Team Building on a Budget: What You Can Actually Get for Less
Self-hosted formats that keep per-head costs down without thinning the experience.
Quick answer
Team building on a budget is real. The Classic tier starts at $30 per person with a $600 minimum (covers up to 20 players). For groups of 20 to 40, the per-head cost lands between $20 and $30 per person. The format is self-hosted (you run it using Social Scavenger's specs, app, and assets) but the experience is the real product: real gameplay, real challenges, real leaderboard, real photo and video missions. Budget-tier doesn't mean stripped-down. It means you skip the add-ons (custom builds, white-label app design, in-person hosting) and run the standard game well.
- Best length
- $30/person, $600 minimum
- Works for
- Groups of 15 to 40 with budgets under $1,500
- Best locations
- Not included at this tier: custom builds, white-label app design, in-person facilitators
- Popular formats
- Self-hosted, app-based
The Social Scavenger Classic tier is the budget-friendly entry point. $30 per person, $600 minimum (covers groups up to 20 players, with per-person pricing applying above 20). For a group of 30, that's $900 total. For 40, that's $1,200. The format is self-hosted: you run the game using Social Scavenger's specs, the app, the digital assets, and the briefing video. No in-person facilitator. No custom build. The standard game, executed cleanly, for the cost the budget can absorb.
What makes the Classic tier work is that the underlying game is the same as the higher tiers. Same app. Same scoring system. Same live leaderboard. Same photo and video missions. Same wrap-up reveal. The difference is the add-ons: custom theming, branded assets, white-label app design, in-person hosts, custom video intros, and the more elaborate wrap-up productions. Strip those out and the core experience is still a real Social Scavenger game.
What actually works
Self-hosted is real, not a downgrade
The Classic tier doesn't include an onsite Social Scavenger team. Your event team runs the game using the briefing video, the app, and the asset pack. For groups of 15 to 40 in a single room, this is usually fine. The briefing video does the work that an onsite host would do at higher tiers. The app handles scoring. Your event team handles room logistics. The game runs.
Skip what doesn't move the needle for your group
Custom builds, white-label app design, branded posters, and custom video intros all add cost. They're worth it when the event budget supports the polish. They're not worth it when the budget is tight, since the core experience is great without them. The decision is what to spend on, not whether to do team building at all.
Group size moves the math more than tier does
A group of 20 at Classic is $600 total ($30/person). A group of 40 at Classic is $1,200. A group of 200 at Classic is $6,000 but that's $30/person, which still lands cleanly per-head. If the budget per person is tight, group size is the main lever; if the total event budget is tight, group size and tier together set the floor.
Recommended formats
Frequently asked questions
What's the cheapest Social Scavenger format?
What does Classic tier actually include?
What if our budget is under $600?
How is Classic different from Premier or Gold?
Can a tight budget still get any customization?
What if we're a nonprofit or charity?
What's the difference between "self-hosted" and "facilitated"?
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