The other thing op, is that it’s not just one small room…at least not in ones ive been to.
they’re domestic size rooms, like size of a small lounge or double bedroom , often connected …like a one way system where you move form room to room as you solve each bit…but there is always a way out to go back out way you made you’re way through. they’re comms speakers to ask for help at any time and get out of rooms by other doors along the way. I know that you can go backwards, as I’ve needed to “escape back” for the loo on one occasion after too much wine before and us taking way too long to solve 🤣🤣🤣, I did re-enter after that bio break. They can’t actually lock anything without a second exit route you can just walk out of, becuase of fire risk.
It doesn’t feel like anything more than being in someone’s home and walking form room to room, albeit no windows..but that’s no different than being in someone’s house at night with curtains drawn ..and some very weird decoration you wouldn’t get in domestic home. I think it feels less confining than a small cinema screen as it’s not pitch dark.
I’ve done escape rooms as team building stuff both in USA and uk, and rooms are always big enough for 6-8 people to be moving round in a bit of a frenzy of chaotic problem solving …certainly we weren’t on top of each other or feeling penned in…often there has to be room to lay stuff out or empty boxes etc ..so quite a bit of room
whilst I don’t have claustrophobia , I do get very sensory overloaded in crowded or tight places…places like one of those sports shops where everything was black and stock piled high and blaring music and lots of people trying to squeeze round each other…have to walk out of there … so I sort of understand
but having been a few times escape rooms are not what they sound, you’re not in a tight space trying to escape to get “out” …it’s just a series of puzzle rooms to let you get the final combo to get through the official exit door and stop the timer…more a race against time than a “I’m stuck here and can’t get out” . I guess “puzzle rooms” doesn’t have same marketing buzz as “escape room” 🤷♀️
if I were you I’d give it a go. Talk to your staff member before you go “in” and tell them you may need to exit due to claustrophobia, they’ll have been in that situation before and have a plan for you..literally it’ll take around 1 min to exit if needed. It usually takes teams ~ 40 mins to complete so they’ll be chairs etc to wait outside the rooms whilst they finish off. Take a book!