Virtual Escape Rooms & Scavenger Hunts

Can I use these for my classes?

Yes! We would love for you to use this with your class! Feel free to include any or all of these links, in any way you would like to use them.

Is there a way to verify who completes a virtual escape room or scavenger hunt?

We include the option for individuals to request a copy of their answers at the conclusion of the adventure. These answers will be emailed to them, and can serve as proof of completion. 

I have more questions. Who should I talk to?

You can reach out to the library for more information about the escape rooms. If you have library-specific questions, you can contact one of our subject librarians, or stop by the Library Info Desk if you're on campus. If you're not sure which librarian to contact, you can try consulting this list of librarians and subject areas. You can contact the library using any of our contact options, and we'll get you connected to someone that can answer your questions!

Our Process

1. Identify what you want to feature in the escape room. Are there particular places, resources, or services that are important?
2. Identify how these items might relate to each other. What type of space or story would bring them all together in one place?
3. Choose the puzzles. Look at each item, and consider how you might turn it into a puzzle. Are you looking at an image that could become a jigsaw puzzle? Could you hide a code within a document? Try to have a variety of different types of puzzles, and make some puzzles easier to solve than others.
4. Build the puzzles. There are many puzzle generators online that you can use, or come up with something unique all on your own! Consider what platform you will be using to create your escape room. How will participants communicate their puzzle solution? You have a lot more visual flexibility with Google Slides, but Google Forms allows you to collect email addresses and responses more easily. 
5. Connect the puzzles with your storyline. You may want to sequence your puzzles in a specific order, or you can set them up so that participants choose their own route. Either way, you should have a short introduction to each puzzle, as well as a transition after the puzzle that brings the participant to the next step.
6. Consider putting together a Help Guide that participants can reference if they get stuck. This might include links that give additional information, or clues about how to correctly phrase the solution
7. Beta test! This might be the most important part! After putting together the puzzles, it's important to have a fresh set of eyes to help you identify any points that are not clear, or clues that are confusing. 
8. Roll it out! Once you've made any adjustments from your beta testing, you're ready to launch your escape room!

Tools & Resources We Found Helpful

Planning Stages

Librarians Turned Google Forms into the Unlikely Platform for Virtual Escape Rooms - Article

Create an Interactive Escape through Different Platforms - Video

How to Plan an Escape Room - WikiHow

Puzzle Generators

Maze Generator

Jigsaw Puzzles

Cryptograms

Fake Newspaper Clippings

Ransom Note Generator

Fake Text Messages