The Puzzles
Flowchart Plan
Enchanted Escape
Having two possible puzzles routes makes it more unpredictable for the player. It makes them feel like there is a more complex world being built rather than a linear set of activities they must follow - it gives them the ability to choose. On a practical level it also means that more players can be active in the room, working on different things at the same time. The two paths correspond to the two locks on the tree.
Caterpillar Path
Camouflaged in different places in room, players stumble across the first caterpillar, and then know to find the rest. When aligned in order with the slots in the grassy floor, the message on their backs say, “Push down hard until green light and then look in”
The switches (caterpillars) need to be held down all at the same time to turn on the lights inside the tree. The switches are purposely put in a location that means that one person can not both hold down the lights and look into the tree - it needs cooperation. When one players peers into the holes in the bark, instead of seeing darkness, they see letters. This is the code (REACH) for one of the tree locks.
Vine - Bird code Path
Opening the Tree
Experiential Design
Electronics
Overview
Deciphering the message on the board leads the players to follow the vines to their joints marked by colored string. The instructions say H and L denoting to take the high or low route. The message was purposely put far from the vines so that one player has to stay by the message and read it out to the other player following the line - this needs collaboration.
Following the routes leads to 4 letters at the end of the vine, giving the word BIRD. The filled in message now says “Listen to the birds”. At this point the players start paying attention to the ambient noise in the room that they previously didn’t register, the sound of chirping birds. The noise of a group of forest birds in playing but one bird is louder than the rest, this one is chirping in morse code. The players find a morse code sheet placed discreetly in the room, and deciphers it, giving them the second code to one of the locks on the tree, ARM-IN.
After getting both codes the instruction is REACH ARM-IN and after unlocking the branch, the player thrillingly reaches in. I purposely made the hole as deep as possible, slanting down going all the way through the trunk. This way they have to put their whole arm in, increasing anticipation, before they feel the seed. By looking at what is written on the board, and seeing the bowl and water on the table, they figure out they need to pour the supplied water onto the seed to uncover the heart. As shown in the video I wrapped the green stone “heart” in dissolvable water, so it quickly disappears, just like magic
Hidden in the depths of the Stanford d.school is a wily forest that will take over unless stopped! Sprouting from a magical seed brought in by an unknowing professor, this growing forest includes encrypted birds, coded caterpillars, and scrambled vines.
Players of this escape room are told to “find and deactivate the heart of the forest, before it’s too late!”
Including
Reactions
Shock as he realizes there has been morse code playing the whole time
Joy as the first lock is opened
Excitement to decode the newly discovered code
Delight in the tree heart being revealed by dissolvable paper
Celebration for completing the escape room
I added foam under the turf so that it felt more like spongy forest ground was growing under their feet, spreading out and taking over the floor.
The bird chirping coming through the speaker is “ambient” noise that they hear as they enter the room. They assume it is the typical use of scene setting. Only later in the game, when told to focus on it, do they realize it’s morse code.
World Building
I added details to the room to accentuate the idea that you are stepping into a magical world.
I put green filters on the lights that are in the tree area. I wanted it to look like the forest’s magic was effecting the whole space, even the sky.
A photo of the room in its usual state. I made the vines climb up onto the ceiling and down over the floor to suggest the idea that the player should pay attention to all 6 faces of the room.
