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The most popular reviews in /r/escaperooms:
How much work do you want to put into it?
You could use Wordpress or some other CMS to create a bunch of pages with urls that match the answers and a custom 404 for errors.
You could do yourself the pages using only HTML and some CSS.
You could make a simple web form were they write the answers and get a correct or incorrect message with some JavaScript.
You could develop a backend script in something like PHP to answer to the form request with a correct or incorrect.
You could develop a fully featured web application with a backend and a database were you can add new games through a administration panel, even advanced puzzles.
Anyway, a good starter for web development is the different certifications in https://www.freecodecamp.org/
My favorite option for this would be a full front end solution using JavaScript. That way you don’t have to worry about the web server, almost anything would be enough. I’d also look for a free web template like the ones in https://html5up.net/ so you don’t have to worry about web design.
Hope to have been of help. Good luck!
I see a "Escape Room Human Conductivity Switch" item for sale on my search results. My google search terms was "conductive human chain escape room"
There's a build here: https://www.hackster.io/news/this-arduino-human-circuit-plays-music-when-users-hold-hands-e941d9fcc88f
I don't know how reliable this is; YMMV, and you probably want a backup button to activate things.
Because it's international, there might be some extra concerns.
But just in the US, there's nothing illegal about taking someone else's room ideas as long as you don't violate copyrights. The puzzles and mechanics of games are not protected under copyright law, and very rarely every protected by patents (magic the gathering's 'tap' mechanic is one of the most famous examples of someone actually getting a game mechanic patent).
So unless they copied something copyrighted in a room - like a name or the script word for word - there's not much you can do about it.
This is why you can find so many puzzle games on phones that are all variants on swapping two objects to create sets - candy crush, bejewled, etc... And why there were 1000's of tetris clones in the 80's. You simply can't copyright game play - GameLoft's entire business model is fast copying hits.
The only counter to this is strong branding. When McDonald's made the first fast food burger lots of people followed - so McDonald's had to stand out - because it looked nothing like it does today. They now have secret flavors and brand recognition with their characters and big yellow arches, there's no mistaking the real thing for a knock off.
Now, if you buy the plans from someone and you sign a contract that says you can't sell them - that's a whole other discussion about contract enforcement.
Add a couple super basic tech elements for the “wow” final moment! Do a small amount of research on:
Reed switches
Relays
12v magnetic locks and 12v led strips
With literally 0 coding, you can set up a basic puzzle that:
When 4 objects are found and placed (objects have magnets in them), something automatically opens and it lights up for feedback. How you’d wire it.
Get a 12v relay and a 12v power supply. 2 amps is probably enough but depends how much LED light you want. Wire the + to the + on the mag lock, LEDs, and relay. Run the - power to the - on the relay and also the “com” on the relay. Run the - of the mag lock to NC (normally closed) and the - on the LEDs to NO (normally open).
From the “in” port on the relay, run a wire in series through the 4 reed switches with the other end connected to +.
What happens is, when all 4 magnetic items are placed, the “in” on the relay gets power from the + terminal and the relay switches. The mag lock now loses power, and the lights gain power!
You can add a near infinite amount of outputs by adding other things to the relay, or adding more relays, with this basic set up. If you don’t have electronics experience this might sound like a lot, but if you can practice with super basic electronics elements like this you’d be surprised how much “complicated tech” you can make with simple relay circuits!
Relay: ALMOCN 6Pcs DC 12V 1 Channel Relay Module With Optocoupler Isolation Support High or Low Level Trigger https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08N66GS8L/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_glt_i_CYS7CTRGTGH8G9ZRE088
Slight tangent: Game masters, please be careful about over-emphasizing the break-ability of components in the room. One of the first puzzles in a room my wife and I did recently was one of these wooden boxes with a key inside. Sadly to say, we just barely failed to escape the room by less than a minute and I‘m positive we would have succeeded if we were just a little more forceful with that wooden puzzle box. Being a cheap product, it wasn't so much a matter of dexterous skill as it was forcing the parts to slide against each other to open. We were just too afraid to break anything because the GM had made such a big deal about not breaking her puzzles.
On stage they use pyro charges like "Gerbs" but I'd say that's right out in an escape room.
