Twists, turns, and intrigue make solving the puzzle necessary to find a way out of an escape room difficult. And that's the fun of signing up for an escape room adventure. Venturing into an escape room allows you to, well, "escape" your life's routine. The same can be true of live-action role-playing. With cinematic superheroes restoring comic book characters to pop culture prominence, interest in cosplay and role-playing has increased dramatically. Why not consider combining an escape room adventure with superhero role-playing? Doing so could take things to another level and create an unforgettable and highly imaginative experience.
Powers and Weaknesses Factor into Escapes
The best superheroes are ones that have flaws that make them more human. Don't think stepping into the persona of a superhero will make succeeding at an escape room easier. A hero's such as, say, The Punisher, isn't always thoughtful and reasonable, which can make him unreliable at times. Playing a flawed character requires working around his/her limitations to get the preferred results, and that adds to the challenge. Ponder a few superheroic-centric points here when planning out a LARP escape adventure:
- Choose the Right Characters: Superman remains an iconic character, but he's not a great choice here. The "Last Son of Krypton" could knock walls downs if he wanted to escape. Stick with realistic, down-to-earth characters like Batman, Daredevil, Green Arrow, or Black Widow. They'd make perfect choices for this type of adventure. Perhaps you could give them weaknesses specific to the scenario, adding to the challenge.
- Review a Decent LARP Rulebook: Look for a decent live-action role-playing rulebook that helps you manage the characters, one that presents obstacles to tapping into powers. Spider-Man can't rely on his spider-sense 100% of the time. A quality guidebook "regulates" powers to keep things interesting.
- Consider Adding a Villain: No, the villain won't try to keep you from escaping. That would complicate the game a bit too much. Think about a scenario where the heroes and a villain find themselves trapped and have to work together. Of course, you can't entirely trust the villain, as he/she may be out for him/herself. Lots of intriguing possibilities emerge here.
Getting some feedback from the escape room's managers would be wise. They'll need a heads up about your live-action plans. Advance notice allows a manager to make recommendations or better prepare the escape game. Who knows? Maybe there's a comic book expert and fan on staff.
