Escape rooms (also known as exit games) certainly have come a long way since their first appearance. From, gen 1, gen2, and gen 2 escape rooms, these thrilling games have become more than just simple lock and keys. With a multitude of options available in different European cities that are perfect for a fun weekend getaway abroad (such as Budapest, the capital of Hungary), this article aims to show you the differences between different escape room generations.
One thing will be clear from the get-go: both gen 2 and gen 3 escape rooms can be a lot of fun for your group of friends or family!
A little history before gen 2 and gen 3 escape rooms made their debut: the basic “box” of first-generation exit games
To make things clear, the term “gen” (short for generation) refers to the level of technological advancement and sophistication of an escape room, similar to how hardware may be designated in other industries. Therefore, gen 1 escape rooms represent the very first iterations of these games.
The first “real” escape room that resembles the modern concept of the 2020s first opened in 2007, in Kyoto, Japan. This is yet another example of how video games or game culture in general has always had strong roots in Japan.
The basic concept of gen 1 escape rooms was fairly simple. You’ve been trapped inside a box – now find a way to get out. There might have been some context added, like a little backstory of how you ended up here and why you only have a certain amount of time to get out. Still, despite its simplicity, the reason these basic games were already popular is the same as with gen 2 and gen 3 escape rooms.
It was about HOW you escaped – there were a lot of creative ways puzzles could be designed, even if the technical background only relied on old locks and walkie-talkie toys to interact with the game master. You could still enjoy yourself very much.
It was all about the thrill of conquering a challenge together. Just like nowadays.
Gen 2 escape rooms – The second generation of exit games enlarged the box
As the trend of escape rooms started gaining more and more popularity in the United States as well as Europe. This also means that competition among exit games started to grow, as everyone wanted the unique design and concept of their game to bring more visitors. Thus, gen 2 escape rooms were born.
The most notable change was the scale and size of the game. The way escape rooms were designed had become just as crucial as the creative puzzles inside. This is how these games started bringing more and more wow-factor to the equation, as being able to escape one room often led to – surprise – another room!
This also allowed more possibilities for theme-driven gen 2 escape rooms, where the narrative could continue from room to room.
Of course, apart from set design, technology also evolved, with less and less traditional padlocks being used. These were swapped out for keypads and electronic locks.
Gen 3 escape rooms – The third generation of exit games reinvented the box
Gen 3 escape rooms are slowly starting to represent the majority of exit games in the 2020s. The basic box has been completely revisited to provide even more seamless integration between high-tech solutions, set design, as well as story-driven narratives.
Players may need to move vertically as well as horizontally and solve multiple puzzles simultaneously. This may require several players in different rooms, or backtracking to a previous puzzle that you couldn’t solve before.
In a nutshell: design and technical background evolution has put an even higher focus on creative teamwork. This is what makes gen 3 escape rooms so popular in Budapest and other European cities.
Third-generation exit games represent a whole new level of entertainment that definitely needs to be experienced more than once!