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How to start creating a Virtual escape room:
How to start creating a Virtual escape room:
(Based of Matt Miller's "Ditch the Textbook" Digital Escape Room Worksheet)
1] What is the goal of your escape room?
Is it to escape a locked room or maybe it’s about finding the lost treasure of Atlantis? Draft up some ideas and see where they take you.
2] What is the theme or story for your escape room?
Will you base your escape room on your favorite novel or movie? Or possibly you will create an alien art heist set in 1800s Paris? Whatever you pick, try and choose something you love or something you can fun with!
3] What style of virtual escape room will you build?
Linear, non-linear, red herring, scavenger hunt, or a mashup.
The most common style for digital escape rooms are linear form, red herring, scavenger hunt and mashup. "In a linear escape room game, you create clues you have to solve one puzzle before you can move forward to solve the next puzzle. All of the puzzles go in a specific sequence." Linear style games are often the most straight forward and are a great place to start when building your first digital escape room. A red herring style game focuses on giving false leads and fake clues. This, much like a non-linear game, can be tricky to set up and frustrating to solve if the ratio of true clues to false leads is skewed. With a scavenger hunt style game you are using clues to lead players to an item, such as a key or a hidden door. Finally, a mashup style game, is where you incorporate several styles into one. Often a overall linear style game can have a few red herrings thrown into the mix.
4] Draft example questions you want participants to answer.
Example question: “What year did the Library of Alexandria burn?” After you have your question (and answer) you can build clues around the questions, even integrating the answer into your "locks."
But what is a Lock?
But what is a Lock?
For a virtual escape room, a "lock" is what stops a participation from moving forward. When built correctly, locks will require a specific answer. Building a lock will look different depending on what platform you choose to use.
Remember: Locks are your key to the next level.
5] Choose the lock types you want to use.
Will you use numbers, letters, directions or a puzzle? Don't forget to mix up the types of locks you use, to keep your game interesting! Make sure to write the keys/answers for each lock.
6] Brainstorm your clues.
Remember: they should play into your theme! Pull from the example questions you created earlier. How many questions are you going to include? Best keep it under twelve.
7] Choose your virtual escape room (or break in) platform.
The most D.I.Y. virtual escape rooms are created using Google Suite, including Forms, Slides and Sites, however there are several free platforms that offer a more immersive experience, like Metaverse, genially and Room Escape Maker. After exploring the options pick what works best for your story and vision. Plan out your site and any images you want to create. How will your clues fit into it? What will participants need to do? What will it look like? Remember, your site can link out to clues on other sites!
8] Do you want to include any interactive images?
If working with Slides, you can create interactive images by embedding links, bringing your participant to another clue, puzzle, or red herring.
Make sure to sketch out your idea!
9] Now, go make all of the above! And then check …
Does it all play back to your theme/story?
Do your clues lead them to unlock and escape? (Or does a clue lead to a clue that leads to an unlock?)
If creating your virtual escape room with Google, open a browser in incognito mode (IE: InPrivate mode), and text your game. Does everything work when you’re not logged in? (If not, change sharing settings to (anyone with link can view.)
Did you have fun?
Don't forget to have someone test it out and get feedback!
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