Escape room games seem to be making a comeback and in fun new ways. Instead of being flat puzzle games, developers are getting creative and doing more than just finding hidden keys or a way to open giant globes. These games have been boasting stories, themes, and even multiple levels. For now, the stories are simple and remain centered around the escape room theme, but there is potential to expand the storytelling and combine it with the puzzles, much like horror games already do.

Escape room games are much like their real-life counterparts, wherein the player is confined to one room or each level is a room. The upcoming Escape Academy is a good example of how this niche genre is gaining popularity and how it's getting more creative. It has an overarching story with characters and various levels representing different aspects of escape rooms, having come a long way since their point-and-click ancestry.

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The puzzles of escape rooms can range from simple to complex, and in the video game world they can be taken even further. Puzzles can be mechanical contraptions, hidden switches, heavy machinery, and more. The same goes for their settings. While they are still confined to rooms, they can be a room on a space station, in an alternate reality, or even in a changing reality. The gaming world opens up a lot more possibilities for escape rooms, and with the right storytelling elements, could be a great place for the horror genre to creep in.

Stories Untold is a good example of how the two can combine. Stories Untold is a game where a series of tales take place in different small rooms. Each room has its own theme to reflect the story, which unfolds through the puzzles and their mechanics. For example, the first story happens through an old text adventure game with which the player interacts. As time goes on, the surroundings of the room change and audio cues chime to the events of the story. In a fuller escape room game where the player can walk around, this kind of audio and visual storytelling with puzzles would make for a very compelling game.

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Resident Evil 7's Bedroom mini game from the Tapes DLC

Other horror mechanics would work well in this setting too. Layers of Fear's ever-changing scenery would make for an incredible level, changing upon certain puzzle completion or story beats. Resident Evil 7's Bedroom DLC had the player at the mercy of a timer while having to place items back as they were before Marguerite returns to the room, to prevent her from suspecting escape. Lights going out or having to put together a light source as part of a puzzle to keep something at bay would be terrifying. There is a lot of potential to create a horror atmosphere in a single space with puzzle mechanics that players love.

These two genres are a match made in a dark corner. There's a lot of room for a variety of stories and themes as well as new scares and fun puzzles revealing more than meets the eye. It would be easy to make some quick but interesting horror games and elevate escape rooms to a new level through storytelling. It's definitely worth keeping an eye on the escape room niche to see where its future will go.