05/14/2020
**Escape Rooms: Safe Entertainment Outings As Restrictions Start To Ease**
As an escape room player and enthusiast I am excited by the thought of escape room companies beginning to open up again. I think escape rooms might prove to be one of the most widely acceptable entertainment mediums as states start to ease restrictions and reopen their economies. The escape room entertainment model is one that can be easily modified to provide customers with a safe activity even during the early stages of transitioning out of safer at home policies.
I have played several of the online offerings that have sprung up during the shutdown. Some of the live video playthroughs of actual escape rooms have really scratched an itch, but every one left me with a desire to go out and actually play a room for real. I think that can happen, sooner rather than later. Much sooner than other forms of group activities.
I don’t see myself being ready to go to crowded movie theaters, theme parks or sports stadiums any time soon. Even restaurants and bars are going to cause me to think about how many people I am going to be in contact with. Escape rooms are different and probably safer for both customers and employees for several reasons.
Private:
Many escape rooms already operate with a private booking system where customers are not playing and interacting with strangers. The confidence of knowing I will only play with people I am comfortable being around will go a long way to ease my mind.
Small Groups:
Almost all escape rooms are already designed for small, separated groups of people. Large group gatherings of all sorts are likely to be discouraged for some time to come. Escape rooms will be a good entertainment option if group gathering size restrictions are put in place.
Family Fun:
Many escape room player groups are families. Families are already at home together so going out together for an activity where they won’t interact with many other people should be encouraged.
Operation:
Escape room operations are advantageously positioned to provide a safe venue for their customers. The standard 60 minute game model helps you anticipate how long customers will be in the building and where they will be at any given time. Staggering game starting times can ensure that different groups of players will almost never interact with each other. Extra time between games can be added to allow staff to clean and sanitize.
Customer and staff contact can be kept to a minimum. Online booking, waivers and payment eliminates some interactions. Briefings and debriefings can be done by staff at safe distances. For the majority of the experience they are not even in the same room.
Escape room companies can easily control their building occupancy levels. Player group sizes can be adjusted. Online booking spots can be opened or closed to control the number of people coming through the building to ensure safe operation and cleaning can be kept up.
PPE:
Surgical gloves and facemasks will not hinder players in most escape rooms. Private groups and families will be less likely to be embarrassed to wear them during game play. As local equipment shortages are alleviated, escape rooms can provide disposable items on site. Until then players may be encouraged to bring their own personal facemasks. This equipment will help keep surfaces cleaner in all areas of the building and make players feel safer as they touch elements throughout the game.
Cleaning:
The biggest issue for escape rooms to overcome is the fact that players touch everything. Gloves and PPE can help with this problem. Time can be built into the schedule to allow for sanitizing between games.
Many props, items and surfaces in escape rooms have to be able to withstand hundreds of players per week and much of it will stand up well to frequent cleaning. However, no escape room is going to be able to 100% disinfect every surface between every game.
Personal Risk:
I’ve seen mentioned in several places the idea that we all have “risk points” that we use each day or each week. If I go out to a grocery store, I am spending a certain amount of risk points. If I work for an essential business and I am going in to work every day, I am spending some risk points. If I start going to restaurants, where people can’t wear masks while they eat, it will cost me some risk points.
When it comes time to decide on group entertainment options, I will choose escape rooms. The cost in risk points will be much lower than most other choices. I will get more entertainment value at a lower level of risk.
Bottom Line:
Thousands of businesses have continued to operate throughout the entire safer at home period. Grocery stores and big box stores are seeing many more customers per day than most escape rooms will. These places, so far, are not considered sources of outbreaks or significant virus spread. Most people are acting responsibly and most companies are following CDC guidelines to try and ensure the safest possible conditions. It can be done. As states transition into the next phases of reopening, I am positive escape rooms can find ways to safely provide customers with some much needed real life entertainment. In fact I think they should lead the way.
