The Coronavirus pandemic has made a profound and sudden impact on all our lives, so much so we’re having trouble wrapping our heads around some of the changes in our daily lives.

Once we get a handle on this virus and get back to what people are calling the “new normal,” folks will be seeking out ways to be entertained and look for new experiences that are safe and healthy. Escape Rooms fit that bill, whether you are a longtime player or a newcomer to the experience.

And while Escape Rooms will look different and have different safety and health procedures and rules, the games themselves won’t change much. You’ll still need a certain amount of skill, patience, and practice to escape the challenges presented by the various rooms.

Here’s what we call the “5 Skills You Need to Have to Be a Successful Escape Room Player Post-COVID-19.” It helps to have a lot of different skills to play the game successfully, but these are the five skills you’ll need in the post-COVID-19 world of Escape Rooms.

1. Patience

With new health and safety procedures in place, it will take a little bit more time and effort to actually get into your Escape Room, for example, while the staff is cleaning a room that has just been vacated by another group. So, you not only need the patience to play the game (don’t panic, stay calm, get your team on the same page!), but to get there in the first place. But don’t worry, the time will just fly by!

2. Good Communications Skills

This may be the most important skill to have, to not only communicate well with your team, but to be an active listener and take in input from every member of your team. Again, it’s not only important while playing the game, but before you even get there, to communicate with your other team members what’s required of them and how to proceed with safety measures in place. You want to make sure your team is aware of what is being done and be assured they will be safe playing the game.

3. Be a Team Player

As always, having an awareness of team members’ strengths and weaknesses is paramount in being successful at Escape Room games. It will be just as important post-COVID-19, when you will be required to follow new rules and play with only close family members or a group you have been sheltering with. Teamwork, being a team player and everyone working for the same goal will be key to solving the puzzle in the time allotted.

4. Organization

What does that even mean? Sure, you want to be organized when you start the game with your group, make sure everyone knows their tasks, everyone has the same goal and is on the same page, but you have to be organized before you get there too. You have to make sure your group doesn’t have any strangers or isn’t part of your family or group. Most Escape Rooms will be sure they enforce this rule, for the safety of your group as well as the facility’s employees. Make sure you bring a mask and maybe even take an extra one just in case since Escape Rooms will be enforcing mask rules too, especially if you’re waiting for a room. Being organized will make your Escape Room experience the best it can be in this “new normal.”

5. Sense of Humor

Things just won’t be the same again, nerves are on edge, people are frustrated, even social norms have been battered. So, it’s even more important to have a sense of humor, to be able to weather the extra time and effort it might take to get to your room, to deal with people who may not have the patience and calm you’re exhibiting, and just to deal with everything swirling around us with a smile and positive attitude. It may not seem like a sense of humor will help you solve a puzzle or challenge, but try to get through an Escape Room in one hour without a single person having that trait! It won’t be easy…or fun! So, smile and have fun, after all, it’s just a game!