The Science Behind Loving Escape Rooms
As we’ve written about in the past, escape games have become enormously popular in recent years. We at Quest Reality Games wondered just why that is. Why are they so popular? Why is it that we so enjoy being in situations that we must escape from? Why do we love being trapped in a room full of puzzles? So, we sought some of the science behind why we love escape rooms. Read on to learn more!
Each Puzzle You Solve Is Like A Treat For Your Brain
Remember playing those classic old video games like Super Mario where you had to solve puzzles in order to complete each stage? Remember how good it felt to solve those increasingly difficult puzzles and clear the various stages? Well, that’s because when we solve a difficult puzzle or challenge our brains release a chemical called dopamine that leads to a positive mood. It also leads to sharper concentration and improved memory. Our brains like to receive these positive physiological responses when we solve a puzzle. In fact, it even craves more dopamine, which motivates us to seek out more difficult, challenging puzzles to solve. So, while you and your friends are having a great time solving puzzles you’re rewarding your brain with that sweet, sweet dopamine!
Socializing While Solving
Human beings are social creates. We love to be in groups and interact with each other. That’s what makes escape rooms such a perfect team building activity—because success depends greatly on how well you and your team work together to solve puzzles and escape the room before your hour is up.
In fact, if you decide to ignore the teamwork factor, your chances of escaping are vastly reduced. As John Donne once said, ‘no man is an island entire of itself’…You could be the smartest person in the world—or at least think you are—but without the help of your friends, family, colleagues (or tinder date), you’re not going to find much success in an escape room.
The forced social aspect is the best part of playing an escape room. Other common group activities, such as paintball or laser tag leave a lot of room for a player to go lone wolf and forget the rest of the team. But you can’t do that when you’re playing an escape room. There’s no top player when you play an escape room; the whole team succeeds or fails together, and if you all escape, you definitely feel closer to one another by the end!
They Satisfy Our Instincts
As much as we’re social creatures, humans are also egocentric. That egocentricity is the very heart of the survival instinct that has allowed our species to both survive and thrive through time.
Over the millennia that survival instinct has evolved. While these days there’s a lot less need for us to worry about hunting for our next meal—or who’s hunting us for their next meal– that egocentric instinct still lives on inside of us. Escape games provide both the thrill of the hunt and they satisfy our instinctual egocentricity. When the lights are low and you’re under pressure searching to find the next all-important clue you’re feeding that primal need. And with each puzzle you solve, you’re keeping the goal alive of beating the clock and successfully escaping before your time is up!
Escape games are a great way to elevate your mood and spirits while enjoying some great social time with friends, family, and coworkers—all while satisfying your animal instincts. And that’s why we love escape rooms! Looking forward to your adventure? Book your quest today.