
This can be delivered in the form of video, audio, or a live gamemaster. The game begins with a brief introduction to the rules of the game and how to win. The player's goals and the challenges they encounter usually align with the theme of the room. Games are set in a variety of fictional locations, such as prison cells, dungeons, and space stations.

The participants in an escape room normally play as a cooperative team of two to ten players. In spite of the name, escaping a room may not be the main goal for the players, nor is the game necessarily confined to a single room. They are also referred to as "room escapes," "escape games," "exit games," or "live escapes." This is also the likely source of their name.

The briefing room of an escape room in Tampere, FinlandĮscape rooms are inspired by " escape-the-room"–style video games.
