How to dress for an escape room in winter?

For an escape room, dress so you can easily bend down, raise your arms and squeeze through a narrower spot: comfortable trousers, a sweatshirt or jumper, and flat shoes with a good grip. In winter there’s a second situation to think about too: getting across Krakow. The simplest answer is layers you can take off before the game. If you’re choosing an outdoor city game instead of a room, the rules are different: what counts are warm shoes, a hat and gloves you can use a touchscreen in.

You leave home ready for an adventure, and a few minutes later the wind has you dreaming of nothing but a warm room. Below you’ll find what to wear and what to check in both cases.

Warm on the way, free to move once you’re there

A T-shirt, a comfortable sweatshirt or jumper and a coat let you adjust to changes in temperature. Don’t assume every interior will be equally warm. If you feel the cold easily, being able to keep an extra layer on will come in handy.

Avoid clothes that make it hard to simply bend down or raise your arms. That doesn’t mean dressing for a workout. In its FAQ for players, Gamescape says plainly that there’s no physical exercise in the rooms, only mental activity, and encourages you to dress comfortably and in your own style. So the point is that your clothes shouldn’t distract you from the task. Loose bracelets, long necklaces and anything that snags easily are better left in your coat pocket.

Shoes for wet pavements and floors

Choose stable, comfortable shoes with a flat sole that are suitable for a winter journey. High heels and slippery soles are a problem both on an icy pavement and on a floor where moisture has been tracked in. When you arrive, wipe your shoes and follow the staff’s rules.

If you’re wondering about bringing a change of shoes, ask when you book whether you’ll need them and where you can change. Not every room has the same requirements.

Scarf, bag and a wet coat

A long scarf and a big bag can get in the way as you move around the set. Before you go in, find out where you can leave your things and whether the storage space is secure. Don’t assume there will be a locker you can lock.

Gamescape asks players to arrive 10 to 15 minutes before their game time, because before the start the Game Master walks the team through the rules. In winter, that extra time is doubly useful. It’s better to calmly take off wet clothes before the briefing than to try doing it while the rules are being explained. Arriving late can cut your playing time, and after snow, getting across the city often takes longer than usual.

The room’s conditions can change what you wear

Some scenarios have tight passages. On the pages for Dragon’s Curse, Chimera Protocol and House of Krak, the operator warns about tight spaces and narrow passages. For a room like that, go for trousers rather than a tight skirt, and clothes you can bend over in freely. You can check the description on each room’s page, and you’ll find the list on the Gamescape escape rooms page.

If you’re dressing up for later in the evening, choose an outfit that won’t hold you back, or plan to change afterwards. Don’t run or climb on the furnishings unless the instructions tell you to. The operator also forbids removing or damaging parts of the decor. Comfortable clothes don’t change the rules for using the room.

A city game in winter: here you dress for the outdoors

A city game is a completely different situation from an escape room. You spend most of the time outside, standing at clues, reading from a screen and walking between points. It’s worth knowing the scale of an outing like this:

• In EscapeCity’s AR city games, the team gets an iPad with an app, the game lasts from one and a half to two and a half hours, and the route is about 2 to 3 km. The organiser notes that there’s no need to run, and hands out rain ponchos in light rain.
• For the winter game Christmas Adventures, the organiser explicitly recommends comfortable, warm shoes, warm clothes, a hat and gloves. The game starts on the Main Market Square, and the route leads around the Old Town.
• With the Krakow Legends app, you play on your own Android or iOS phone, with GPS switched on. The game takes about one and a half to two hours, but there’s no time limit or fixed start time, so you can stop and come back later.

These conditions point to a few specific things to take:

• Shoes for a long walk. Warm, waterproof and with soles that grip wet cobbles. Comfort matters more here than in a room, because you’ll be walking a few kilometres.
• Touchscreen gloves. You’ll need to use a screen at every clue. Taking ordinary gloves off every few minutes quickly wears out your hands in the frost.
• A hat and a scarf. Outdoors they don’t get in the way the way they do on a room set, and when you’re standing still, you’ll soon be grateful for every layer.
• A charged phone and a power bank. Especially for a game on your own phone, where the app uses GPS throughout. With the organiser’s iPad, your phone will still come in handy for keeping in touch with the team.
• A planned tea break. If the game allows breaks, plan one halfway along the route. With children or in a strong wind, it’s better to warm up early than to finish the game in a rush.

An escape room and a city game on the same day

If you’re combining both, dress for the outdoors and wear a layer underneath that’s comfortable to play in indoors. You’ll take off your coat, hat and scarf before the briefing. Flat, warm shoes work in both places, and high-heeled boots in neither.

A quick checklist before you head out

• Check the weather and your journey, allowing extra time for winter.
• Read the game description: are there tight passages, is the game outdoors, how long does it last?
• Ask where you can leave your coat and bag.
• For a city game, charge your phone and pack touchscreen gloves.

Take only what you need. That way it’s easier to focus on your team and the puzzles once you’re there, instead of fiddling with your scarf for the whole game.