Works & References

The works this part’s articles discuss and the texts they cite. The print edition carries the credited works and the references; the web edition adds the wider research consulted.

Works discussed

• 80 Days. inkle, 2014.
• amiibo. Nintendo, 2014.
• Blue Prince. Dogubomb (Raw Fury), 2025.
• Cain’s Jawbone. Edward Powys Mathers (“Torquemada”), 1934.
• Catan. Klaus Teuber, 1995.
• Caverns of Thracia. Jennell Jaquays (Judges Guild), 1979.
• Chronicles of Crime. Corentin Lebrat and Wenceslas, 2018.
• Deadline. Infocom, 1982.
• Deckscape: Test Time. Martino Chiacchiera and Silvano Sorrentino (dV Giochi), 2017.
• Exit: The Game. Inka and Markus Brand (Kosmos), 2016.
• The Fenn treasure. Forrest Fenn, hidden circa 2010.
• The Halls of Arden Vul. Richard Barton (Expeditious Retreat Press), 2020.
• Her Story. Sam Barlow, 2015.
• Hunt A Killer. Ryan Hogan and Derrick Smith, 2016.
• Hypnospace Outlaw. Tendershoot (Jay Tholen), 2019.
• I Love Bees. 42 Entertainment, 2004.
• Journal 29. Dimitris Chassapakis (Rain Projects), 2017.
• The Man From Beyond. Strange Bird Immersive, 2017.
• Masquerade. Kit Williams, 1979.
• Maze: Solve the World’s Most Challenging Puzzle. Christopher Manson, 1985.
• The MIT Mystery Hunt. Founded by Brad Schaefer, 1981.
• The Mysterious Package Company. Colin Bolton, Misha Schneider and Tim Sullivan, 2013.
• Pandemic Legacy: Season 1. Rob Daviau and Matt Leacock, 2015.
• Return of the Obra Dinn. Lucas Pope, 2018.
• Risk Legacy. Rob Daviau, 2011.
• The Secret: A Treasure Hunt. Byron Preiss, 1982.
• Secret Cinema: Bridgerton. Secret Cinema, 2022.
• Skylanders: Spyro’s Adventure. Toys for Bob, 2011.
• Sleep No More. Punchdrunk (Felix Barrett), 2011.
• Spirit Island. R. Eric Reuss (Greater Than Games), 2017.
• Star Trek Catan. Klaus Teuber (Mayfair Games), 2012.
• Stonehell Dungeon. Michael Curtis, 2009.
• Terraforming Mars. Jacob Fryxelius (FryxGames), 2016.
• Tomb of Horrors. Gary Gygax (TSR), 1978.
• Unlock!. Cyril Demaegd (Space Cowboys), 2017.
• Wingspan. Elizabeth Hargrave, 2019.

References

• Alexander, Justin. “Xandering the Dungeon” and “Jaquaying the Dungeon, Part 2: The Jaquays Techniques.” The Alexandrian. https://thealexandrian.net/wordpress/13085/roleplaying-games/xandering-the-dungeon
• Cone, Jason (“Philotomy Jurament”). “Philotomy’s Musings” (the mythic underworld). https://www.grey-elf.com/philotomy.pdf
• Curtis, Michael. Stonehell Dungeon. 2009. https://www.vintagerpg.com/2024/07/stonehell-2009-2015/
• Cycleback, David. “Identifying and Dating Paper.” February 2013. https://davidcycleback.com/2013/02/10/identifying-and-dating-paper/
• Dambrogio, Jana, and Daniel Starza Smith. Letterlocking: The Hidden History of the Letter. MIT Press, 2025. https://mitpress.mit.edu/9780262049276/letterlocking/
• Hon, Adrian. “Blue Prince is a Roguelike Puzzle Masterpiece.” mssv.net, 7 April 2025. https://mssv.net/2025/04/07/a-puzzle-designer-on-blue-prince-a-roguelike-puzzle-masterpiece/
• K, Arnold. “The Underclock: Fixing the Random Encounter.” Goblin Punch, April 2023. https://goblinpunch.blogspot.com/2023/04/the-underclock-fixing-random-encounter.html
• Nelson, Graham. The Inform Designer’s Manual (DM4), section 50, “The design of puzzles.” http://inform-fiction.org/manual/html/s50.html
• Nicholson, Scott. “Peeking Behind the Locked Door: A Survey of Escape Room Facilities.” 2015. https://scottnicholson.com/pubs/erfacwhite.pdf
• Shea, Mike (Sly Flourish). “Making Great Handouts.” https://slyflourish.com/making_great_handouts.html
• Short, Emily. “The Century Beast (Mysterious Package Company).” June 2015. https://emshort.blog/2015/06/12/the-century-beast-the-mysterious-package-company/
• Short, Emily. “Her Story (Sam Barlow).” Emily Short’s Interactive Storytelling, June 2015. https://emshort.blog/2015/06/24/her-story-sam-barlow/
• Short, Emily. “The Prose Medium and IF.” https://emshort.blog/how-to-play/writing-if/my-articles/the-prose-medium-and-if/
• Spira, David. “An Exploration of Escape Room Hint Systems.” Room Escape Artist, 24 October 2019. https://roomescapeartist.com/2019/10/24/escape-room-hint-systems/
• Szulborski, Dave. This Is Not A Game: A Guide to Alternate Reality Gaming. https://archive.org/details/TINAG
• Zittrain, Jonathan, Kendra Albert and Lawrence Lessig. “Perma: Scoping and Addressing the Problem of Link and Reference Rot in Legal Citations.” Harvard Law Review Vol. 127, 2014. https://harvardlawreview.org/forum/vol-127/perma-scoping-and-addressing-the-problem-of-link-and-reference-rot-in-legal-citations/

Research basis

Consulted while writing; not cited in the text.

