Jungle Escape 5th Edition is team team-building survival game. The high-energy, immersive experience challenges participants to survive, plan, and build together. This award-winning adventure, celebrating its 30th anniversary, asks teams to imagine they’ve crash-landed in a remote jungle—and must assemble an escape helicopter from spare parts. It’s ideal for corporate leaders, HR teams, and trainers who want to develop teamwork, decision-making, and group planning in a memorable way.
Jungle Escape isn't just about fun and games, though. Real learning is quickly absorbed by the players as they discover and practice the critical skills surrounding the processes of team planning, problem-solving, and decision-making. Before they know it, they've experienced first-hand the research-proven differences between a well-functioning “Cohesive” team and a “Fragmented” or “Divergent” one.
WHY FACILITATORS CHOOSE JUNGLE ESCAPE
- Deep team learning: Participants discover the difference between cohesive, fragmented, and divergent teams—not just in theory but through direct experience in this collaborative leadership training activity.
- Proven heritage: For 30 years, Jungle Escape has helped new and intact teams build trust, improve planning vs. execution balance, and enhance productivity.
- Full-kit immersion: Includes Facilitator Guide, Participant Guides, presentation tools, scenario video, “mood” sounds, and parts bags for authentic, realistic gameplay.
- Action + reflection: The game drives intense activity followed by structured debriefs so teams leave with real improvement plans—not just nostalgia.
- Versatile application: Use at offsites, leadership development programs, departmental kick-offs, or mid-year performance reviews to surface group dynamics and reinforce accountability.
LEARNING OUTCOMES
- Understand the nine key indicators of team effectiveness
- Develop group planning, decision-making, and execution muscles
- Raise awareness of how individual behavior impacts group productivity
- Improve execution speed and accuracy through practice and feedback
- Create actionable commitments to improve collaboration after the activity
- Discover the difference between “Cohesive” teams and “Fragmented” or “Divergent” teams
- Learn nine key indicators of team effectiveness
- Understand the importance of balancing planning and implementation
- Immediate action planning steps for better team performance
WHAT’S INCLUDED
- Full-color Facilitator Guide & Participant Guides
- Scenario video, instructional guide, ‘mood’ soundscape
- Helicopter Parts Bags, spare parts, model helicopter reference
- Eco-friendly backpack and trainer water bottle
- Jungle Escape Screen for display, and inter-team module support
BEST USE CASES
- Onboarding & team integration for new employees
- Leadership retreats & management training
- Cross‐department collaboration and breaking silos
- Boosting morale and re-energizing mature teams
- Performance improvement and group accountability workshops
TIPS FOR FACILITATION
- Set clear time limits for planning vs. construction to highlight process vs. result trade-offs
- Encourage cross-team observations—what made one team perform better than another?
- Use the debrief to tie back to real job processes—how do these planning behaviors show up in your work?
- Follow up with action planning so learning persists beyond the game
FAQS
Q: How many people can participate?
A: Jungle Escape plays best with 15-18 people total, split into 3 teams of 5-6 players each. For larger audiences, consider running parallel sessions or adding additional participant guides.
Q: How long does the full experience take?
A: The complete collaborative leadership training activity with debrief takes about 90 minutes.
Q: What’s new in the 5th Edition?
A: Updated with eco-friendly backpack, “mood” soundscape, enhanced materials, updated guides, more robust scenario video, and refined gameplay mechanics for more immersive engagement.
Q: What kinds of teams benefit most?
A: New teams, cross-functional groups, or mature teams looking to reset dynamics and surface hidden process issues. Also very effective for leadership, HR, and change initiatives.
Q: How much setup is required?
A: Minimal—everything needed is included: guides, parts, and visuals. A/V setup for the video is helpful; prepare the room so teams have separate work areas for planning and assembly.
