Escape rooms are all the rage these days. They can be based on local legends or your favorite fantasy novel. In an escape room, you and a group of friends are “locked” into a room and presented with a series of puzzles based on a theme. In order to “escape the room” you must solve the puzzles. While you work as a team, the clock is counting down.

Virtual escape rooms are inspired by these experiences and can be a great way to express your creativity. They can also be a “choose your own adventure” story that reveals itself as you choose an action.  

Here are two examples of virtual escape rooms that CCPL has created:

  • Pick Your Peril: Where did you end up? Is there another choice or another path you could take? Try different paths to reveal the full story in this “choose your own adventure” style activity.
  • Escape from Dr. Overdue: You find yourself trapped in the secret hideout of one of the most vile supervillains, Dr. Overdue! You must figure out the plans for his next crime, report them to the superhero group The Library League, and escape before Dr. Overdue returns!

Want to make your own escape room? Start here. This is a great tutorial on how to create an escape room using Google Forms.

Interested in other programming ideas like escape rooms? Request Escape Rooms and Other Immersive Experiences in the Library by Ellyssa Kroski.