Everyone loves a challenge. And a challenge works as a great motivator in any training session. Indeed, the concept of gamification — the use of gaming elements to engage participants — has firmly taken hold in the world of learning and development (L&D), and many training organizations now adopt it as a key part of their strategy.

One perfect example of gamification in action is the “escape game.” Teams of participants are locked in a room and challenged to break out, which they do by searching for clues and solving puzzles. Teams are in a race against time and must solve every puzzle before finally being given access to the exit. Along the way, participants may be given certain “powers” or be allowed to ask for limited help. The team that breaks out in the shortest time wins!

Digital escape rooms can be used in either face to face, virtual or hybrid training programs. Playing an escape game at the beginning of a training session can have enormous benefits, particularly when it comes to learner engagement.

But is this all just fun and games — or is there more to it than that? How exactly does an escape game benefit learners in a corporate setting?

1. Engagement. According to digital escape games, gamification can increase engagement by as much as 48%. It goes without saying that the fun element plays a part here. But other elements, such as working against time and the importance of working as a team player, all help to motivate participants into action. Too often, especially in virtual training, some of the quieter participants find it easy to take a back seat and may be less inclined to contribute. When they play the escape game, their input is expected. Indeed, the psychology of belonging and not wanting to be excluded can be an even bigger motivating factor. The whole experience nicely sets up a positive vibe for the training to come, so acts as a neat ice-breaker activity. The game also allows trainers to observe other participants’ behavior, so they can easily see which participants are leaders and followers and facilitate the rest of the program with that in mind.
2. Improved retention. Gamification works because it triggers an emotional reaction from the release of dopamine — the chemical that makes us feel good — in our brains. This makes the experience more memorable, so works well in a training setting where people need to retain as much information as possible. On top of this, participants learn while playing the escape game. They must apply critical thinking skills, working out the quickest route to success from one puzzle to another, and will remember this when they need to apply to a real-life challenge in future.
3. Focus and attention. Participants are put under pressure to break out of the room within a short timeframe, so they are naturally much more focused on the task at hand. The price for dawdling or idle chat has consequences, particularly if it leads to failure to escape in time! All this helps to focus the mind and increases the attention span of the participants. It also acts to energize them, which is an important factor for the beginning of any training session. The more energized the participants are at the beginning of a training session, the more likely they are to remain engaged for the rest of it.
4. Collaboration. Inevitably, a game of this nature fosters collaboration within a team. Even those who gravitate toward acting as leaders need help from others and will delegate to solve as many puzzles as they can. As such, escape games work as a great team-building exercise and can be used when covering different topics, such as the characteristics of a project or leadership. It also helps develop a range of other soft skills. For example, participants must communicate clearly and concisely to co-ordinate the escape. This helps learners come up with new strategies for effective communication that can also work well in the context of remote or hybrid work.

5. Flexibility. The beauty of escape games is that they can be adapted to any scenario or business-related training topic. You can use them at the beginning of the first session, which is by far the most popular option, or you can even make it a central part of the training, with a focus on testing skills such as communication, leadership or critical thinking. Ready-made digital escape games are a cost-effective addition to your training toolbox and can also typically be customized, where you can add clues or puzzles that relate directly to your training topic.

Escape Games in Action

It’s important to implement escape games that are challenging without being too difficult. You need to get the skill level right here, which will be influenced by learners who are participating.

Each game must be challenging enough to make people work to earn the victory, but not so difficult that participants get frustrated at their lack of progress. If everyone is left feeling miserable before beginning the training proper, then the game will have the opposite effect of the one intended!

Ultimately, digital escape games are an unusual training tool, and many learners will be won over because of that. It’s not what they’re expecting, so they’ll become intrigued and more likely to buy-in to the learning.

Escape games can be fun, but we must never forget the serious educational benefit that lies underneath them.