You can get some "cold spark" machines, but they're still pyrotechnic, just less hot. I don't think there's a safe way to do that in an uncontrolled environment like an escape room.
Most electric locks are mag locks. But you can look for a “cabinet lock” like this. You’ll need a momentary control, if you power them too long they burn out.
I recommend this book. Plus at the end he gives you access to his business plan outlook spreadsheet. It lists the answers to your exact questions. I bought it back in September and will launch this summer! How To Start And Operate An Escape Room Business Tell him Abi recommended the book.
Hello. I recommend this game. It actively uses surfing the Internet.
These are my friends, they made a good game. They have more games in the box, but I don't remember if they use internet surfing.
I'd recommend this book: How to start and operate an escape room business
It's a VERY easy read and helped me navigate the basics of what it takes to operate am ER. Beyond that, he offers a very comprehensive Budget Plan Excel at the end of the book. You'll still need a Business Plan, Company Formation (LLC), EIN, location, build the rooms, etc.
Thank you! I'm going to watch this videos this morning but they look like very interesting resources...
I'm only starting to consider building an escape room so I was kind of looking for inspiration on creating a mechanism. When in scratch you kind of know what to do and what blocks can do, you can thin 'computationally' and be able to translate an idea almost immediately into a project. At the moment my ideas are very vague.
I'll whatch the two videos you suggested and let you know if they worked (I'm confident they will).
Here's a project I started with... really only one thing happening here so, please, don't expect anything :-P also no sound yet so no real atmosphere...
Hello!
Today, four years after its original release, Escape Team gets its first official expansion: Mission Pack 2! We (my wife Sarah and I, we're doing Escape Team together) are super excited to share it here:
https://www.producthunt.com/posts/escape-team-mission-pack-2
– four new missions, all new puzzles and challenges.
The first version of Escape Team won several awards, it was Product Hunt's product #2 of the day on its launch day, its community created an amazing amount of user-created missions with its mission editor – all in all, it's fantastic to see how Escape Team did in the last years.
Not bad for a moonlight project!
Why didn't we launch new missions earlier? Well, we became parents! I'm creating and running Escape Team together with my wife Sarah, and technically, back in August 2017 our two-weeks (!) old daughter launched the game as I tapped her thumb on the 'Publish' button in App Store Connect.
Since then, she decided to rather not sleep at night very reliably (= no moonlight projects for us) and that we should postpone the launch of new missions to the future. Which is, thankfully — now.
We're much looking forward to hearing your opinion – this is a major relaunch, including a new (even modern!) website and – finally – the new mission pack, which includes (according to our testers) four amazing new missions that will bring a lot of fun to the table. Please let us know what you think.
—Fabian and Sarah
<strong>Lost in Space</strong> - I made my first virtual escape room for people who know code. It's a bit challenging for non-native English speakers. But I would love some feedback.
I published Unlock on Play Store two months ago, did not get any attention there, Unlock has zero ads except 1 rewarded video ad which depends on the player's choice, If I can get some feedback on it would be great, Thank you in advance.
Node-Red the installation guide on their website can be kinda confusing but there's plenty of videos online for whatever OS you're using.
https://nodered.org/docs/getting-started/local (the website installation guide)
meetup.com maybe?
I think i'm going to start a meetup in my town, not for my own self interest mind you, but because none of my friends 'gets it' either.
and I want to play the big difficult rooms with more than just my wife =) we think too much the same anyway.
Ah ok. So are you planning to still use Google Forms for this new one? If so, and you want to keep it all free to make you could always take a look at genial.ly. That way you can use more pictures and moving parts but just link out to it from the form.
Otherwise if you want a readymade escape party game that could suit your group, then feel free to check out NooZoo Park on my site. You’ll need to request the password and instructions via the link on the site but then you can run it however you like.
Happy to chat and bounce ideas if you want to message me, as it’s hard to get a good grip of where you’re at in a short text post.
You could try asking over at /r/constructedadventures.
I recently learned of this book but I haven't actually read it to couch for it.
I typically use a mag lock for doors such as this.
I can then use a relay between the power supply and the mag lock to turn power on and off. This also lets me put in a safety button to override the door on the inside of the next space and an override in the control room. I can hook all kinds of inputs and sensors up to control the opening of the door, typically I'll use an arduino to trigger the door opening with lighting effects and sound.
