What started as a normal team Tuesday meeting turned into a survival thriller.
Armed with only coffee, a PowerPoint, and misplaced confidence, I unleashed Office Escape — a virtual, choose your own adventure inspired game where only one person survives the world’s most chaotic day at the office.
1. The Setup
Rules were simple:
- Play on Teams or Zoom.
- Everyone faces the same scenario.
- Choose your action (A, B, or C) in chat.
- One wrong move, and you’re out.
- Last person standing becomes The Ultimate Office Survivor.
That’s it. No props, no slideshows full of bullet points — just a shared sense of impending doom and laughter.
2. The Scenarios
The rounds came fast:
Round 1 — Monday Morning Mayhem
The fire alarm goes off. Do you:
A. Grab your coffee ☕
B. Follow the crowd 🚪
C. Save your work 💻
✅ Correct answer: B. Coffee or files aren’t worth it — the rest are toast.
Round 2 — Power Cut
Lights go out. What now?
A. Restart your computer 💻
B. Check if others are okay 😁
C. Use the lift to go outside
✅ Correct: Check if others are okay 😁. (Bonus points if you didn’t try to restart your computer.)
Round 3 — Suspicious Email
“URGENT: Click here to secure your payroll info.”
A. Click the link
B. Report to IT
C. Delete it and ignore.
✅ Correct: Report to IT. Deleting it or clicking it both end in tears.
Round 4 — Lunchtime Lock-In
You’re trapped in the kitchen with a pizza, a chair, and an agenda.
A. Smash with chair 🪑
B. Use pizza box 🍕
C. Use agenda 📄
✅ Correct: Smash the door with the chair. 🍕 and 📄 won’t save you.
Round 5 — Printer Rebellion
Printers start spitting out “HELP US.”
A. Unplug them 🔌
B. Print your report 🖨️
C. Film for TikTok 🎥
✅ Correct: Unplug them. (Anyone filming for TikTok didn’t make it.)
Final Round — The Escape
You reach the foyer. The gate’s locked.
A. Smash window 💥
B. Enter ‘0000’ on the keypad 🤷
C. Use extinguisher on control box 🔧
✅ Correct: Use the fire extinguisher on the control box. A heroic end — unless you tried smashing glass.
By this point, the chat was pure chaos. Everyone was accusing each other of poor judgment, cheering survivors, and wondering who started the imaginary fire.
3. Why It Worked
- Quick: 10 minutes start to finish.
- Inclusive: Everyone participates at once.
- Simple: Just A, B, or C in the chat.
- Ridiculous: Enough absurdity to bypass workplace stiffness.
The laughter reset the tone of the meeting. After surviving printers, phishing, and pizza-box emergencies, even real work felt lighter.
4. How You Can Run It Too
- Write 5–6 scenarios — funny but plausible.
- Include one obviously bad, one risky, and one smart option.
- Display slides, read aloud, and eliminate those who choose wrong.
- End with a grand finale (and optional fake confetti).
Workplace connection doesn’t always need a strategy or off-site budget.
Sometimes, all it takes is a PowerPoint, a few bad choices, and an imaginary fire alarm.
What did you learn? 