It finally happened – something we have been warned about for years – the robots took control of humans. We were tasked on a secret mission to sneak into their headquarters, a company that started it all, and shut them down from the source. This was no small feat, as it became evident when we had trouble getting close to the building. Small and large drones patrolled around the entrance, and we found ourselves huddled in an abandoned van, trying to figure out how we could best get past them and onto the next challenge awaiting us. It appeared that the only way to distract the drones so we could reprogram them to patrol elsewhere was to get a device out in the open. When they spotlighted and scanned the device, it would reset their search parameters.

Time was ticking, so one team member decided to go for it and ran out into the open. They deftly dodged the spotlight while attempting to estimate where it would land next and rolled the device to several places until the spotlight finally hit it. The drones left, and we were able to turn our attention to breaching the door. We successfully thwarted the robots that day, but who knows what would have happened if our team continued to play it safe. Sometimes, we must take risks to accomplish our goals more quickly. What areas of your life are you playing it too safe?

We found ourselves in yet another serial killer’s lair. We started in a seemingly innocuous maintenance office, soon finding out that there was a secret entrance into the actual lair where the serial killer played out his sick fantasies. He wasn’t a very organized offender, as various bodies and body parts were strewn about the secret room. The atmosphere was quite immersive – we felt like we were in a movie. At one point, we encountered some bathroom stalls, one containing a chained-up body and the other filled to the brim with very realistic poop. Thankfully the immersive experience did not include smell. One partner is exceptional at yelling “not it” when these challenges present themselves, so the other was forced to dig through the poop to find a much-needed clue to help the team escape the lair unscathed.

Once the clue was located, the partner digging through the poop felt it was appropriate to throw some of it at the other, and a short poop fight ensued. Thankfully, the team could refocus after some laughs and escape with evidence before the serial killer returned. Escape rooms teach us so much about life. While this one, at least we hope, doesn’t get translated to literally throwing poop at those in your life during tense situations, it demonstrates how important a little humor and fun is when you are collaborating on a challenge in work or life.