5 WAYS ON HOW TO REDUCE THE PAYBACK PERIOD

FOR AN ESCAPE GAME

A good/average payback period for an escape game is about a year. However, each
escape room owner influences this period, and of course wants the shortest period
possible. The pandemic has created some difficulties, but gradually, everything will return
to normal: so we offer you five working recipes that have been tried and tested by many
owners from all around the world:

HAVE MORE THAN 1 ESCAPE ROOM AT YOUR LOCATION

It would seem that if the total investment is greater, then the payback period is also
higher. In practice, by opening several rooms at the same time, you drastically reduce
both the volume of capital investments as well as the operating costs per room.

When you prepare 1 escape room for several games, then the «scale effect» works. For
example, it is cheaper to open 2-3 rooms at the same time and at the same location than
it is to open the 2-3 rooms, at different locations and at different times. By opening 1
room at a time, going through the process of renting, repairing, installing equipment,
searching for personnel and promotional costs, it all adds to the overall costs making it a
lot more expensive.

By opening several rooms at the same time, you will save a significant amount on the
salaries of administrators and all the other staff, as well as renting technical rooms and
waiting areas for each game.

The audience of players that you cover expands if you choose different themes for the
different rooms at 1 location. By attracting an audience to one of your games, about 80%
of visitors will be interested in your other games as well.

All of this helps reduce costs and increases revenue when calculating the ROI of each
game.
 GOOD FRANCHISE

By purchasing a well-known escape room franchise, you automatically acquire marketing.

A recognizable brand is one of the most reliable guarantees that your games will be
chosen by both locals and tourists. The escape room franchise costs are rapidly paid off
by the amount of games that the brand name provides. Of course, this rule only works for
well-known franchises, such as Indestroom. Our partners are the world’s largest Panic
rooms, we not only supply equipment for their games but we oversee how carefully they
control the quality at every stage, like we do our own. Their games are also always in
demand.

PROMOTIONS

Discounts are not considered good marketing; however, it makes sense to spread the
word as much as possible, and why your new game is really worth visiting right after the
opening. In the initial stage, before the word of mouth has got around, your goal is to
attract the widest possible audience. Promotions immediately after opening are the best
time for discounts.

It is important here to carefully prepare the game itself so that the first players enjoy
themselves, and the process of positive reviews and recommendations start successfully.

INVEST IN QUALITY

The higher the quality of the escape game, the faster it will pay off and the longer it will
be able to generate income. The time when an escape game could be opened for $ 5,000
is long gone. Now no one visits simple games and even if they do, be prepared for some
negative reviews. Competition dictates new rules, and your game must be worthy of a
sophisticated audience. Your equipment should not break down, as downtime and
additional repair costs do not contribute to a quick payback period.

By investing in a more expensive product, you are investing in your future. Professional
escape room kit will work better and longer. Remember: you won’t have a second chance
at a first impression and first impressions…last. You pay not only for high quality, but also
for service, support, manufacturer’s guarantees, visitors that are satisfied with the game
and so on. For example, one of our clients from Australia was able to make back all of his
investments in a record 3 months, playing 8-10 games daily. Read more — a link to our
case.
 SELECTION OF READY-MADE EQUIPMENT «TURNKEY»

You always have a choice — to do everything yourself, in parts, gradually, or to order a

ready-to-play solution. At first glance, making an escape game by DIY seems to be more
profitable, but let’s take a closer look: you will need to pay for additional months of
renting a location, spend at least six months to create a game that is ready for visitors,
and this is if it all goes smoothly.

When ordering a turnkey product, you only need to prepare the location for a maximum
of one month beforehand. For our clients, we provide detailed wiring plans, equipment
placement and design recommendations. After you receive your escape room props and
puzzles, you will need about 3 to 10 days to connect and test everything, including the
game control system, so you can earn money almost right away without wasting time on
the long construction process.

Of course, depending on your location, there are many ways to further promote your
escape game business. There are no universal recipes, so we restrict ourselves to the
proven methods described above.

For the convenience of escape game owners, we have created a special calculator that
takes all factors into account, including the costs of delivery. You can choose any escape
game from our catalogue and compare the predicted payback periods for turnkey escape
games, cubes and portable games. Don’t wait… Try it!