In the spotlight: Runaway Games

Discover Runaway Games, our latest partner on Venopi, specializing in cutting-edge virtual team-building experiences. They offer Virtual Escape Rooms, Game Shows, and Mini-Game Challenges designed to enhance team cohesion and foster camaraderie. Dive deeper into their innovative approach in our interview with co-founder Stephen Gonzalez.

 

Can you describe the different types of immersive virtual team-building experiences you offer?

We offer four exciting types of team-building games:

• Virtual Escape Rooms: Games that require teams to achieve a set objective within a specific time limit. The objective is usually to escape but in our games, it could also be to pass an exam, save a queen, or steal Christmas back from the Krinch!
• Game Shows: Just like you see on TV, but built specifically for your team! Our takes on the timeless Family Feud, Jeopardy, and more!
• Mini-Game Challenges: These are (usually) seasonal games designed to bring your team together through a series of short, fun bonding games…but beware, there’s always a competitive twist!
• Murder Mysteries: Whodunnit? Our DIY murder mysteries are the perfect option for groups who want to get into character and sleuth the night away!

Sounds exciting! How do your virtual team-building activities differ from traditional in-person events?

All our activities are conducted on virtual conference platforms like Zoom, allowing Hosts and players to join from around the world—something impossible with an in-person event!

 

Some games, such as our virtual escape rooms and mini-game challenges, require participants to team up and play together from their computers. Others are led entirely by our Hosts, who keep players engaged and entertained throughout the activity.

 

Many of our clients find these unique experiences hard to find elsewhere (how often do you get the opportunity to Family Feud in real life??). So we do cater to teams that are virtual, hybrid, and in-person.

Can you share some examples of how your virtual experiences have successfully brought teams, families, or friends closer together?

We've had countless incredible moments with people playing our games over the years. We're thrilled to have reached 2000+ Google reviews, which I believe are the most honest testimonials a business can receive!

 

One of my favorite examples of a truly amazing experience comes from an interview I had the pleasure of conducting with one of our clients, Ashley Csapo. Her story perfectly captures the excitement and teamwork our games inspire.

 

Impressive! What measures do you take to ensure that your experiences are engaging and enjoyable for participants of all ages and backgrounds?

First, we design our games with the understanding that our audience is likely to play just once, and never again. Keeping this in mind, we ensure all our games are easily accessible via a computer browser, with a minimal and straightforward login process. Our game interfaces are extremely intuitive, and our content—whether puzzles, trivia questions, or other challenges—is designed to be inclusive and enjoyable for participants from all around the world.

 

Taking it a step further, many of our games require no effort from our clients beyond joining a virtual conference and meeting our Hosts, who are all real people. The Hosts run the game entirely on their screen, making it a seamless experience for participants. This approach is most common for our game shows, though it's less feasible for more immersive experiences like our virtual escape rooms.

 

And of course, we are fully committed to making our games accessible to the widest audience possible. A few years ago, a team at Google asked if we could adapt our flagship game, Escape Alcatraz, for a group of visually impaired employees. One of our company mottos is never to turn anyone down, so we got to work and made it happen within a month!

Can you discuss any special features or technology you use to enhance the immersive experience?

We constantly push the boundaries of what's technically possible with browser-based multiplayer games, which most of our games are. Two examples come to mind:

• Interactive Virtual Escape Rooms: We've reached a point where every virtual escape room we build allows players to interact with their team inside the game in real-time. Imagine being in a game and working on a puzzle together, just like in a shared Google Doc—I can see your actions, and you can see mine. This real-time collaboration is rare, and we are one of only a few companies in the world that create browser-based virtual escape rooms this way.
• Competitive Team Building: We host many companies, and surprise surprise… teammates love to compete during team-building activities. So, we decided to make every game we build a competitive experience. Family Feud? We made it a Family Feud tournament! Escape Alcatraz? We built a real-time leaderboard that allows us to rank which teams escaped the fastest (of course, accounting for bonuses and penalties) and present the results in a fun, wacky presentation format right after the activity ends!

Our biggest investment, by far, is in game development. My primary focus, in addition to ensuring we have the best Hosts in the world, is to make sure our games improve every year.

Escape Alcatraz: A 75-Minute Virtual Escape Room

It’s a cold, foggy morning at the United States Federal Penitentiary, Alcatraz Island - June 1962. You and your team have 60 minutes to see if you can slip past the guards and escape the most secure prison ever built. Can you make it out before roll call? Book now

What kind of customization options do you offer to tailor experiences for specific groups or corporate clients?

The most common customization request we receive is to adjust the duration of the activity, which we can easily accommodate. Beyond that, we offer extensive customization for our game shows, allowing clients to personalize questions—for instance, tailoring Jeopardy questions specifically for their team. We create custom question sets for various holidays, regions, and even company-specific topics.

 

Additionally, we can deliver activities in different languages upon request. Over the years, we've had the pleasure of translating our games into Spanish, Hungarian, Tagalog, Chinese, Russian, and more!

How do you ensure a smooth and seamless experience for participants, especially those who may not be very tech-savvy?

Ensuring a smooth experience starts with maximizing accessibility. As mentioned earlier, we prioritize simplicity in our login processes and thoroughly test our websites in advance to prevent issues, for example, with corporate firewalls. Our Hosts also receive specialized training to assist players who require extra guidance.

 

Additionally, our high Host-to-Participant ratio, typically 1:5, ensures that each individual receives ample attention and support throughout the game.

What kind of support do you provide before, during, and after the event to ensure everything runs smoothly?

Clients can expect us to be there to support them throughout the entire process. We provide 24/7 staffing for live chat and phone support, ensuring immediate assistance. Before booking, we offer demos and consultation calls to guide potential clients.

 

Once booked, clients receive helpful resources and a concise checklist to prepare for the activity. We maintain communication in the days leading up to the event.

 

Post-activity, we send each client a complimentary souvenir photo to commemorate their experience and we always share any feedback or reviews received with the organizer.

Can you provide any insights or data on the impact of your virtual team-building experiences on team cohesion and productivity?

Clients frequently report that our activities re-energize their teams. Our focus is on creating enjoyable experiences that foster team bonding in ways distinct from the usual workday. We often hear comments like, “I never knew Jim had a hidden passion for Sudoku!” or “I just knew Kate was going to be a Family Feud superstar and she didn’t disappoint!”

 

When you participate in activities like this with your team, you'll discover enjoyable quirks about your colleagues, deepening your relationships. It's also an efficient way to build social capital, which proves invaluable when navigating challenging work-related discussions later on.

Who would you say is the perfect target group for your virtual team-building experiences? Are there specific types of teams or organizations that benefit the most from your offerings?

We find that teams that benefit the most from our activities are those that have some kind of geographic constraint that prohibits them from getting everyone together in one location.

 

Remote and distributed teams, like any other, rely on strong relationships among team members to achieve peak performance. Our activities are designed to foster these connections and enhance teamwork.

Family Feud: A 75-Minute Virtual Game Show

Get ready for your team to laugh, shout, and overcome time (and peer) pressure as they compete against each other in our twist on the classic game show, Family Feud. Book now