Now that your fantasy football draft is over and NFL games are well underway, it’s time to prepare for your next most important draft-- your escape room team draft.
There are a couple ways to go about this. The most common method is to just gather your closest few friends; the ones you normally go to the movies or go drinking with. While this perhaps feels like the right thing to do, it could also leave your team lacking in some core areas. This would be like drafting a fantasy team comprised of your favorite players. Fantasy football experts would never make this mistake, yet it is one that amateurs make all the time. This is the strategy for people who don’t care (that much) about winning.
It’s okay to choose experiencing something with your friends over the thrilling sensation of winning-- maybe you can even have both! But for those of you who really hate the thought of losing, read on.
The next method is one we’ll call the “random strategy.” This one may or may not fare better than the previous method of choosing your closest friends. It could either work out very well or be a complete disaster. Generally it is reserved for those people who don’t have enough close friends that want to do an escape room. You go about this by making a post on your Facebook and seeing who bites; or, make a post in one or more escape room enthusiast Facebook groups. Posting in the enthusiast groups ensures that you’ll get some experienced players on your team (and increase your chance of winning).
The final (winning) strategy is to strategically select your team to make sure you have the following positions.
Leader (1 max) a.k.a. “Quarterback”
Just like every football time relies on its quarterback, every escape room team will need a good leader. The leader doesn’t necessarily solve all the puzzles, but will be instrumental in making game time decisions like whether or not to take a hint. Managing the clock is a crucial skill that winning quarterbacks and escape room leaders possess. Successful leaders also know how to utilize their teammates’ talent in the most efficient way. If the team has spent more than a few minutes with no progress, a good leader will start delegating and having others try new things. One leader is all you need. More than one leader on a team can inhibit the team’s performance.
Searcher (2) a.k.a “The Scouter”
These are the running backs and wide receivers of your escape room team. They do all the heavy lifting. They are the ones responsible for finding hidden clues and locks. Although they might even solve a puzzle or two, their main job is to turn the room upside down and make sure nothing is missed. You’ll need at least two but probably not more than that.
Smarty (1-2) a.k.a “Linebacker”
Smarties don’t particularly like to search for things, but they can solve the hardest puzzles. You’ll need at least one of these on your team to beat the more difficult rooms. When everyone else is stumped, this person can put it all together and get to the next step.
Mr./Mrs Detail (1) a.k.a “Safety”
The “detail” person is good at noticing things that are out of place or spotting patterns. When searchers fail to find the relevant clue, your detail person can spot it. Just like an NFL safety is the last line of defense, this player carefully observes the room for things that aren’t so obvious.
Flex (0 or 1) a.k.a. “The Clutch” or “Sleeper Pick”
In fantasy football, some leagues have a “flex” spot where they can substitute a WR or a RB, or potentially any other position. Traditionally this is a good spot for the up and coming rookie that has high potential but is unproven in the field. For escape rooms, your “sleeper” pick is probably a newbie who is super eager to play but has never actually played a room. This person might end up surprising you and figuring out the most difficult puzzles. Or, they could be a bust. If you have extra space on your team, this is the spot for them. But, you need to make sure you fill the other positions first.
A well rounded escape room team is generally comprised of 6 to 7 players with the above skill sets. This is not to say that a 4 or 5 person team cannot be successful. In fact, if players can cover more than one role, you could still create a really good team with less than six players. We have even seen teams of 2 to 3 people do really well, but they are usually super experienced escape room artists.
Good luck!
If you’ve already got your team, go ahead and Book Now!