An escape room from scratch
Physical puzzles, embedded programming, and electrical systems within a real room’s constraints.
From July 2023 to August 2024, I planned and built a complete in-person escape room. The project included the puzzles, embedded programming, and electrical systems that made the room work.
A room is a system
An escape room gives electronics an unusually human interface. Players encounter an object, form a theory about what it does, and try something. A physical response has to connect their action to the next part of the experience.
That makes puzzle design and engineering closely related. The programming and wiring are part of the experience, even when the player never sees them.
Working inside constraints
The project had tight budget and space constraints. Planning the room meant fitting the experience, the physical construction, and the electrical systems into those limits.
I designed and implemented the embedded programming and electrical systems behind the puzzles, alongside planning and building the room itself.
What this project brought together
- Planning a complete physical experience.
- Designing puzzles that people can interact with.
- Embedded programming and electrical integration.
- Building within budget and space constraints.
The control-panel illustration on this page is an interpretation of the project, not a photograph or reconstruction of one of its puzzles.