Why Escape Rooms Aren’t Always the Best Team-Building Activity

Team building with escape rooms is a popular choice for companies seeking to boost collaboration, problem-solving, and group dynamics. At Sherlocked, we’ve seen firsthand how our escape rooms and Time Crimes experience can unite teams through immersive escape experiences.

However, escape rooms for team building aren’t always the right fit for every team. This blog explores why you might want to reconsider using escape rooms as a team-building activity and helps you decide if they’re suitable for your team.

Why Escape Rooms Can Be a Great Team-Building Activity

Before diving into the drawbacks, let’s acknowledge why escape rooms are effective team-building activities. They immerse teams in fast-paced escape room games where players solve puzzles and escape within 60 minutes, fostering a common goal. Here’s how they shine:

Enhancing Collaboration and Communication Skills

Escape rooms require clear communication and close listening as team members must work together to crack clues and solve puzzles. This builds collaboration and communication skills, as we’ve seen in our rooms like The Vault or Time Crimes, where groups uncover hidden strengths and improve their office environment. It’s a fun team-building exercise to encourage team members to play an escape room together, fostering a sense of unity. Learn more about how escape rooms foster collaboration and communication in How Escape Rooms Foster Problem-Solving Skills and Psychology of Escape Rooms for Team Building.

Developing Problem-Solving Skills

The nature of the activity in escape rooms challenges your team to think critically, make quick decisions, and tackle obstacles—skills transferable to the workplace. Our puzzles, from logic challenges to a series of puzzles, help teams practice problem-solving skills under time management pressures. How Escape Rooms Test Your Critical Thinking Abilities dives deeper into this benefit, showing how escape rooms work to improve overall team performance.

Revealing Team Dynamics

Escape rooms often highlight talents or tensions, offering insights into team dynamics. In our Time Crimes escape game, the storytelling and puzzles reveal leadership skills and creativity, fostering team bonding and a deeper understanding among team members. Explore group dynamics further in Team Building for Small vs. Large Teams.

But these benefits aren’t universal—let’s explore when escape rooms might not work for every team.

Why You Might Want to Think Twice Before Booking an Escape Room Team-Building Event

While escape rooms can be powerful, they come with challenges that might make them unsuitable for some teams. Here’s what to consider:

Pressure Can Hinder Team Performance

The 60-minute countdown in an escape room experience energizes some but overwhelms others, especially if a team struggles with communication or has high-stress members. If your group includes anxious individuals or has underlying tensions, the pressure might amplify frustrations rather than build teamwork. At Sherlocked, we design our immersive escape room experiences to keep it engaging, but we’ve seen teams falter if they’re not ready for this thrilling experience.

Competitive Tension Can Undermine Collaboration and Communication

While escape rooms aim to foster collaboration and communication, the drive to escape within 60 minutes can create competition, where individuals prioritize personal wins over group success. This can disrupt teamwork, particularly if some team members dominate or disengage. With guidance, this competitiveness can boost team morale, but it’s a risk for teams with fragile team dynamics. Learn how to manage this in Unlocking Adventure: Delving into the Wonders of Large Group Escape Rooms for larger groups.

Limited Transferability to the Workplace

Escape room puzzles, though fun, often involve isolated scenarios—like decoding a lock—that don’t always mirror complex work challenges. The problem-solving and decision-making skills gained are valuable, but they require intentional application to be truly impactful in the office environment. Teams need to reflect and strategize post-activity to bridge this gap, which not all groups do effectively. For strategies to maximize long-term impact, see Why Escape Rooms Are a Perfect Training Tool for Your Team.

Group Size and Dynamics Can Pose Challenges

Our escape rooms accommodate up to 19 people, split across 6, 6, and 7, while Time Crimes fits up to 100. Smaller teams might lack diverse skills, stalling on puzzles, while larger groups risk uneven participation unless split carefully. If your team has significant conflicts or power imbalances, the pressure could expose rather than resolve issues. Team Building for Small vs. Large Teams offers deeper insights into size-related dynamics.

Accessibility Barriers for Some Team Members

Tight spaces, dim lighting, or complex puzzles in escape room facilities may not suit everyone, especially those with physical or cognitive limitations. We strive to make our escape rooms accessible, but it’s worth assessing your team’s needs before booking. If accessibility is a concern, other team-building activities might be better. Explore planning tips for diverse teams in Plan a Perfect Team-Building Day in Amsterdam.

How to Choose the Right Team-Building Activity for Your Team

Not all escape rooms or team-building activities are the same. Here’s how to decide if an escape room fits—or if you should look elsewhere:

Assess Your Team’s Readiness

Consider your team’s communication skills, stress tolerance, and team dynamics. If they thrive under pressure and value collaboration, escape rooms could work. If not, explore workshops or outdoor activities. Our Time Crimes, for instance, offers a less intense, team-building exercise for larger groups—see Large Group Team Building Amsterdam.

Match the Activity to Your Goals

If your goal is long-term team development, pair escape rooms with follow-up sessions. For quick team bonding, they’re effective—but don’t depend on them alone for deep change. Best Time for Team Building in Amsterdam shows how winter maximizes the impact of your team-building activity.

Check Group Size and Accessibility

Ensure the room fits your team size (up to 19 for our escape rooms, 100 for Time Crimes) and accommodates any limitations. Check offerings: Team Building Amsterdam.

Tips for Facilitating a Successful Escape Room Team-Building Activity

If you proceed with an escape room, these tips can maximize success:

Debrief After the Escape Room Experience

Reflect on what worked and what didn’t. At Sherlocked, we offer optional debriefs for Time Crimes to help teams unpack lessons, ensuring the escape room team building event translates to the workplace. Learn more facilitation strategies in 10 Unique Outing Ideas and 4 Food Spots in Amsterdam for post-activity ideas.

Encourage Participation

Ensure quieter team members contribute by assigning roles or prompting ideas. Every voice matters in our escape rooms.

Set Clear Expectations

Remind your team that collaboration and communication, not competition, are key. Celebrate group efforts to keep morale high and foster team spirit.

Follow Up with Other Team-Building Activities

Pair the escape room with workshops or strategy sessions to reinforce skills. This ensures long-term impact, as highlighted in Team-Building Opportunities at Sherlocked Escape Rooms, where we talk about the unique aspects of our team-building options.

FAQ: Are Escape Rooms a Good Choice for Team Building?

Can escape rooms worsen team dynamics?
Yes, if there are conflicts, pressure can amplify tensions. Assess your team first, as discussed in Psychology of Escape Rooms for Team Building.

What if my team is too large for an escape room?
Our escape rooms fit up to 19; for larger groups, try Time Crimes, detailed at Large Group Team Building Amsterdam.

Conclusion: Weighing Escape Rooms for Team Building

Escape rooms for team building can enhance collaboration, problem-solving, and group unity, but they’re not a one-size-fits-all solution. At Sherlocked, we’ve seen their power in our escape rooms and Time Crimes, but we know they may not suit every team with pressure sensitivity, size issues, or accessibility needs. Assess your team’s readiness and goals before booking.

• Escape rooms thrive for teams that handle pressure well but can overwhelm high-stress groups.

• Group size matters—our rooms fit up to 19, while Time Crimes suits larger groups.

• Consider accessibility and team dynamics to ensure a positive escape room experience.

If you're curious to learn more, check our comprehensive guide to team building with escape rooms.