How escape rooms are made: Time-Busters Vienna behind the scenes
Inside an Escape Room's Creative Design Process
How is a new escape room made? From the initial concept to set construction and the testing phase, there is a creative process behind every escape room.
Take a look behind the scenes at Time-Busters Vienna and discover how escape rooms become immersive worlds. Time-Busters operates escape rooms in Vienna in the 2nd and 7th districts. In this interview, game master Sarah explains why creative ideas make all the difference – and what makes Time-Busters in Vienna so special for both beginners and experienced players.
Sarah has been working as a game master at Time-Busters in Vienna for several years. She guides guests through interactive escape room experiences on a daily basis and is actively involved in developing new game concepts, which makes her an expert in experience design and team dynamics.
What makes Time-Busters in Vienna unique?
“The main concept, as the name suggests, is time travel. We strongly focus on mechanical escape room puzzles that are directly built into the backdrop. This creates a particularly immersive and tactile experience. Teamwork is very important for our challenges, often one riddle requires the participation of multiple players.“
How is a new escape room created?
“Our escape adventures are created from countless ideas that we collect as a team. For example, the basic idea for The Oracle of Time was jungle and pyramids. We also wanted a cute mascot, which is how we came up with the capybara. We 3D printed the statue in the room ourselves. We draw inspiration from our own ideas and from puzzles that are especially popular amongst our guests.”
Who is involved in the development?
“Michael Ginner, our founder, builds the sets himself and is also the resident puzzle expert. In addition, the entire team is involved, supported by external programmers, electricians and graphic designers who take care of the technical implementation and visual design. Personally, I am very enthusiastic about contributing to the decoration. To me escape missions are creative works of art.”
How long does it take to develop a new room?
“The development of a new escape game can take up to two years, especially when existing rooms are being relocated. The actual construction takes around two months. After that, there is an intensive testing phase.”
How does the testing phase work?
“There are many test runs because we use a lot of technology. First, there are several runs with the team, then with friends and family, and finally with test players. After each run, players give us feedback – this is how the escape room gradually gets improved until it becomes the perfect leisure experience.”
How important is storytelling in an escape room?
“For us in development, storytelling in an escape room is very important – there needs to be a coherent overall concept. However, there are also customers for whom solving puzzles is more important than the story. In those cases, we adapt the story slightly and shorten the introduction if necessary.”
Who are your escape missions in Vienna suitable for?
Are escape rooms for me?
“We actually have all age groups visiting us, and are able to find the perfect experience for each visitor. The adventures are especially suitable as an activity in bad weather. If you are unsure which adventure in Vienna suits you, feel free to contact us before booking, we will be happy to advise you personally for the perfect leisure experience.”
Who tends to be most successful – families, companies or groups of friends?
“Corporate groups are often experienced in clear communication. However, the success always depends on the composition of the group.”
Special experiences in the escape room
Which visitors have given you a particularly memorable moment?
“Recently, three older women visited us after reading about us in a newspaper. They are big fans of crime stories and based on that really wanted to try an escape room. Moments like these stay with you. Children are also wonderful players, they are often fascinated by the scenery and notice things that adults do not.”
Sarah’s insider tips: Escape adventure recommendations
Which space is your favorite?
“‘The Oracle of Time with the time-traveling capybaras is simply beautiful and fun. Western Jailbreak in the 2nd district impresses with great scenery and puzzles. Especially the introduction video, in which the entire Time-Busters team appears in the Wild West, is very well received by visitors.”
Which room is suitable for beginners?
“The Officer is particularly suitable for beginners, as the puzzles can be solved linearly. Many clues are hidden in the room, which makes the experience very accessible – also perfect for children.”
Which room is good for advanced players?
“The Mine is ideal for experienced players. Many puzzles can be solved simultaneously, which increases the level of difficulty. The main challenge is figuring out which puzzle to tackle next.”
Is there a space for culture enthusiasts?
“The Johann Strauss room has attracted a completely new audience, as it was heavily promoted in print media. For people who love art and culture, this experience brings the composer to life.”
Why an escape adventure in Vienna is well worth it
PS: Escape rooms are the perfect bad-weather activity. Sarah did not want to reveal the success or failure rate. She says an escape mission is not only about the quickest success, but above all about having fun. And if you are cutting it a little close to the finish line, the Time-Busters Vienna team might turn a blind eye and give you those precious extra seconds. After all, for time travelers, time is flexible.
Still looking for the perfect bad-weather activity or a location with air-conditioning?
Surprise your friends, family or colleagues with a Time-Busters voucher.
