Research & Methodology

Goal

The goal of this project is to provide guidelines to create an experience that moderates difficulty based on players. Ultimately I hope this work is used to create a system that takes several inputs, and dynamically adjust the difficulty the room as a whole (lighting, sound and set) and the puzzles it contains.

Process

Escape rooms, and especially when dynamic difficulty is applied to them, are highly dependent on the interaction between each part. The people within it, the theme that it's set in, the narrative and location all play a role in the design of the system as a whole. I found dynamic difficulty to be a complex problem to attack because of it. Since it requires understanding of several psychological theories, working within a limited timeframe and the wildly varying levels of skill.

As such I've found relying only on Design Thinking or agile alone didn't cut it for me when it comes to this problem. I've actually been looking at this problem like a systems designer, specifically; human-centered systems design. I've analysed dynamic difficulty by zooming in and out. I've considered different parts of the problem at different levels of fidelity and especially how they relate and influence each other. The result of this report are so-called 'levers of change'. Essentially, universal tools towards a better difficulty experience for everyone (Cerminaro, 2019).

Apart from desk research, I've done several things to get to that point. I've gained insight from experts in the field, playing escape rooms myself and talked to enthusiasts. The latter of which will reap the benefits of a level of difficulty that fits their skill.

Embedded at Sherlocked

The biggest help to this process has being embedded in the design team at Sherlocked. I've been designing puzzles for about two months before actually starting my research project. It helped me put into context what escape room designers think about, and how they solve problems. Throughout the process, I've also been having frequent check-ins with Victor van Doorn, Creative Director at Sherlocked. I've also had the pleasure of working with Francine Boon, Strategist & Project Lead at Sherlocked. They have both provided me with valuable insight about the industry at large and the experience that will benefit from my research.

Expert Panel

Throughout the project, I spoke with several experts on game design and dynamic difficulty. Most notably, I hosted two expert panels. Victor van Doorn was present during both sessions as well. Though his role was more of support and moving the conversation forward, rather than offering his insights. Since I'd be able to ask him any time I'd like.

Game Hosts

To get an idea of the way teams play from an outside perspective, I've also shadowed two games at Sherlocked, and spoke with two game hosts. I had a planned interview with Sam Koppenol about hosting games. The two groups I watched played a game of The Vault, that Dinand Hofsteenge was the game master for. I was able to inquire with him about hosting games while they played out.

Finding top escapers

We can learn some people have enjoyed escape rooms extensively, for example by examining Dutch website Escapetalk. Their platform facilitates enthusiasts to track which games they've played and to review the best rooms. Their list of top escapers shows some enthusiast have played over 150 in the past 6 years, though most people will only have played a few.

Through Escapetalk I've approached three enthusiasts who were eager to help with my research. I've interviewed one of them separately and interviewed the other two as a duo, since they have played together regularly. All of them had played at least 100 games in the Netherlands, probably many more counting foreign experiences as well.

Played escape games

Finally I've played 5 experiences with Sherlocked's game design team. Spread out over two days. We played The End and The Orphanage at DarkPark Zoetermeer. At Down the Hatch in Voorburg we played another three; The Cooper Case, Flight 815 and Molly's Game. Together we analysed what they did well, how well we connected with the story and the game flow (connected rooms and puzzles). I've used much of what I've learned through these experiences throughout this report, but will specifically mention several high and low points as well.

Limitation of study

This research has been conducted from late 2020 through early 2021. As such I've been limited in my abilities in various ways as a result of the pandemic. Due to government restrictions on freedom of movement I have not seen my colleagues at Sherlocked much in person. Moreover, I have relied upon (video) calls and other forms of virtual communication to conduct my research. Especially so during the second half of my research, which has made prototyping and testing an issue.