I expected dinner and conversation the other night when I went out with friends. Instead, I got a mystery to solve.
After we finished our meal, the waiter placed a mysterious wooden cylinder on the table.
"There's a hidden message inside," he said with a smile. "If you can figure out how to open it, there's a surprise waiting."
For ten minutes, we sat there trying to open the cylinder, completely immersed in this game.
When Stephen finally cracked it open, we discovered a tiny scroll nestled inside with a beautiful quote left by the strangers who sat at our table before us.
Then came our turn. "Would you be so kind as to leave a note for the next guests?"
Delighted, I scribbled down one of my favorite Joseph Campbell quotes, placed it in the cylinder and sealed it.
I loved this because we were transported out of our day to day, and into the realm of story and adventure. Totally immersed in the experience.
When we play, our brains release dopamine—the chemical of motivation and memory. But more than that, it triggered oxytocin, the hormone that builds trust and deepens connection. The business impact is remarkable:
The waiter brought a round of ouzo in celebration of us cracking open the puzzle and we remarked about how this perfectly good restaurant made our experience unforgettable.
Months later, and we're still talking about the experience.
I find the same thing to be true when I facilitate play-based training. Teams don't just remember the session, they remember the moment their cautious colleague took a bold risk as their character. They remember laughing until they cried when someone's plan went spectacularly sideways. They remember the exact decision point where they realized they could trust each other in a way they hadn't before.
Six months after a session, I'll get messages: "Remember when Marcus's character tried to bargain with the dragon? That's become our inside joke for when we're overcomplicating a client pitch."
That's the thing about immersive play experiences. They don't fade like lecture slides or get buried in your inbox like training PDFs. They become part of your team's shared mythology. The stories you tell about who you are together.
Most companies focus on selling products or services. The extraordinary ones create moments that matter for both staff and customers.
There's your competitive advantage.
