An outdoor adventure featuring GPS, puzzles, checkpoints and decisions that change the teamโs route.
90 - 180 minutes
8 - 100 participants
Outdoor
What is Escape the Maze?
Escape the Maze is an outdoor team-building activity in which teams navigate the real world to find their way out of a virtual maze displayed on a tablet.
The GPS activates checkpoints, and each sector features puzzles, codes and decisions that directly affect the route.
Participants are given a game kit and set off on a race in which every choice counts.
A good answer can provide a shortcut, whilst a hasty decision can drain resources, send the team down a longer route or cost precious time.
The experience combines the excitement of a treasure hunt with the suspense of an escape room.
Success depends not only on solving the puzzles, but on how the team communicates, divides up roles, uses information and adjusts its strategy as it goes along.
How does it work?
The activity begins with a briefing during which participants are told the story, the rules and the objective of the mission.
Each team is given a tablet, a game kit and the resources they need for the route.
The teams set off through the game area, guided by GPS. When they reach the checkpoints, the app unlocks new sections, puzzles, codes and challenges that test their attention, logic and communication skills.
Answers and decisions directly influence the route. An inspired choice can open up a shortcut, whilst a hasty decision can waste resources or send the team down a longer route.
Depending on the eventโs objectives, the game can emphasise competition or collaboration between teams, whilst the in-app messaging feature allows participants to exchange information to arrive at the final solution.
Intended outcomes
When is Escape the Maze the right choice?
Escape the Maze is ideal for companies looking for an outdoor activity that combines energy, strategy and a clear objective: finding your way out of the maze.
The format takes participants out of their usual indoor routine and places them in a context where every choice can affect the teamโs progress.
It is a good choice for mixed or cross-departmental groups, as the puzzles, orientation, decision-making and communication give rise to different roles.
Some participants notice the details, others keep an eye on the bigger picture, whilst others coordinate, interpret or maintain the teamโs momentum.
It blends in naturally with:
- off-site events and retreats centred around outdoor activities
- kick-off meetings focusing on strategy and shared objectives
- engagement activities for mixed teams
- cross-departmental meetings that require teams to collaborate quickly
- leadership and decision-making activities
- Company days full of rhythm, movement and a shared finale
Why does it deliver results?
Escape the Maze works because it turns decisions into visible consequences.
Teams cannot make progress on speed alone; they must observe, discuss, prioritise and decide how to use the time, route and resources available to them.
The format quickly brings real team behaviours to the fore: who keeps an eye on the bigger picture, who works out the finer details, who communicates under pressure, and how quickly the group can learn from a decision that didnโt work out.
The difference compared to a traditional escape room is the freedom to move around outdoors.
Participants are not confined to a room, but move around in the real world, activate checkpoints via GPS and see how their choices alter the virtual maze.
This makes the experience more dynamic and closer to the reality of business: decisions are made on the basis of incomplete information, under time pressure, and the strategy must be constantly adjusted.
Escape The Maze is one of the Universum team building experiences in the Dynamism & Energy category. It can run as a stand-alone activity or be built into a company day or employee event, and if you need a stage, sound or full production, our event solutions team handles the technical side.
Facts & Stats
Outdoor escape room
The game retains the suspense of an escape room, but transposes it into a GPS-guided outdoor trail.GPS & checkpoints
The app triggers the challenges when the team reaches the designated points along the route.Shortcuts or distractions
The answers and choices can change the route, the time taken and the teamโs chances of making rapid progress.Game kit
The tablet and physical resources link the digital puzzles to the real-world adventure.Exchange of information
The in-app messaging feature allows teams to share tips and lessons learnt as they go along.Practical debrief
Decisions, roles and moments of pressure provide concrete examples for the final discussion about the team.
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