Virtual team building, an escape room that gets people talking
Virtual team building that really gets people talking: every colleague holds clues the others don't have.
Why use an escape room for virtual team building
An escape room asks for what you expect from a team every day: sharing information, listening, dividing up tasks, deciding fast. In After Hours at the Museum that mechanic is pushed all the way: each player gets documents on their phone that nobody else sees. Whoever keeps their clues to themselves blocks the whole team. Whoever can describe them clearly moves it forward.
Four roles, four jobs
In a team of four, each colleague takes a role, with their own tool and documents. Nobody can finish alone:
- The Archivist, with a magnifying glass: catalogs, inventories and dates.
- The Egyptologist, with tracing paper: decoding tables and the curator’s notes.
- The Technician, with a UV light: floor plans, diagrams and door keypads. They're the one who types in the codes.
- The Musician, with a tuning fork: sheet music and sound logs.
That is what makes it a real team exercise: information is spread out, like on a project, and you have to pool it to make progress. With fewer than four, some players take on two roles.
How the session runs
| Step | Duration | What happens |
|---|---|---|
| Before | 5 minutes | The organizer creates one game per team and sends the code or link to everyone. |
| Connecting | 10 minutes | Everyone opens the game, scans the QR code with their phone and gets their role. |
| Game | 1.5 to 2 hours | The team searches the museum room by room, guided over the radio by the night guard. |
| Debrief | 15 minutes | You compare times and hints used, and talk about who held the key to which puzzle. |
Built for remote work
Remote mode is made for distributed teams. Each participant opens the game on their laptop, keeps their phone for secret clues, and the team meets on its usual video tool. The videos are synced for everyone. All it takes is an up-to-date browser, with nothing to install on work machines. The full details are on the virtual escape room page.
At the office, a meeting room with a screen makes a very good set: the team sits in front of it, each with a phone.
Virtual team building with no host, at a time that suits you
The game runs itself. No need to book a facilitator or line up a slot with a vendor. The format works for a team social, a break at an offsite or onboarding new hires. Three difficulty levels let you tune the challenge to the group. For other formats, read our ideas for remote team activities.
In a venue, with a host, or on your own?
A company looking for an escape room has three options. A physical room offers the strongest immersion, but takes travel, a shared time slot and a per-person budget; we collected a few prices in our comparison of real escape rooms and at-home escape rooms. A hosted video-call game from a provider comes with a game master, but you get a quote and book a time with them. A self-run game, like After Hours at the Museum, starts when the team decides and brings together colleagues in different places, with no outside facilitator.
Several teams, one leaderboard
Each team has 1 to 4 players. For a whole department, start several games at the same time: each team plays on its own, then you compare times, hints included. The game’s public leaderboard also lets you see how you stack up against other teams.
Request a quote
For several teams, an invoice in the company’s name or a question about logistics, write to us with the number of participants, the date you have in mind and the format (in person, remote or mixed). We will reply with a tailored proposal. Per-team pricing is on the pricing page.
Frequently asked questions
Do we need a host?
No. The game runs itself and guides the team from start to finish. One person on your side sets up the game and shares the code. That's it.
How many people can play?
A team has 1 to 4 players. For a bigger group, several teams play in parallel, each on its own game, and you compare times at the end.
Which video call tools work?
The one you already use. The game runs in the browser; the voice or video call happens alongside, with Teams, Meet, Zoom or anything else.
Can you issue an invoice in the company's name?
Yes, just ask in your quote request and give the company name and billing address.
Do we need a VR headset?
No. The game is played in the browser: a laptop for the shared screen, a phone for the clues, and your usual call alongside.
How much time should we plan?
Count on 1.5 to 2 hours of play, plus about ten minutes to get connected and 15 minutes for a debrief. In our first test games, teams finished in 1 hour 25 minutes to 2 hours 24 minutes.
What if part of the team has never played an escape room?
Pick the Visitor level: hints come sooner and the guard guides the team more over the radio. The Investigator and Curator levels suit regulars.
Can we play in two sessions?
Yes. The game can be paused and resumed later, on any screen, for 30 days. Handy for two lunch breaks.
Do you offer an online escape room for companies?
Yes, for one team, a department or several teams at once. Write to us with the number of participants, the date you have in mind and the format you want, and we will reply with a tailored proposal.