CHARACTER IS KEY

Early escape games began with a relatively simple, if unusual, premise: lock a group of people in a room for an hour and make them solve puzzles to find the key and escape. Since their inception in the late 2000s, these live interactive experiences are evolving considerably. Sets have become more immersive and complex. Incorporation of digital technologies add dimensionality and a sense of magic. Environmental storytelling and more refined puzzles give depth to the core premise of escaping a room. Escape games share commonalities with a range of mediums: immersive theater, interactive fiction, puzzle games, and live-
action roleplaying (LARP), among others. The discourse around what makes an escape game “good” matures with consideration of these overlapping fields, and lessons learned from designing escape games and repeatedly observing player behavior offer their own unique insight. Quality in set design, the importance
of narrative, and components of a well-designed puzzle are some of the most prominent subjects discussed. But while set, game, narrative, and puzzle design are all significant, staff are the keystone to a compelling escape game experience.