How to split a big group into escape room teams

A single chain of puzzles works for four children. At ten it falls apart. Two children solve everything and the rest stand around.

The fix is to run parallel tracks. This guide shows how.

Why one chain breaks

In a single chain, only one puzzle is live at a time. The rest of the group watches. Fast readers take over. Quiet children drift off to find something to do, and that is usually the fridge.

There is a second problem. If clues are hidden around a shared room, big groups search everywhere at once. Later clues get found early, and the game stops making sense.

Use two or three tracks

A track is a short run of puzzles for one team. Each track has its own clues and its own answer. The tracks are different, but they share one story and one finale.

• Two tracks suit 8 to 12 children.
• Three tracks suit 13 to 15 children.

Give each track a colour. Print its clues on that colour of paper, or mark them with a coloured sticker. If a team finds the wrong colour, they put it back.

Make the tracks meet

At the end of each track, a team earns one piece of the final answer. It might be a word, a number or a picture piece. When every team has its piece, they come together for the finale.

Design it so that no piece works alone. That gives the teams a reason to cheer each other on. The team that finishes first can wait and help, rather than sit out.

Build the teams

Aim for four to six children per team.

• Mix ages and confidence.
• Split best friends.
• Give each team a name and a job title, such as Lock Pickers or Code Breakers.
• Give every child a role: reader, finder, checker, keeper of the answer sheet.

Tell the teams before the game starts which colour they are. Children who know their colour do not wander.

Use rooms if you have them

Different rooms stop teams overhearing each other. If you only have one room, put teams in corners and use a screen, a sheet or furniture as a divider. Keep the volume down by making the bell the only loud thing in the game.

Pace the tracks

Tracks will never finish at exactly the same time. Plan for it.

• Give the shorter track a bonus puzzle.
• Have your character hold back the last clue of a track until the others catch up.
• Let a finished team help you in character, for example by guarding the bell.

The full plan is in how to run an escape room party at home.

Get the free mini-game

The free mini-game has two tracks and a shared finale for 6 to 12 children. The Keeper holds every clue card, so no team can find a later clue early.