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Escape Room Puzzle Ideas Part #2

Our last article was aimed at sharing some simple puzzles that we’ve used in our escape rooms in order to showcase how often the quality of any escape room is dictated by the quality of the puzzles used in it. And it was so well-received, we thought we’d share some more!

But before we get to that, here are some keys to keep in mind. PanIQ Room is a franchise, and we have the manufacturing background to create any of these puzzles and so much more. Designing an escape room is a very intensive, intellectual challenge; you need to be able to think with your player, operator, and building inspector hats on all at the same time. A good game plot is like a  good movie script; it should be filled with lots of “AHA!” type moments and keep players right on the edge of what they’re capable of. It’s easy to come up with a puzzle or two; what’s hard is to orchestrate the experience so that it flows well and to create an authentic environment that players want to spend an hour in (if not more). Ultimately, this is limited only by creativity and budget … let it be the latter, more than the former.

That being said, here are some more technologically advanced escape room puzzle ideas.

Unblock Me

Unblock Me is a popular mobile game app, and the same premise has been used in some tabletop brain teaser games as well. Create this puzzle in 3D and hide something inside or on the back of the portable block, whether it be a key, a secret message, or whatever. We’ve even used this puzzle with a built-in sensor that triggers another puzzle. It’s very easy to modify the difficulty level too; you just have to choose the right initial setup. By the way: this was our first wooden puzzle at PanIQ Room, so we have a long history using it. 😊

Double-Sided Labyrinth

Cooperation is very important in any escape room. That’s what makes them such a great choice for team-building. So any puzzle where multiple players have to work together is ripe for implementation. The logic of this labyrinth is very simple, one player gets to see the path, while the other player has the means to move through it. The most common method is to create a maze where a magnet is used to move the object but has to rely on instructions from someone else to do it right. We like to build this game within adjacent jail cells for example, or inside a table where one player has to lie down the floor in order to work the game.

Running Clocks

This game is very tricky and it needs advanced technology to make it happen flawlessly. There are a lot of small clocks mounted on the wall. If players press a button or start the game with some other kind of sensor, the clocks will start rotating wildly as the clock hands slowly form a big letter or number, so players can read a code off of them. Check out this video for a cool application of this.


In spooky or magical themes, this game is amazing. All you have to do is create a box or compartment where players have to hide an object and close the door. The object must have a built-in sensor of some kind that triggers a process that transforms it into another puzzle. The mechanics involved are pretty simple. You just have to be careful when resetting the puzzle to make sure it’s done correctly.

3D Maze

Traditional labyrinths are boring. Well maybe not ‘boring’, but why not take it to next level and create one in 3D, based upon this little toy? Just enlarge it and make the solution a little simpler. We have done this by building it into a gyroscope. Check out our CEO, Akos Gabossy trying to solve it.


This is another great way to make your players work together. Create a tank similar to a respirator out of plexiglass or any other object with multiple holes for hands. So in order to solve the puzzle, you need more “hands”. They can assemble something or pass stuff inside, or just simultaneously push buttons that are far away from each other. Timing, communication, and coordination should matter.

Set the Height

Players have to find similar objects in the room, but their lengths are different. To solve the puzzle, they have to place these objects in holes with different depths, so they all come up to the same height. If they find the right order and place for each one, a magnetic lock can be activated and a compartment opens up underneath them. The idea for this puzzle is based upon this simple wooden version.

Are you interested in opening your own PanIQ Room franchise? Find more information on PanIQ Room Franchising. We are looking forward to hearing from you and to create something remarkable together!