27-03-25 - Reflection Journal
27-03-25 – Plot Outline & Reflection
🧠 Concept Summary:
The world is divided into two types of people: Farmers (representing the neurotypical majority who value order and conformity) and Hunters (a metaphor for neurodivergent individuals—especially those with ADHD—who navigate life differently).
An Agency, led by a traditionalist figure (coded with rose-tinted glasses to hint at his nostalgic, status-quo mindset), once recruited a Hunter: a young woman trained to be an elite field agent. Later, he partners with an educational psychologist, Dr. Trent Holbrook, to identify and support other Hunters.
However, Holbrook becomes disillusioned with the Agency's intentions. Initially believing he was helping integrate Hunters into society, he realises the Agency may be seeking to eliminate or suppress them. Anchora, a senior operative and Holbrook's handler, warns him to flee and protect his research.
Holbrook hides, taking all his work with him. In response, the Agency sends Lupa, another agent, to find him. Anchora intercepts Lupa's mission and deceives the team, telling them that Lupa is coming to kill Holbrook and that all his data must be destroyed.
From here, the participants enter the story...
🧩 Escape Room Story Flow (In-World Narrative)
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Pre-Story Setup (Before Gameplay)
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Background of the Agency, Hunters, and Farmers.
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Holbrook's psychological work.
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Anchora's manipulation begins.
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Lupa is sent on a "recovery" mission but is misrepresented as a threat.
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Mission Begins – Team Briefing
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Players are recruited to recover or destroy Holbrook's research.
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Told Lupa is rogue and Holbrook may be dangerous.
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Phase 1: Infiltration
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Location: "Abraham's Office"
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Goal: Solve puzzles to gain access to Holbrook's hideout.
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Phase 2: Holbrook's Hideout (Immersive Suite A)
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Explore Holbrook's scattered research.
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Puzzles and documents hint at the truth: support for Hunters.
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Anchora communicates orders to destroy data.
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Phase 3: The Reveal (Immersive Suite B – The Pod)
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Midpoint Twist: Discover ADHD traits, symptoms, lived experiences.
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The "Tripping Point": Participants feel emotional conflict.
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Revelation: Holbrook took his own life. Lupa didn't kill him.
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Choose a path:
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Trust Anchora → destroy the data.
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Trust Lupa → preserve it and uncover deeper truth.
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Phase 4: Strategy Room / Archives
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Final stage: Participants realise the real enemy is the status quo.
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Anchora is the mole, manipulating both sides.
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Participants recover incomplete research.
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Task: Finish what Holbrook started.
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Design strategies to support Hunters.
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🌀 Key Metaphors & Design Ideas
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Fibonacci Sequence:
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Represents natural growth, hidden patterns, and divergence.
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Used in puzzle designs, room layouts, and spiral clues.
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Contrast with "square" farm plots—symbol of order vs. natural fluidity.
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Hidden Lexicon Pieces:
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Terms from the ADHD dictionary are scattered throughout rooms.
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Teams must collect and piece them together to access deeper truths.
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Emotional Taglines:
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"Hope lies in the smouldering rubble of empires" spray-painted on a wall.
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Leads to a hidden room behind a bookshelf (triggered by a clue in a fake book titled Fallen Empires).
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Final Takeaway:
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Participants must confront their assumptions.
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The experience closes with collaborative, scaffolded strategy-building for real-world change.
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🔍 Reflection:
This has the potential to become massive. The story is strong, but there are still some gaps that need to be ironed out. There are puzzle elements to design, props to create, emotional beats to manage, and narrative transitions to refine.
The Fibonacci element is compelling but needs to be embedded intentionally—not just aesthetically. The Lexicon puzzle is clever and could be emotionally impactful if done right. There's so much potential to combine narrative, emotion, and education here.
I'm also considering music, perhaps Tool's Lateralus, for its thematic ties to spirals and introspection. That could work powerfully in the immersive environment.
At this point, I need to start drawing this out. I need visuals. I need physical documents. I need puzzle flows. This is no longer just a story—it's an interactive system of narrative, emotion, and learning.