Escape Room: Booking Revenue With a Minimum

All versions

An escape room slot costs the same to run whether two people book it or eight. A minimum party size protects that slot: charge the greater of the actual players or the minimum, times the per-player price.

Quick formula: Bill the larger of players or the minimum, at the per-player price:

=MAX(B2,C2)*D2

A couple of 2 against a 4-player minimum at $32 still pays for 4 — $128.

Functions used (tap for the full reference guide):

MAX PRODUCT

The example

Three bookings, each with the actual players, the room's minimum, and the per-player price.

	A	B	C	D	E
1	Booking	Players	Min	Price	Revenue
2	Couple	2	4	32	128
3	Family	5	4	32	160
4	Team	8	4	30	240

The formula

MAX picks the billable head count; the price turns it into revenue:

=MAX(B2,C2)*D2 // charge the greater of players or the minimum, times price

How it works

Two pieces:

MAX(B2,C2) returns the actual players when the party is big enough, or the minimum when it is not.
*D2 multiplies that billable count by the per-player price.
Small parties pay the minimum; parties at or above it pay for exactly who shows up.
Keep the minimum in its own cell — peak weekend slots often carry a higher minimum than weekday ones.

Cap the room at capacity too: wrap the players in MIN against the room's max so an over-booked party does not overcharge.

Try it: interactive demo

Interactive

Enter the actual players, the room minimum, and the per-player price.

Players

Minimum players

Price per player ($)

Variations

Cap at room capacity

Bill no more than the room holds, even if the party is huge.

=MIN(MAX(B2,C2),8)*D2

Flat private-room price

Compare per-player revenue to a flat buyout and charge the higher.

=MAX(MAX(B2,C2)*D2,180)

Pitfalls & errors

Do not just multiply players by price — a party of two would pay for two and you would lose money on the slot. The MAX against the minimum is what protects the booking.

Advertise the minimum clearly. Customers accept “4-player minimum” far better than a surprise on the invoice, and the formula bills it consistently either way.

Practice workbook

📊

Download the free Escape Room: Booking Revenue With a Minimum practice workbook

Edit the yellow player, minimum, and price cells; the revenue recalculates.

Frequently asked questions

Why use a minimum at all?

A room and a game master cost the same to run for two players or eight. The minimum makes small parties cover the slot so you are not losing money on off-peak bookings.

How do I stop over-booking a room?

Wrap the billable count in MIN against the room's capacity. That charges no more than the room physically holds, even if someone enters a party larger than the room allows.

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Function references: MAX PRODUCT