NYU Game Center: Escape This Lecture

 

Escape This Lecture

Frank Lantz wanted a lecture about escape rooms for the New York University Game Center’s monthly public lecture series that was a bit more involved than the usual, he wanted the lecture itself to be an escape room game. As the lecture would happen around Easter, I themed the game around Easter Eggs and a sinister Easter Bunny who was ‘crashing’ my presentation slides with secret messages. Anyone who solved the secret messages could do a secret action that got them taken out of the lecture hall and into a hidden mini escape room nearby. Throughout the talk I would refer to this live escape room as if it was a case study - the participants happily playing up for the camera.

I planned around existing assets in the room such as the tables which I hid a secret burrow space underneath and using a large sheet of astroturf the school already had from a previous event.

I planned around existing assets in the room such as the tables which I hid a secret burrow space underneath and using a large sheet of astroturf the school already had from a previous event.

Being a one-off event, I could use props that wouldn’t be practical in a commercial escape room, such as a key hidden inside a fresh carrot.

Being a one-off event, I could use props that wouldn’t be practical in a commercial escape room, such as a key hidden inside a fresh carrot.

That sinister bunny sneaking into my slides.

That sinister bunny sneaking into my slides.

Playtesting the game in my living room, There would be no time to playtest on site and all complex items had to be made so I could take them over in my carry-on luggage.

Playtesting the game in my living room, There would be no time to playtest on site and all complex items had to be made so I could take them over in my carry-on luggage.