Escape Room Design Studio
Description
This project challenges students to collaboratively design, prototype, and build a fully functional physical escape room experience. Over the course of 14 weeks, interdisciplinary student teams will develop immersive narratives, construct puzzle-based game mechanics, and integrate physical and digital technologies into a cohesive, playable space. The project culminates in a live demonstration and user playtests.
Learning Goals
By completing this course, you will:
- Apply interdisciplinary skills
Integrate storytelling, interaction design, prototyping, and basic electronics to create immersive game experiences. - Learn user-centered design
Design puzzles and narrative elements based on iterative playtesting and user feedback. - Gain experience in open-ended teamwork
Practice agile planning, collaborative problem-solving, and distributed roles in a team setting. - Develop physical prototyping literacy
Learn how to design, build, and test tangible game interfaces using both low- and high-fidelity materials. - Understand narrative-driven game mechanics
Create engaging stories that integrate meaningfully with gameplay and puzzle logic. - Present and reflect professionally
Communicate design ideas effectively and critically reflect on design outcomes, challenges, and teamwork dynamics.
Deliverables
Project brief - initial concept, target audience, goals
Game story - narrative structure, characters, setting
Existing games report -what makes a good escape room game based on playtesting
Project plan - timeline, milestones, task distribution, risk analysis
Game Design document - mechanics, puzzles, player flow, tech and physical interactions, tools used GDD
Puzzle Design Specification - individual puzzle breakdowns, logic, dependencies, and reset mechanisms
Artefact testing report - usability, robustness, safety, and maintenance
Artefact Prototypes - individual physical or digital puzzle and prop artefacts
User testing report - with feedback analysis and iteration plan
Integrated prototype - minimum viable playable room setup; can be partial, but cohesive
Final Game Installation - functioning escape room with all puzzles integrated
Setup & Reset Manual - how to prepare and reset the room for new users
Presentation/Demo Day - format TBD according to the project specifics
Final Reflection Report - individual and group reflection on process, learning, team dynamics
Furhter details to what is expected in each can be found within the Notion DB of the deliverables