What is a digital escape room?
An escape room is a game where a team of players has to solve a set of puzzles to escape a room in which they are locked. There is usually a theme and a story that brings the puzzles together. Similar to a physical escape room, a digital escape room is a game where a team of players has to solve a set of puzzles to “escape” a room in which they are “locked”. Digital escape rooms are often used in educational settings. This format offers a fun way to learn about serious (and possibly intimidating) topics, like research data management and open science. We use the theme of Halloween to inhabit our escape rooms with black cats, bats, ghosts and even vampires. However, we remain serious about the topic - our escape rooms contain useful and relevant information.
How did it start?
It all started in 2020, during a COVID-19 lockdown. We wanted to launch an awareness campaign to improve the visibility of RDM university services and to reach new users. Organising in person events was out of the question and everyone was getting tired of webinars. We had to be creative and came up with a virtual escape room. During the Data Horror Week, we invited participants to take part in a competition: which team gets out of the room first.
What were the reactions?
The participants said that the room was fun; even “more fun than expected”. Another positive outcome was that participants used the room for their own team building activities and for training their students.
What other escape rooms are there and what do I need to play?
In 2021, we launched Open Science Escape Room, and in 2022, we are happy to announce the launch of Software Horror Escape Room. All three escape rooms are meant to be openly available resources; anyone can play them at any time. One can use them for self-paced learning. They are also used as team-building activities during larger events and trainings. In this case, before starting the game the participants are asked to form teams - getting out of the room becomes a challenge for the team. The escape room becomes more than a teaching device; it gives the teammates an opportunity to start discussions, learn from each other and share experiences.
