04/05/25 – Reflection: Gamification Progress, Practical FX, and Philosophical Pushback

🧩 Puzzle Development & Gamification

Over the past few days, I've made real progress on the gamified element of the second immersive room, inspired by the CPR escape room exercise I did with Dave McCormack last Tuesday. That activity used:

• Correct answers to questions to reveal letters

• Anagram-solving

• A wall cipher to convert letters into a code

I've taken that exact concept and adapted it for my narrative. Here's the setup:

• Participants enter a dark room lit only by one computer screen.

• The first screen plays a scripted psychological safety video, easing them into the experience.

• Then the screen expands to reveal a quiz: 10 questions based on the previous room's content (assessment of prior learning).

• Correct answers reveal letters, animated with GIF-style visuals to enhance aesthetics.

• The letters form an anagram—but not just one word. It's a dual anagram:

  • "hyper" + "focus" → hyperfocus

• Solving it triggers the hyperfocus simulation, bridging story and gameplay.

The puzzle introduces the theme of strength within neurodivergence—especially for ADHD—without lapsing into toxic positivity. While I've made small compromises, I'm holding my ground on not calling ADHD a "superpower." I refuse to oversimplify a condition that is deeply challenging and misunderstood.

🛠 Technical Hurdles & Solutions

The immersive software doesn't support GIF uploads, which was frustrating. My workaround:

• Screen-recorded the animated content

• Converted it to .mp4 video format

• Uploaded it as a playable video loop

It was time-consuming, but I eventually discovered I had been overcomplicating things—classic ADHD move. At least now I have a smoother workflow for future assets.

🧪 Room Narrative and Educational Ties

This second room is now confirmed as Holbrook's classroom—his research hub. It creates opportunities to:

• Integrate physical notebooks with ADHD observations

• Anchor Holbrook's study in an FE setting, reflecting the overrepresentation of neurodivergent learners in vocational pathways (vs. traditional A-levels)

The environment reinforces why his work is situated here, and it provides a logical backdrop for layered puzzles and narrative clues.

📞 Mission Objective FX – Smoke & Projection

I've found a cheap, effective solution for the "mission briefing" self-destruct effect:

• A small ioniser to produce mist using water or oil

• Can be battery-powered

• Cost: £3 from Temu, far cheaper than model railway foggers from Amazon

Also:

• A colleague who's into electronics (and D&D model-building) is keen to help with wiring the system, which is brilliant.

• I'm still using the mini projector-in-a-phone prop as a base for the briefing reveal.

📚 Educational Graphic Rework

I've revisited the neurodiversity spectrum visual I'd built previously:

• Based on feedback (especially from Sean), I'll now:

  • Add clearer structure to differentiate traits

  • Show overlap between ADHD and autism

  • Include a disclaimer that it's not a diagnostic tool

I'm toying with the idea of making this visual interactive, so users can toggle or compare profiles—but that's a future-phase enhancement.

🛑 Resistance & Pedagogical Friction

I've run into pushback from colleagues who:

• "Just want to teach physics," not engage in pastoral or psychological support

• Resist reflective pedagogy and learner-centred strategies

My response? We teach people, not just content. Psychology is a fundamental part of teacher training—Kolb, behaviourism, Vygotsky, etc.—and pretending otherwise is negligent.

That said, I also acknowledge:

• Not everyone will engage with this training

• Some will reject it no matter how it's framed

• That's okay. I'm designing for the change-makers, not the cynics

🧠 Narrative Layering – Red Echo, Misdirection, & the "Trip Moment"

The plot now includes:

• Red Echo as a potential buyer of Holbrook's research (real or fabricated?)

• The handler (Tac) suggesting Red Echo is real, accusing Loopa of being involved

• Loopa denying its existence, introducing doubt

• A potential twist: documents that seem to confirm Red Echo is real... or not

This ambiguity supports the "trip moment"—an emotional and cognitive turning point designed to push participants into wanting answers, rather than just receiving them. I'm still committed to this structure and the rationale behind it, grounded in:

• The Power of Moments (Heath & Heath)

• Range (Epstein)

• My own lived and professional experiences

I'm open to feedback. But I'm not adopting quick-fix, "here's a problem, here's the answer" models. They're too shallow for the impact I want.

✅ Action Items

• Finish building the dark classroom room with hyperfocus puzzle

• Design the anagram + cypher + code mechanism

• Develop the checklist game where symptoms must be matched to disguised book titles

• Create immersive clue scanning system

• Finalize and print Holbrook's fake ID (still in progress)

• Explore integrating interactive wall elements

• Refine ADHD spectrum graphic and consider comparative autism features

• Continue integrating team-based gameplay mechanics (multiple people solving simultaneously)

This project is expanding in scope, but so is the coherence of its message. Some parts might need trimming later for pacing—but for now, the vision is holding strong.