Is it a good idea to bring someone you just met to an escape room for a first date? The short answer is: probably no. However, it might be a good decision in some circumstances and it most likely is a very good 2nd or 3rd date… Here’s why:
You just met them and don’t know if you can stand to be around them for more than a few minutes…
If you just met this person, remember that you know close to nothing about them. Most likely the only thing you know about them is that you’re physically attracted to them.
Typically on a first date you want to give yourself a comfortable space to get to know your date a little bit better AND have an easy escape in case things aren’t going well. Good first date locations are low pressure, amenable to conversation, and give both parties an opening to either end it early or extend it.
An escape room is fun, but you’re trapped in a room with someone you just met for 60 minutes, which means it could end up being great or being a disaster.
The 2nd and 3rd date are much different…
Initial test passed…
After the first date one of the most difficult parts of dating is over. You should have a much better idea of who your date is and what they like to do. At this point you can make a much better judgement call about what a good 2nd date might be. If they love games… then an escape room might be a great next date. If they hate clowns, then maybe that circus escape room you were thinking about taking them to isn’t such a good idea.
But, even if the first date was a success you’re still not in the clear (far from it).
Building upon the success of your first date
If you’re hoping to progress to a third date, then your second date should be significantly better than the first. While you don’t want to push too hard, moving too fast to get to know your date and ruining the process, you also don’t want to risk just repeating the first date. The small to medium talk has been covered. Second date territory is where you can open up with each other a bit more and explore your compatibilities (without getting ahead of yourself).
How does an escape room fit into this Goldilocks date space?
A little bit of pressure and some fun
Here are a few reasons why an escape room can make for a great 2nd or 3rd + date:
- Team Work – you can see how well you work together to solve puzzles. Life is really just a series of problems that need to be solved. A game where you’re on the same team is nice test to see how well you work together.
- Pressure – you can see how the other person reacts under pressure.
- Personality Traits – you might get to see another side of your date. Perhaps they are goofy and make the game fun, or very competitive and you can see they have a lot of ambition.
- Bridge – an escape game can leave room for extending the date. If you plan it properly you can still go out for a bite or a drink afterward and continue the fun if you’re hitting it off.
Remember to think before you date… but not too much!