PACKED WITH EVERYTHING YOU NEED AND MORE
It's bigger, it's better, and it's jam-packed with all sorts of exciting new features, from a cool eco-friendly backpack to enhanced Facilitator and Participant materials, a suspense-filled action video, and much more. Here's a peek at what you'll find:
- Comprehensive, full-color Facilitator Guide
- Full-color, takeaway Participant Guides
- Professional PowerPoint presentation
- Supplemental inter-team module
- “Jungle” mood sounds
- Scenario video clip
- Instructional video for helicopter assembly
HOW IT WORKS
Jungle Escape is fun for your audience and a snap to facilitate, whether you are a novice or a seasoned trainer. The kit provides everything you need to deliver a powerful 90-minute team-building exercise, including:
- Jungle Escape Facilitator Guide
- PowerPoint Presentations
- Jungle “mood” background sounds
- Introductory video clip
- Instructional video
- Participant Guides
- Helicopter Parts Bags for Game Play
- Helicopter Parts Bag for Facilitator Model
- Jungle Escape Screen
- Spare Parts Bag
- Eco-friendly Jungle Escape Backpack and Water Bottle
PARTICIPANTS
15-18 players. Train up to 3 teams of 5-6 participants at one time.
TIME
THEORY & DEVELOPMENT
How Teams Function
Research suggests that the amount of time that a group allots to the planning and implementation phases of a project determines, in part, how effectively it operates as a team. Jungle Escape identifies three types of teams: Fragmented, Divergent, or Cohesive.
Fragmented Teams
Fragmented Teams are characterized by autocratic leadership and/or cliques that often press the group into making decisions. Typically, one person or a minority of the team members make the vital decisions during the game. Conflict is likely to be suppressed or ignored.
Divergent Teams
Members of Divergent Teams often consider many alternatives and tend to be overly cautious in their planning. They are often unable to reach consensus and resolve issues through voting procedures, and although group members go along with the majority, there is little commitment to the plan or final product.
Cohesive Teams
With Cohesive Teams, democratic processes are used, a cooperative atmosphere develops rapidly and everyone on the team is involved in structuring the work. During game play, you'll see cohesive teams work through conflict when it arises; generate excitement as the team work together on the construction; and experience a high degree of satisfaction with their group effort.
How Multiple Teams Function Together
Similarly, planning and assembly time are two important factors in inter-team performance. Depending on how two or more groups work together teams can be described as acting in one of three ways: Competitive, Non-interactive, and Cooperative.
Competitive Team
A Competitive Team is more concerned with the success of its own unit than with the success of the organization as a whole. They spend little time planning and focus instead on how they can win. As a result, they spend very little time assessing the other team's needs and expectations for completing the work and working together.
Non-interactive Team
A Non-interactive Team limits its focus to its own team. They may spend a little or a lot of time planning; however, it is completed without consideration for the larger picture and the needs of the other group or team. As a result, their planning efforts are minimally effective to accomplishing the overall goal.
Cooperative Team
A Cooperative Team shares a common goal of getting projects completed together with other groups. When planning a project or task, a great deal of time is devoted to how the groups will work together to accomplish goals effectively and efficiently.
JUNGLE ESCAPE GAME CONTENTS
- Jungle Escape Facilitator Guide
- CD-ROM
- 18 Participant Guides
- 3 Helicopter Parts Bags for Game Play
- 1 Helicopter Parts Bag for Facilitator Model
- Jungle Escape Screen
- Spare Parts Bag
- Eco-friendly Jungle Escape Backpack
- Water Bottle
Order one game to get started. The Deluxe Game Kit is packed with everything you need to train up to three teams of six players at one time, including a comprehensive Facilitator Guide, 3 bags of Helicopter Parts, support materials, and an initial supply of 18 Standard Participant Guides. (Materials for Inter-Team training sold separately.)
Also included is the Prop Pack. This suitcase is filled with many fun and reusable props to create an immersive team-building activity. It includes safari hats, inflatable palm trees, a jungle backdrop, burlap twine, camo netting, binoculars, compasses, stuffed monkeys, snakes, parrots, and bugs that will completely transform your training space into a jungle scene.
Please note: The carrying case you receive may be slightly different in design or color.
All parts except for the Participant Guides are reusable. For training sessions with more than 3 groups, order one extra helicopter per team and a 6 pack of Participant Guides (#GAJUNP) for each additional team.
