[Escape Academy The Rival Room Walkthrough

A comprehensive gameplay walkthrough for 'The Rival Room' level, featured under the Winter Term in Escape Academy.

Verification: Human verified

The Rival Room is the ninth escape room in Escape Academy, encountered during the Winter Term, and it pits you in a head-to-head puzzle race against your rival Gillian. You have a generous 35-minute time limit, and the room is rated 4/5 in difficulty [src-0f3d11182e]. The level consists of five rounds of puzzles [src-0f3d11182e], and you'll also have the chance to grab a miscellaneous achievement along the way [src-cc415a0c9f].

Getting to [The Rival Room

After leaving the dorm, you'll have an automatic conversation with the headmaster. From there, open the map and click the top-right corner to travel to the arena. Once inside the arena, click the middle of the screen to select The Rival Room, then skip the dialogue to enter the level [src-cc415a0c9f].

Step-by-Step Walkthrough

Round 1: Fire the Ballista

To your immediate left is a red panel with gears on it; some gear slots are empty, so you need to find the three missing gears [src-0f3d11182e].

1. Large Gear — inside the orange box to the left of the red panel [src-0f3d11182e]. (Note: one video walkthrough instead finds the gear in a tall white cabinet directly to your left [src-cc415a0c9f]; check both containers if you don't spot it immediately.)
2. Medium Gear — inside the dark box to the right of the red panel [src-0f3d11182e].
3. Small Gear — inside the white cupboard to the left of the orange box [src-0f3d11182e].

There are five potential holes but only three gears. Place them as follows [src-0f3d11182e]:

• Large Gear: Bottom Left hole
• Medium Gear: Far Right hole
• Small Gear: Centre hole

Then interact with the gear on the far left (the one with the handle). All the gears turn and the Ballista fires, lowering the bridge to the next area [src-0f3d11182e][src-cc415a0c9f]. Wait for the bridge to fall, then walk across [src-cc415a0c9f].

Round 2: Identify Your Targets

In the second area you'll find statues with names on them. The key is the question on the sign at the far end of the room, which reads: "Which 3 can yo—" [src-0f3d11182e]. Move three statues into the marked spots at the back — the video walkthrough uses Wyatt, Timmy, and Max, and notes the placement order doesn't matter. Completing this opens the door on the far left side [src-cc415a0c9f]. Move forward and climb the ladder.

Round 3: The Weights

The third room centers on weights. Pick up the green-and-white plates, then the red, blue, and orange plates, and interact with the green board at the very back [src-cc415a0c9f]. The remaining rounds follow the same pattern of observation-then-action; check the in-room signage whenever a puzzle's logic isn't obvious.

Tips

• Don't rush the clock. The 35-minute limit is "way more than enough" for this room [src-cc415a0c9f].
• Grab the newspaper. In the starting area, an orange box on the far end contains a newspaper — the ninth edition of The Escapist Times — which counts toward the "Extra, Extra!" achievement for reading 10 different editions [src-cc415a0c9f][src-f825a4961b].
• Watch for the Rotating Chambers. The "Spin Specialist" achievement (solve Eel's Rotating Chambers in under 8 moves) can be earned on this escape. The sequence is: Purple > Clockwise, Green > Clockwise, Green > Clockwise, Purple > Clockwise, Green > Counter-Clockwise, Green/Orange > Clockwise [src-f825a4961b].

Rewards

Completing The Rival Room unlocks the Apex First Year achievement ("Escape 'The Rival Room'") [src-f825a4961b]. Per the game's grading rules, you earn an A+ by finishing within the time limit without using hints [src-f825a4961b] — very achievable here given the room's generous timer. Story-wise, this is your class's sporting event: a puzzle-race against your nemesis to prove who's top of the class [src-9c282bac46][src-529381cee6].

Details

featured_level

The Rival Room

term

Winter Term

Sources

• Escape Academy The Rival Room Walkthrough
• Escape Academy: The Complete Edition for Nintendo Switch
• Steam store page — Escape Academy
• Escape Academy Complete Walkthrough
• Escape Academy - All Achievements/Trophies Walkthrough - 100% Puzzle Solution Guide (Xbox Game Pass)
• Escape Academy The Rival Room Walkthrough
• 100% Achievement Guide - Escape Academy