🚪 Core Concept: "Mr Bright Locked in the Cupboard"

The core narrative is now solidified:

On the last day of term, the students have locked a teacher (Mr Bright) in a storeroom. Staff must complete a series of puzzles to unlock the door and release him—solving clues left behind by the mischievous students.

🧩 Game 1: "Find the Contraband"

• Objective: Locate 10 hidden "banned items" (crisps, Monster cans, weed bags, etc.)

• Purpose: Icebreaker challenge; adds humour and sets the tone

• Status: Built and functional

🧩 Game 2: "Hexagon Team Puzzle"

• Objective: Two groups must simultaneously work through a hex-grid challenge.

• Twist: If one side fails, both teams reset—reinforcing teamwork.

• Easter Egg: Rick Astley's Never Gonna Give You Up plays in the background (light rickroll, but with self-awareness).

• New mechanic: After success, a message appears on the whiteboard instructing them to "clean the board." Doing so reveals the next clue.

• Status: Fully built and shortcut logic debugged (disabled redundant trigger text = massive time savings)

🧩 Game 3: "Romeo & Juliet Language Challenge"

• Setup: Classic anagram puzzle. Correct English/GCSE questions reveal letters that spell "Romeo and Juliet".

• Final task: Place the names in correct locks based on Montague vs. Capulet—though this may need simplifying if it proves too obscure.

• To-do: Replace ADHD-based questions with English content and recheck difficulty level.

• Status: Mechanically built, questions under revision

🛠 Technical Highlights

• Successfully implemented Global Atoms: clue progression triggers changes across rooms

• Created video backgrounds (e.g., rainy windows, Rocky montage) using PowerPoint screen recordings

• Developed a faster coding method for hotspot sequences, removing unnecessary triggers

• Discovered an efficient process to reduce future errors and development time

🎮 Potential Mini-Game: Locker Ball

• Considering a non-academic, score-based game involving virtual lockers

• Idea: Participants must reach a minimum score to unlock the final clue

• Rationale: Adds fun, balances out quiz-heavy sections

🎥 Testing Plan

• Intend to run a live test with five volunteers

• Plan to use the 360° camera placed centrally to:

  • Observe interaction patterns

  • Identify bottlenecks or confusion

  • Collect feedback for improvements

• Will also track time and pacing to ensure puzzles stay within the 30-minute target

🔊 Next Tweaks

• Add background music/ambient sound to avoid a flat-feeling environment

• Test puzzle difficulty and timing

• Ensure everything syncs correctly within the pod environment

✅ Summary of Progress

• ✔ 3 core games built and functional

• ✔ Technical bugs fixed

• ✔ Humour and team dynamics embedded

• ✔ New media elements added (video, sound, animation)

• ✔ Shortcut coding saves hours of work

• 🚧 Remaining: test and refine gameplay flow, especially timing

💭 Final Thoughts

Even though this isn't the ADHD game I originally intended, it's developing into something fun, functional, and flexible. And I'm learning a huge amount in the process—from global triggers to efficient coding to team-based game design. Time is still my biggest constraint, but the creative flow is strong.