Audible Secret LibraryAudibleEscape roomPop upUnfortunately, this experience did not feel as though it had been created by an escape room designer — or even by someone who had played a single escape room. The use of IP such as ‘The Hunger Games’, ‘Harry Potter’, and other books available on Audible was interesting within a single experience, but that was the sole positive of ‘The Secret Library’. It featured four rooms, each with one puzzle and a game master present in each space. Puzzles focusing on weighing random eggs and deciphering symbols devolved into a final task that required players to recall a potion recipe consisting of seven ingredients from ‘Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets’ — if the players had read it, without any prompts or hints within the room. The game master simply told players to “just guess”. It was a promotional escape room offering the opportunity to win flights to New York City, which is certainly exciting. However, given that there was a budget to build the experience, I wish an escape room designer had been consulted to help create an enjoyable, fair game. A more satisfying experience for fans would likely have resulted in better CRM outcomes for the promotion and a stronger brand association through a genuinely engaging immersive event.