It is worth noting that since electricity is powering the lock if there were a power outage all doors would unlock, which is good for safety. Some alternatives do not do this.
I also add in spring hinges to the doors so that when they unlock they open automatically without having to tell the players to open the door themselves.
We use a zosi dvr for each room. You have to put a hard drive in them if you want to record, but we have a source from a local surplus to get them cheap. There’s an app you can use on your phone if they have internet. I think these are the cameras we use.
Zosi is cheap but it’s good enough. They sell sets on Amazon with an 8 channel DVR, terabyte hard drive, and 8 cameras for like $200.
I realize that this is not what you asked for, but just want to make sure you know that this exists.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07DMR2225/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_fabc_SC1K13MV18N87P7A9WJ8
I thought about putting one in a pirate game I designed a few yrs ago, but ended up not using it. Heard people like them, just have to get a few so that when the customers inevitably break them you have backups haha.
Hi there, yep the game is already out ! https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.SuchizApps.AznHCsRevengeEscapeRoom
It will be a pleasure ! Hope you will enjoy it because it is different from other escape game I played on the Playstore. It is a mixed adventure/escape game. There is a story, not only puzzle to solve.
If you're looking to use magnets then a really easy and fairly cheap option are baby-proofing magnet locks. This one for example comes with four locks and one magnet "key". They're pretty versatile though because you can attach them (using the provided adhesive strips or nails/screws) inside basically any box/cabinet/receptacle with a door hinge mechanism you already have and turn it into a locked box that opens with a magnet. Then you can disguise the magnet to be whatever magical item you wish (or use any other magnet you have, as you can use any magnet, not just the one they provide). Touch the magnet to a certain spot on the box and the magnet unlocks the lock. Magnets are basically magic anyway so it's easy to fit it into the theme I'd think
Good luck with that! Sounds like fun and I hope it goes well!
My suggestion would be a remote power switch. I use these as a failsafe for electric locks in our rooms, in case the puzzle doesn't trigger.
If you have something set to happen when the word is said instead, like a light or a radio turning on, this would work quite easily. Otherwise, you would want to set up an electromagnetic lock, keeping the journal locked up.
(A radio could be playing a song that reveals the code, or leads to another puzzle to open the journal?)
You just keep the remote in your pocket/hand and when ths phrase is said, click the off (or on) button and voila!
https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B07P7K2FHK/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_KZV.FbWS2X4SF
No idea how helpful this will be, but when I was a kid there was a toy similar to what you are describing here. It was a journal (with fun sparkly 'girl' colours and motifs) with a little electronic lock that would open when the owner of the journal said the magic word. The owner would be able to record them saying the magic word beforehand. I figure it just checks if an attempted magic phrase is similar enough to the recorded phrase, but it was sold as 'opening only to YOUR voice', so it wouldn't open for someone else who said the correct phrase, only the owner saying the correct phrase. It was poorly built and easily fooled, however.
​
EDIT: some random product fitting this description that I found on amazon - https://www.amazon.com/Mattel-CKT10-My-Password-Journal/dp/B00R7FDMRY . This is not an endorsement for this product. There seems to be many versions of these both in physical and online stores.
I assume that someone else will be able to give you much better advice, but I thought I'd share this in case it sparks an idea/leads you down a path to a good solution (as this exact journal toy would probably be a bad solution!).
Well, it wont be objective but here is our game lmao: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.SuchizApps.AznHCsRevengeEscapeRoom.
After playing a lot of 2D escape game, we thought that bring 3D into would be great. Unfortunatly it requires much more work than 3D so we only have 1 level that take up to 2h. Dont think it will entertain you enough. But don't hesitate to give a try. Then if you have any suggestions, you can contact us on Instagram (SuchizGames) or at [email protected]. I can also give you more details about why we made this game if you want to hear our little story haha.
I see the moderator's comment about ads. I dont really understand the meaning of 'flair' here and I dont know if I should consider this as an ad.. So just in case ... This is an ad !
In the dentist one, we were literally down to 1 second when we got it. So fun, but it's perfectly paced for 2 people imo.
Not exactly an escape room and will probably take you the whole day, but I loved this puzzle book and think it would be great for a whole family who likes escape rooms: https://www.amazon.com/Librarians-Almanaq-Roy-Leban/dp/0996256806
I'm coming at this from a web developer perspective, but if I was doing this I'd use a web page or app.
