Escape Express

Raegen Robb and Blake Chapman have teamed up to design and develop an interactive digital narrative in the shape of a non-linear virtual escape room. The latter produced the immersive story of Cal, a soon-to-be train marshal who is up for his final test before he becomes the first passenger rail marshal in the United States. Cal’s final test is full of twists— the narrative is structured as a vector with many side branches where players may uncover additional endings. In development, Janet Murray's The Hamlet on the Holodeck served as both an inspiration and a guideline. The vector narrative style was employed so that players can make decisions within the game that impact their environment and the game's endings. This creates agency as players devise their escape plans. It also increases replay value for players looking to complete all three game endings.  This highlight on narrative agency became the outline for Robb’s design choices as she created the mesmerizing environment that is Escape Express-- a world of political strife and interpersonal turmoil.

When selecting an escape room as the model for Escape Express, it was clear that all design and storytelling choices would have to be made with user flow states in mind. When users enter a state of flow, immersion increases as players can fully focus on gameplay and not how to play. To accomplish user flow, all design and storytelling choices were heavily contemplated— ensuring that users were given enough information to successfully complete the game without being able to easily beat the game. Five rounds of usability testing were completed to assess this. Each time, the skill and challenge level match up were assessed for each user. Interactions or dialogues that confused users were changed and retested for improved flow. Once the flow was improved, users were able to experience the full interactivity of Escape Express.

Another essential element to check when designing the environment and drafting the story for Escape Express was ensuring the intentional emotional story beats were best conveyed to users.  The system of Escape Express had to be designed so that each interaction involved users in the process of solving increasingly difficult and complex puzzles. By solving each puzzle and escaping the train to enhance the future of highspeed rail, users create their own product and story within the game.  Tense scenes were designed to energize users and induce fear, and transitionary scenes that were intended to take users from one puzzle to the next were designed for a calm feeling. Rooms that were designed to energize, such as the final scene in the engine car, feature fast paced audio with crescendos that resemble a time bomb about to explode. Rooms designed for calm, such as the viewing car, feature bland walls, plants, and no interactive items. The viewing car allows users to relax as they watch the countryside roll by through the trains’ windows. 

Step onboard and enjoy your ride on Escape Express.