Should You Take a Hint in an Escape Room? Let’s Break It Down
“Hey, do you want a hint?”
If you’ve ever been in an escape room, you’ve probably heard this question from a teammate—or maybe you’ve been the one asking it. It’s a moment that can spark a little internal debate: Should I take the hint, or should I keep pushing through? The answer isn’t always straightforward—it depends on your approach, your team, and your goals. Let me share some insights from both a player’s and a game designer’s perspective to help you decide.
As a Player: To Hint or Not to Hint?
My team and I are escape room enthusiasts—we’ve tackled plenty of them over the years. Before we step into any room, we set a simple ground rule: if we’re not making progress after the first 10 minutes or so, we’ll take a hint. But if we’re moving along, even slowly, we’d rather not. Why? Because we want to experience every twist and turn of the game ourselves. After all, we’ve paid good money to be there, and I want to soak in every aspect of the challenge—the puzzles, the story, the adrenaline of cracking a tough clue.
But here’s the thing: does asking for a hint make you look like you don’t know what you’re doing? Absolutely not. Let me explain why.
Escape rooms aren’t one-size-fits-all. The team designing the game can’t possibly account for every type of player who walks through the door. Some people are math wizards, solving equations in their sleep. Others excel at wordplay or riddles. And then there are those who have a knack for seeing the big picture, instantly understanding how all the pieces fit together. No matter your strengths, the game creators aren’t you—they don’t think exactly like you do. That’s what makes escape rooms so fascinating, but also why they can be tricky. A puzzle that feels “obvious” to the designer might leave you stumped, and that’s not a reflection of your intelligence—it’s just a mismatch in perspective.
From the Designer’s Perspective: We Want You to See the Whole Show
As one of the architects at Escape Enterprise, I can tell you that our goal is for you to experience the entire journey of the room—the beginning, the buildup, and the thrilling finale. We know you’re paying for the full “show,” and we want you to see it all. When players take a hint, that’s perfectly okay—it’s part of the experience. But as designers, we pay close attention to the hints we give out. If we notice that every group needs a hint at the same spot, that’s a red flag for us. It means there’s a problem with the puzzle, and we need to tweak it.
Building a great escape room is an evolving process. Over time, with experience and feedback, we get better at crafting games that feel seamless and intuitive for most players. But that takes a lot of practice, iteration, and a willingness to adapt. Our job is to keep refining the experience so you can enjoy the challenge without feeling stuck in a frustrating loop.
So, Should You Take the Hint?
Here’s my take: it depends on where you’re at in the game. If you’re deep into the experience but feeling a bit lost, a hint can be a great way to refocus and get back on track. Often, the hints we give as game masters aren’t about handing you the solution—they’re about nudging you toward a single task or clue you might have overlooked. In my experience, groups that get stuck are usually trying to tackle the entire scenario at once instead of focusing on one problem at a time. A hint can help you zoom in and regain momentum.
But if you’re taking a hint just because the puzzle is hard and your brain is working overtime—hold off. Take a deep breath, step back, and give the room a second look. Focus on one element at a time. Maybe it’s that locked box in the corner or the cryptic message on the wall. Narrow your attention, and you’ll often find that the solution starts to click. You don’t always need a hint—you just need a moment to recalibrate.
The Bottom Line: You’ve Got This
Whether you take a hint or power through on your own, the most important thing is that you’re engaging with the game and having fun. Escape rooms are about the thrill of the challenge, the teamwork, and the satisfaction of solving a mystery together. So, if you need a little nudge to keep the adventure going, go for it. If you’d rather dig in and figure it out yourself, that’s awesome too. Either way, you’re not “failing” by taking a hint—you’re just playing the game in a way that works for you.
Next time you’re in an escape room and hear, “Hey, do you want a hint?”—don’t stress. Refocus, tackle one puzzle at a time, and trust that you’ve got what it takes to escape. You’re in for a great ride.