The simple route is use a Google form. First page can have description etc and second your success message.
How I'd do it... (And I can assist making something like this if it helps) make a simple webpage with a passcode lock. Add the page to your home screen, this allows you to view it in full screen, and then enable 'guided access'. This will lock the device so you can't go anywhere else.
Another alternative is get the "Unlock" games assistant app. It's a companion for a home escape room series, but the final step of every game is enter a four digit code, and it'll say congratulations. You just need to know one of the solutions (there's playthroughs on youtube, also good for puzzle ideas. The tutorial solution is 9372, if you want to try it out). The advantage here is it's an app, it has some creepy music (optional) and a 60 min timer (optional), it runs full screen already, and it looks cool. I'd still use guided access. The down side would be, you don't get to pick the code if you're using someone else's app
I sourced almost everything from Amazon. Here's a link to those rotary dials: Nxtop 6mm knurled Shaft 12Pin 1 Pole 11-Position Selectable Band Rotary Switch 6 Pcs https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07DCKJZQ5/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_tKnYDb34VPYZM
This is not printable but AR and you can play from your phone. It's mind-blowing :
Iphone: https://apps.apple.com/es/app/scriptum-ar-escape-room/id1438492758?l=en
Android: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.Adver2Play.Scriptum&hl=en
Watched the video. Here you go: https://www.amazon.com/LIBO-Electric-Magnetic-Electronic-Security/dp/B07DPQ5VZ9/ref=sr_1_5?dchild=1&keywords=magnetic+lock&qid=1597947970&sr=8-5
But if you're talking about the small circular one, those are magnetic, but aren't controllable. They're more there for protecting the the material for when the door drops.
Either or. You could hack an existing device or use separate loadcells or force sensors, whatever works for your application and or budget. I think I would go with something like this: (random amazon search reault link) https://www.amazon.com/CHENBO-Weighting-Half-Bridge-Amplifier-Arduino/dp/B07D6HYYSN for the sensors on the floor, and a set like this https://www.amazon.com/Degraw-Load-Cell-HX711-Combo/dp/B075317R45/ for the arms/hands.
The advantage of building something with sensors is that it's probably easier to integrate into whatever you need than a repurposed existing device.
We make an audio recorder which includes a 12-voice (customizable) real-time voice changer (usable for Darth Vader, Bane, Kylo Ren, StormTrooper, Captain Phasma, C3PO, Ultron, Gollum, Smaug type voices).
To use it for cosplay or gaming, you would connect an aux cable from the phone to your PC - the android phone would then become a voice changer microphone.
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.stereomatch.audio.recorder.hires
Linkme: Hi-Res Audio Recorder
We have ceiling tiles in the rooms at our location. We cut the corners of the ceiling tiles so it fits the microphones that way they're hidden from the players. Then we run the wires to the control room and connect them to a mixer. The setup is pretty cheap. It's $30 per mic for each physical room and $25 per mixer for the entire room setup. You will also need to get RCA to quarter inch adapters for the mics and a headphone.
As for the quality, we can hear everything in the room. The only drawback is a bit of noise from the A/C unit but it's still acceptable imo. One great thing about this setup is that we can choose to listen to all the rooms in a themed room at the same time instead of just listening to one physical room at a time. You can also add more microphones in the room if it's a massive room.
Mic: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002S4G870 Mixer: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000KIPT30
They're not cheap, but reasonable at one per room. (We needed 4 cameras otherwise for good coverage.) We use a C25
New Excelltel SOHO-PBX SP-208 (2 x 8) PABX Telephone Switch System Control Exchange https://www.amazon.com/dp/B015MIQ12A/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_h1sExb0YDNZA2
That's what I am using. But it won't be connected to the outside world. I'll only be using it for internal communication
I build my own using ESP8266 controllers - they're super cheap ($5), very reliable, built in WiFi, etc. For prototyping or learning get a dev board which has a USB port and pins for a protoboard like this one The company is coming out with a new one called ESP32 ( /r/esp32 ) soon that I will use for most everything. I keep spares so I can just pop in a new one if one fails - so far no failures. We also use Arduino Uno, Arduino Mega and Raspberry Pi.