This is a tip for the more serious escape room players.
For those of us who like to play larger rooms with smaller teams (or even solo), it’s frustrating when companies won’t let a small team book because there is a hard minimum.
Hard minimums
Many games have puzzles that require a certain number of bodies to complete. For example, three people need to push buttons in different rooms at the same exact time. That’s a hard minimum. The game physically requires the presence of three people to complete an interaction.
Puppeting
Puppeting is when teams that are too small to complete a task are permitted to summon a gamemaster into the room. That gamemaster only does what they are told by the players to complete a multiplayer challenge.
In the example above, the gamemaster pushes a specific button when directed to by the players.
This allows a team to dip below the hard minimum and still enjoy the game.
Not every game needs puppeting.
Not every company will allow puppeting.
However, it’s a good thing to keep in mind if you’re short a player and really want to play a game. It’s always worth asking.
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