They say that before you open any business you should know your customers. You need to have a deep understanding of their wants and needs so that you can fulfill them in a profitable manner. If you think about it, the whole advertising industry is dedicated to this one purpose, using market research to analyse exactly how a customer thinks. It's true that this practice tends towards stereotyping. And even though we are told this is a lazy way of grouping people together, it's nevertheless a very useful function. 

In the escape room games industry we also recognise the different types of players who come to play. Because the gameplay follows a certain structure and needs certain attributes in order to complete the game within the allotted time, it means that we can see all the different types of people who use the same method in order to finish. So without further ado, let's have a look at the most common types of players you're going to find in the escape room.

The Enthusiast

If you want real and authentic feedback on your game or the gameplay, then you could do a lot worse than listening to the enthusiasts after they have finished playing. That's because this guy or girl loves the whole genre of escape rooms and has played countless number of games over the years. These people travel great distances to try out new escape rooms and new escape room games. You'll find them active on escape room boards, in related chat rooms and escape room forums, as they ask opinions and search for the perfect game. Be warned that they are also skilled at the fine art of looking for discounts and bonuses. When you're offering games for this type of fanatic, it's important that at least one or two of the clues or puzzles or something new. or it could be a plot twist or an unusual design nevertheless something that the enthusiast has not seen before. This will guarantee you a 5-star review

The Newbie

Here’s someone who's never been to an escape room before. He’s also one of the most sought-after people in the escape room games business, as it's thanks to a constant supply of newbies that escape room games are able to function as profitable businesses. Without these new customers, we would be relying solely on repeat customers, and they are increasingly more difficult to please as time passes, always looking for new puzzles and stories along with a more immersive and exciting gameplay. Although newbies are given beginner level games, we suggest that you put some puzzles within those games that are of an intermediate level. This will allow the game to be slightly more challenging and yet, they will not be disappointed, should they fail to complete all levels. Also if they win, and have played more difficult clues, it will make that victory even more delicious.

The Cheater

Once again, though this guy may be ethical he's a very important component to a new escape room business. That's because he will very quickly discover the weaknesses within your game, as essentially, he's just looking for shortcuts. To that end, he will show you where you need to work harder on your puzzles or gameplay, in order to give a better experience for the general public.

The Alarmist

We love this type of player as they inject a huge amount of drama and theatre into the game proceedings. Such is their nervousness, it’s as if the penalty for the clock reaching the game’s end, with the players still unable to complete the game, will result in something really horrible or terrible happening. Ever afraid, they are always in huge hurry and will often act out scenarios in a blind panic. They really are great fun to watch. But one thing that we’ll have to admit, is that they are also very good at chiding other team members to get a move on, and strangely enough, act as a positive cement for the whole team.

The Destroyer

Here's another player you will identify the physical weaknesses in your puzzles and your games. Though you might suggest 1000 times that the props should not be forced, here's a guy who will do just that. Everything needs to be strengthened, the locks, the furniture, and all the props. We suggest that you screw to walls or down to the floor, as many things as you can. This is because, once the destroyer enters the room like a bull in a china shop, he will tear apart everything not screwed down. Likewise, in the escape room, do not use real glass as the destroyer will find a way to break it. 

The Logician

This player will steam through all the clues and puzzles and complete the game in a quarter of the allocated time. That's not just because they might have already played an escape room game before, but more so because they have an instant understanding of the puzzles and clues you’ve carefully laid out. Depending on the level of the team playing, we strongly suggest you include some puzzles which are from some levels up in order to keep the logician happy and occupied. Otherwise, there’s a pretty good chance that his sheer speed will ruin the whole experience for the other players.

The Over Complicated

Because some players are unsure as to where to begin the game, they tend to find clues where there are none. You'll find examining the pattern in the curtain because they're certain that there's a code hidden within. What’s worse, is that they are sure that they are going in the right direction. If you have a number of non-game items in the room, you can be certain that the complicated player will find a route straight to them, and then start basing his ideas on these non-clues. On the whole most exit room games are a huge disappointment to this type of player, as they spend so much time on the wrong path.

The Confused

You'll know you have this player on hand when the Game’s Master is explaining the game and the narrative to go with it. The confused player will constantly interrupt with totally pointless and foolish questions, which would be answered anyway, if only they would shut up. The problem here is one of intelligence, or rather a lack of it. They have no idea as to what the clues might mean, and are constantly jumping to the wrong conclusion when the right one is directly in front of their face. These are probably the most frustrating of players that the Games Master has to deal with. No matter how many or how obvious the hints, these players just stand there, mouths open, the brain having come to a grinding halt some ten minutes before. We’re never sure if they really are confused, lazy, or just bored, as everything is far too complicated for them. The only way to deal with them during gameplay is to use the rather heavy-handed approach of constantly giving them tips and hints, otherwise they are prone to boredom and totally zoning out.