What makes the perfect escape room team?
In recent years, escape rooms have become a popular way for friends, family, and co-workers to test their wits and work together under pressure. But what makes the perfect escape room team? Let’s dive into the key elements which will either make or break an escape room team.
Sep 18, 2024
Optimum Team Size
The perfect group of people to complete an escape room, in our opinion, is 4 people. This is the ideal spot which allows for enough brainpower to solve complex puzzles without stepping on each other’s toes. With too few players, you’ll find yourselves stretched thin, but with too many, you risk a severe lack of communication and not being able to successfully engage with people fully.
We can see that 4 people is the perfect amount of people as group-of-four ‘Squaggles’ completed our ‘Escape from the Cursed Galleon’ Escape Room in a record breaking time of 27:09 with them finishing with 3909 points! Click here to see the leaderboard!
Diverse Skills and Personalities
A well-rounded group of players makes for a successful team. Here’s a rundown of types of players that can contribute to a winning formula:
-
- The Leader: Someone who can take charge without dominating, keeping the team focused on the task at hand and on-track to escape before the time is up!
-
- The Brain: A puzzle-solver who loves to find clues, crack codes, and think outside of the box. A player like this will allow a team to thrive as they steam through quickly solving problems.
-
- The Organiser: This person will keep track of the clues as the team progresses through the escape room and will manage the inventory of the items which have been discovered whilst exploring the escape room.
-
- The Motivator: This person will allow the team to keep on going, as they will keep spirits high and ensure that everyone is having a good time in the escape room, even when the clock is ticking.
-
- The Observer: This person should have an extreme eye for detail, allowing them to spot small things which other players may miss.
-
- The Communicator: In larger groups, this person is vital. They should ensure that ideas, clues, and other discoveries are shared promptly and clearly among the team.
Personality Traits for Success
There are certain personality traits which can boosts a team’s performance in an escape room. These include:
-
- Teamwork: Welcome each member’s input and work collaboratively torwards goals (in this case, escaping from an escape room).
-
- Observation: Pay attention to the little details; sometimes the smallest clues are the key to success!
-
- Responsibility: Own your role in the game and play to your strengths.
-
- Reliability: Be clear about what you can and cannot do. Be honest about what you can’t do!
-
- Adaptability: Be ready to shift gears and tackle new challenges as they arise.
-
- Courage: Don’t be afraid to take risks or to suggest unconventional ideas.
-
- Optimism: Keep a positive outlook, even when the puzzles seem daunting!
The Key to Victory
In the confined space of an escape room, communication is the singlehandedly most important thing. Clear, concise, and effective communication between you and your team can and likely will be the difference from escaping or being trapped. Make sure that everybody’s voice is heard; and that you consider each person’s ideas. After all, someone’s wacky idea could be the key to your team escaping!
Don’t Be Afraid of Asking for Clues!
Always remember that there is no shame in asking for clues when you are at an escape room. They are there to help you and your team to escape when you hit a snag. Clues do not count against your score or your time; they’re simply part of the game! Think of a clue as a nudge in the right direction, not a penalty. Escape rooms are intended to be challenging on purpose – the aim of them is to stump you and your team! So if you find yourself stuck, don’t be afraid to ask for a clue. It can keep the game going!
The perfect escape room team isn’t just about having smart members, it’s about having the right mix of personalities and skills. With the right group not only will you increase you chances of escaping but you will also make memories which will last a lifetime. So, gather you team, set you roles, and get ready to escape!