Escape rooms go by various names nowadays – escape games, mystery games, enigma rooms, and so on.
Which is just as well, seeing how they are a blend of various aspects, including entertainment, teamwork, and problem-solving…
And also how they’re a great fit for everything from a casual evening out to a family gathering; and from a birthday party to a team-building event.
In recent years, escape rooms have joined the VR bandwagon.
Boosted by the COVID pandemic, virtual reality escape rooms have become increasingly mainstream, offering a completely new way to enjoy the escape room experience.
In this blog post, we’ll take a look at how VR escape rooms compare with physical escape rooms.
A brief explanation of VR escape rooms
As you may well expect, a VR (Virtual Reality) escape room experience takes place in a VR environment.
Players use headsets and controllers to enter and navigate a 360-degree virtual world, interacting with avatars of their team members, manipulating objects, and solving puzzles – the basic escape room objective.
And, of course, they can execute various kinds of action in the VR world as well.
One of the best places to get a taste of the VR escape room experience is Entermission, a well-known virtual reality melbourne facility located in the CBD.
They’ve put together a setup that really blurs the boundaries between the real and the digital realms.
Their adventures are a hit not just among adults but also among kids and children – in fact, they’re well-known for hosting kids’ birthday parties.
Taking a look at physical escape rooms
Physical escape rooms – again, as you may be familiar with – offer a real-world experience that is tangible and tactile.
Instead of a VR environment, players enter a specially designed and themed room containing a blend of props, puzzles, and clues.
The ambiance, the sensation of handling real objects, and the thrill of physically moving through spaces offer a different kind of excitement.
These rooms are also versatile, making them great kids birthday party ideas. The themes, stories, and challenges can be tailored to suit various age groups, ensuring everyone has a fantastic time.
The top 2 comparisons between VR and physical escape rooms
Range vs. Reality: VR escape rooms can offer a range of experiences like spaceships in outer space, and also enable them to do stuff like shooting fire from their arms – that may be difficult for their physical counterparts to offer. On the other hand, physical escape rooms offer the player a tangible experience – you know you’re in a real place, talking and interacting with your friends to solve puzzles and find clues.
Space Constraints: VR doesn’t require much physical space. Players can traverse large virtual areas while staying in a small real-world room. Physical escape rooms need ample space for the setup, props, and puzzles, making them more location-dependent.
Main takeaways
One thing is certain – both virtual and real escape rooms offer unique experiences that get people interacting with one another, and applying mental skills to solve puzzles and clues as part of a themed adventure.
While virtual games provide a lot of flexibility, physical rooms offer tangible reality.
When making your choice, think long and hard about what it is that you’re looking for, look through some of the options available, and then decide.