall sockets and light switches.  Flashlight has to be combined with battery--click on flashlight then click on inspect item.  Once the flashlight is on the screen click on the battery.  It will connect with the flashlight and provide light.  Flashlight is used on the fireplace. Knife cuts any furniture or pillows.  Even if you have all the tools you may not find a clue behind everything.  Letters for the box in first room can be on small photos or boxes on shelves.  Or behind a safe or in the plant or vase or fireplace tools. Or in the second box.  You might get a series of clues for a riddle which needs to be solved to get the clue in the second box.  Even if you only get a few of the clues, if they are meaningless to you, just google what you have.  Like today the clues were Weight in my belly, Trees on my back, Nails in my ribs, Feet I do lack. What am I?  Even if you only have a few clues, google what you have .  For this series the answer is ship.  Enter the letters on the second box (and the letters are color coded so don't put a red letter in the green box).  Open it and get another clue.  Instead of a riddle there might be gemstones which have to be inserted into the respective shapes on the box.  Find the gemstones by smashing vases, opening chairs, a puzzle, a safe, etc.  Might be behind a wall socket or in a lightbulb or in the fireplace.  Wrench opens vent near ceiling in second room.  Leave no stone unturned.  This is my MO for doing the puzzle:  Working from left to right.  First room, open backpack, retrieve clue if given.  (Retrieve things by clicking on them once exposed.  They go into your box of things on the far right).  Look at picture frame on shelf, it may have a letter in it, if so use it on box in same room.  Open cabinet at bottom of shelf.  click on arrow at bottom of page to enter next room.  click on photo frame may be a letter.  just below photo frame is a box.  may lave a letter.  If you get letters go back to the first room and adjust the letters so you don't forget what they are. click on drawers (2) below tv.  If it is another puzzle keep clicking on the open it until item appears.  Click on any items that appear to go into your box of hints.  check plant and other picture frame for letters.  open safe.  retrieve item.  go to third room. open safes above chairs.  retrieve items.  do puzzle above fireplace.  if you get stuck on this one you have to keep trying and eventually a clue will be revealed.  check plant, vase next to first chair, photo frame for more letters.  If you have the clues to open the green box enter the letters or gemstones.  fourth room.  click on photos, plant for letters.  click on tables to open drawers and get more clues.  When you get the tools go back to each room to use them.  click on the tool.  It will highlight.  click on the item to use it on.  so you have the hammer.  go to each room, click on the hammer, click on the item to smash, retrieve clue if given.  do this for all the items in all the rooms.  Get another tool and do it again.  you may never figure out where that last gemstone is that will open the box.  you have to go back in the rooms and try the tools.  Some tools only help with one thing like the flashlight and battery together only allow you to look in fireplace.  The wrench only opens the vent.  The hardest part is figuring out the last letter for the first box if you only get some of them.  Hope this helps.  And once you open the box in the first room, retrieve the key, click on the key to highlight it, click on the door handle and get out. your time is displayed on the final box but I have not yet seen it on my page nor does the page automatically advance, you get stuck in limbo and have to open a new window on the aarp site.

[tv3406]

  I can't get into another room. When I open the door with the key, I am exited from the game and have to start over with the first room. The arrows work only within the first room. I have never gotten beyond the first room.. Help. 

[BtW751689]

If you got the key from the box in the first room and got out even though the page may not refresh or show your time you have escaped.  If you get the page with the daily or other choices you can pick another puzzle by clicking on the one that does not say daily.  Then you will be given a screen with a lot of puzzles to pick from..  Sometimes when I complete a puzzle in this area the check mark does not show up even though I just completed it. The arrows to the left or right near the bottom are how you navigate from room to room in the same puzzle.  The up down arrow allow you to finish a task in the room you are in. Hope this helps.

[r405584m]

What is the average time it takes to escape the room?

[RyanN984845]

Personally, it takes me less than 10 mins if no distractions. As few as 2 mins.

[gaedbo]

My quickest is 4min 22 seconds

[gaedbo]

  My new best time is 2 min 35 seconds on level #90

[jserramcorder]

Can be a few minutes or a few hours depending on how easy it is for you to find the clues and figure out the secret word.

[r405584m]

What can I use the battery on?  

[gaedbo]

  Fireplace

[jserramcorder]

the flashlight.  once you put the battery in the flashlight, by first inspecting the flashlight then add the battery to it. then the flashlight will have a light.  Use it in the fireplace to maybe get another clue.

[RyanN984845]

The color squares are almost always book colors from another room, or lights on the tv boxes. Look for hidden letters in plants, vases, etc. The time on clocks is usually the combo to safes. Can also be numbers to add up to become a pin #. There are usually 3 different #s to add together, however, sometimes the correct PIN correlates to a clock's time.
Does anyone else have any tips that can shorten the learning curve for people struggling?

[jserramcorder]

click on the "open it"  icon on each safe etc.  Keep clicking on it, after 5 or 6 clicks it will reveal the clue.  No need to hunt down the time or add up the numbers or decipher the clue.  Unless you want to.  You do have to solve the puzzle in the room with the fireplace by switching the pieces around.  You do have to gather the letters for the hidden word in the first room but the other box in the other room may have letters as well or it may be gem shapes.  If you are stuck on the riddle clues, google what you have and likely you will get the answer.

[ElaineL50519]

Use the knife to cut the cushions on the sofa and chairs.

[jserramcorder]

I composed info for you but your PM is not enabled.  Let me know if you want the info

[RyanN984845]

No need to PM. if you have something to contribute you can do it here.

[BtW751689]

yes but others may not want it spoiled on how to do it.  thanks for flashlight info, did not realize I had to inspect it first

[elainew374453]

From the letters you get "Timer"

but how do you put the battery into the flashlight?????????

[RyanN984845]

Inspect the flashlight. then select the battery. Then click the flashlight.

[jserramcorder]

oops sorry start with the letter R

[jserramcorder]

I have several tips but don't want to spoil it for others .  PM me and I can give you some info.

[elainew374453]

Thnx

[CynthiaB540441]

The answers have been pretty easy for me UNTIL today. I can't get it. grrr!

I think that you do have to click on everything even though it does not apply to the answer.

So far none of the numbers have had anything to do with the answer placed in the box. Only the letters. Today's has T I M E and the riddle, Light as a feather but you can't hold forever and then the word provided is Breath but with the time letters I can't figure out the answer.

[RyanN984845]

WHY??