Escape Room Roles and How to Use Them

We’re going to let you in on an escape room secret. 

Everyone knows that teamwork is crucial to solving an escape room successfully. But did you know that there is a specific set of roles that group members can take on to beat the room?

In the millions of games we’ve run at Breakout, we’ve seen patterns of what makes groups the most likely to escape. And most of the time, members of successful groups naturally take on different roles to balance the team. We’ll show you what these roles are and explain how they benefit the group. You’ll see what roles you naturally take on and how you can utilize them to bust out of your next escape room.

The problem solver of the group focuses on the clues. They’re the person who will sit down with a cipher and carefully go through each letter or solve a complex math problem to get to the answer. Above all else, escape rooms are about solving puzzles. So you need this role to advance through the game and find your way out. 

The communicator informs the group of what’s happening. They’re the person who will shout, “We found something!” or “This door just opened!” Especially when groups split up to divide and conquer, you need this role to keep everyone in the loop of what’s being done. The last thing you want when you’re pressed for time is for anyone to work on something that’s already been solved!

The coordinator strategizes and organizes the group. They’re the person who can look at the room and know where to start or direct members to different areas to divide and conquer. Without a leader to give direction, games can quickly turn into chaos. The coordinator keeps things running smoothly.

The motivator encourages and supports the group. They’re the enthusiastic person who gets really excited when a puzzle is solved and motivates the group when working through something challenging. Escape rooms are about FUN, and every group needs this role to keep things positive.

The competitor keeps track of time in groups. They’re the person that wants to ensure the group escapes and lets everyone know just how much time is left so they stay on track. Escape rooms are both fun AND competitive. This role is needed for the competitive and suspenseful edge.

Most of the time, group members naturally take on these roles as the game progresses without even thinking about it. Some people may take on multiple roles and/or shift their roles throughout the game. 

This is usually a natural process, but it can be helpful to think about these roles before your game starts. Think about your entire group and who might be best at which role. You can assign the roles to group members if you want, but that’s up to you. Just know that a combination of these roles in your group will help you be successful.

It can also be helpful to think about a time you didn’t break out (if you’ve ever not escaped). Were any of these roles missing in your group? How can you make sure all roles are being used next time?

We hope that thinking about these roles is helpful to your overall escape room strategy! For more tips on how to beat escape rooms, check out this post.