Some people enjoy escape rooms. They’ll book one for a birthday party or a team-building event, solve a few puzzles, and have a great time. Then there are people like Shane Messick and Elmer Pyles. For them, escape rooms aren’t just a casual hobby; they’re a passion, a community, and a constant adventure. With a combined total of over 900 rooms, these self-proclaimed enthusiasts have seen it all, from the ingenious to the infuriating.

We sat down with Shane and Elmer to get an insider’s look into the world of escape rooms. They shared hilarious stories, strong opinions, and invaluable insights that every player and, more importantly, every owner should hear.

From Game Night to Obsession

“If you’re not available to do it in the exact moment and second he wants to do it, you are SOL.”

For Shane and Elmer, their deep dive into the escape room world started with friendship and a shared love for games. “Our go-to thing was game nights and escape rooms,” Shane explains. Their dynamic is a perfect example of how different personalities can come together to conquer a challenge. Elmer is the impulsive one, ready to book a room at a moment’s notice. “If you’re not available to do it in the exact moment and second he wants to do it, you are SOL,” Shane laughs. Shane, on the other hand, is the planner. A text from Elmer suggesting a room in an hour would leave him baffled. “I was like, ‘Today?’ You mean next week, right?”

Their first room together was “The Garage” at a place called All Locked Up. That initial experience was all it took. From there, the number of rooms they’ve completed has skyrocketed. Elmer has conquered a staggering 768 rooms, while Shane is at 145, with the majority of those played alongside Elmer.

The Global Quest for the Next Great Room

What do you do when you’ve played nearly every room in your city? If you’re Elmer, you start booking flights. He and a friend have a knack for finding cheap flights to random cities for the sole purpose of playing new escape rooms for a day. “We’ve gone to Vegas, we’ve gone to Chicago, we’ve gone to Florida,” Elmer says.

Their adventures have even gone international. A trip to Europe meant a new set of rooms to conquer. Elmer raves about a Frankenstein-themed room they played in Germany. “We were blown away,” he recalls. “There was lots of things that I don’t think I had seen before.” It was so good, in fact, they immediately booked the company’s second room.

The Anatomy of an Unforgettable (and Forgettable) Escape Room

With hundreds of rooms under their belts, Shane and Elmer have a clear sense of what works and what falls flat. For escape room owners, their feedback is pure gold.

It’s About Passion, Not Just Puzzles

“I want to see what’s in their brain.”

For Elmer, the experience starts with the people behind the room. “I want to see the fruits of someone’s labor,” he says. “I want to see what’s in their brain.” He values businesses where the owners’ and staff’s passion is evident. A great escape room company makes you feel welcome, almost like you’re at home. Conversely, a room that feels like a purely business transaction, with staff who are just there to collect a paycheck, can ruin the experience.

Logic, Flow, and the “Aha!” Moment

Shane is all about the puzzles. He prefers a linear progression where solving one puzzle logically leads to the next. “I like a room that has puzzles that make sense,” he states. He’s not a fan of rooms that are so far-fetched they become frustrating, or rooms that rely on what he calls “brute force” puzzles—tedious tasks that feel more like work than fun.

“If I feel like I’m logging onto a computer, this isn’t fun at all.”

They both described a particularly frustrating experience at a place called 13th Gate, which, despite having phenomenal, movie-quality set design, failed on the puzzle front. One puzzle involved searching a massive hallway of sand with a tiny brush to find an object, with no clues on where to even start digging. Another involved reading dense manuals on a computer. “We don’t want to do this anymore,” Shane remembers the group feeling. “If I feel like I’m logging onto a computer, this isn’t fun at all.”

Immersion is Everything

The best rooms, they agree, are the ones that make you forget you’re in a game. They both cited “Zoe,” a horror-themed room, and “Project Minotaur” as prime examples of immersive experiences. “I love escape rooms where I am immersed, where I forget that I am in an escape room,” Shane says. “I am basically in a horror movie.” It’s this feeling of being part of a story, of having real stakes, that separates a good room from a great one.

The Enthusiast’s Secret Weapon

When you’ve played hundreds of rooms, keeping them straight can be a challenge. Elmer learned this the hard way when he booked a room he’d already played because the company had simply changed its name. Before dedicated apps, he used a Google spreadsheet to track every room.

Now, they both use the Morty app, a tool designed for enthusiasts to log, rate, and discover new escape rooms. For Elmer, it’s more than just a log; it’s part of the game. “I just like winning, and I like being the best,” he admits. Collecting the badges and seeing his numbers climb is part of the fun.

How to Win the Hearts of the Die-Hards

So, how can escape room owners create an experience that not only delights casual players but also impresses veterans like Shane and Elmer?

Offer Replayability

Since most people won’t play the same room twice, find ways to bring them back. They suggest offering a “Version 2” of a room with some puzzles changed, or creating different game modes. The “Hex Room” assigns players different horror movie archetypes (the jock, the nerd, etc.), each with their own individual room and puzzles, which offers a reason to come back and try a different role.

Build a Community

Passionate players want to connect with you. Use social media to show behind-the-scenes content of your builds (without spoilers) and engage with the community. As Elmer’s experience with the creators of the “Atlantis” room showed, following a room’s creation builds anticipation and a loyal fanbase.

Originality Shines

While themed rooms are popular, creating something truly unique will make you stand out. They rave about “Atlantis” at Hypnotic Escape Rooms and the now-closed “Claustrophobia,” where players solved puzzles from inside adjoining coffins, because they had never seen anything like them before.

Hire Fellow Enthusiasts

Your game master can make or break the experience. Hire people who are genuinely passionate about escape rooms. Their enthusiasm is contagious and will make the entire experience better for customers.

Ultimately, for Shane and Elmer, the world of escape rooms is about more than just solving puzzles. It’s about the thrill of discovery, the joy of collaboration, and the fun of sharing an adventure with friends. “If you’re not having fun, then why do it?” Elmer asks. And after hearing their stories, you can’t help but agree.