Escape rooms, as interactive and immersive experiences, have gained significant popularity worldwide.

Originating as live-action, team-based games, they offer an engaging blend of storytelling, puzzle-solving, and collaboration. Participants are challenged to uncover clues, solve riddles, and complete tasks within a limited time, typically with the ultimate goal of ‘escaping’ the room. This unique form of entertainment—situated between play, reflection, and narrative immersion—has evolved from various influences, including live-action role-playing, point-and-click adventure games, puzzle hunts, interactive theater, and museum education programs. Appealing across age groups, professions, and cultural contexts, escape rooms have become not only a widespread leisure activity but also a valuable medium for education, cultural experience, and organizational development. Their adaptability allows them to be tailored for diverse themes and narratives, offering rich potential for creativity, engagement, and innovation.

The following contributions examine the many facets of escape rooms through concrete examples—from educational innovation and participatory design to curatorial reflection and artistic interpretation.