• A+ Props. “Reset and Automation” and “Reset in Escape Rooms.” https://a-props.com/reset_article
• ABUS combination locks (product range). https://www.abus.com/int/Consumer/Padlocks/By-series/Combination-Locks
• Alexander, Justin. “Running Castle Blackmoor.” The Alexandrian. https://thealexandrian.net/wordpress/40789/roleplaying-games/running-castle-blackmoor
• American Chemical Society. “Appearing and Disappearing Ink.” https://www.acs.org/education/activities/appearing-and-disappearing-ink.html
• Apple. “Core NFC” developer documentation. https://developer.apple.com/documentation/corenfc
• “Barlow’s (Her) Story: Interactivity, Immersion, and Authorship.” Interactive Media Archive. https://interactivemediaarchive.wordpress.com/barlows-her-story-interactivity-immersion-and-authorship/
• Bausenhardt, Julia. “How to Make Walnut Ink.” https://juliabausenhardt.com/how-to-make-walnut-ink/
• “Blue Prince.” Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blue_Prince
• Blue Bottle Tree. “Sealing Polymer Clay.” https://thebluebottletree.com/best-sealants-for-polymer-clay/
• “Cain’s Jawbone.” Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cain%27s_Jawbone
• “The Caverns of Thracia.” Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Caverns_of_Thracia
• Cephalopod Productions. “Paper Ageing Techniques.” 2009. https://cephalopodprods.wordpress.com/2009/02/09/paper-ageing-techniques/
• “Chronicles of Crime” reviews. Big Red Barrel and Big Boss Battle. https://www.bigredbarrel.com/2019/12/02/review-chronicles-of-crime/
• CJ Leo. “Journal 29 Review.” https://cjleo.com/blog/journal-29-review-a-tedious-incomplete-puzzle-book/
• The Codex. “13 Rules for Escape Room Puzzle Design” and “Mimesis vs Diegesis in Escape Rooms.” https://thecodex.ca/13-rules-for-escape-room-puzzle-design/
• COGS show-control (DMX/OSC/MIDI). https://cogs.show/
• Cricut and Silhouette product documentation. https://cricut.com/ and https://www.silhouetteamerica.com/
• “Diegetic Interface.” TV Tropes. https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/DiegeticInterface
• Escape Room Command Center, Escape Room Supplier, EscapeRoomTechs and HintControl: escape-room control and prop-electronics vendors. https://www.escaperoomcommandcenter.com/
• “Feelie.” Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Feelie
• “Fenn treasure.” Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fenn_treasure
• The Game Crafter. “Custom Dice” and “Custom Punchouts and Card Stock.” https://help.thegamecrafter.com/article/370-custom-dice
• Geocaching multi-cache and waypoint guidelines; “Geocaching,” Wikipedia; geocache container guides. https://www.geocaching.com/play/guidelines
• Glanc, Josh. “How to use Heat-Reactive Pens” and “Let’s Talk Locks!” Constructed Adventures. https://www.constructedadventures.com/
• Home Assistant. “Sonos integration” and “Tags.” https://www.home-assistant.io/integrations/tag/
• “Hypnospace Outlaw.” Steam store page. https://store.steampowered.com/app/844590/Hypnospace_Outlaw/
• iBookBinding. “The Lost Art of Letterlocking.” https://www.ibookbinding.com/blog/the-lost-art-of-letterlocking-tutorials-personal-experience-and-application-in-bookbinding/
• IEC 60529 (IP ratings), summarised by Polycase Tech Talk. https://www.polycase.com/techtalk/electronics-tips/what-do-ip-ratings-mean.html
• Immersology and Strange Bird Immersive. “On-Theme vs Immersive,” “The Magic Circle,” “Hard Mode.” https://strangebirdimmersive.com/immersology/on-theme-vs-immersive/
• Inc. magazine. “This Business Made a Killing by Mailing Murder Mysteries.” https://www.inc.com/magazine/202009/kevin-j-ryan/hunt-killer-murder-mystery-subscription-box-game-2020-inc5000.html
• Kiosk Group. “iOS Single App Mode vs Guided Access.” https://www.kioskgroup.com/
• “Legacy game.” Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Legacy_game
• Library of Congress. “The Average Lifespan of a Webpage.” 2011. https://blogs.loc.gov/thesignal/2011/11/the-average-lifespan-of-a-webpage/
• Locatify. “The Complete Guide to Scavenger Hunt Apps” and “How Scavenger Hunt Apps Work.” https://locatify.com/the-complete-guide-to-scavenger-hunt-apps/
• The Logic Escapes Me. “When Escape Rooms Go Wrong: Handling Breakages and Mis-Sets.” https://thelogicescapesme.com/opinion/when-escape-rooms-go-wrong-handling-breakages-and-mis-sets/
• MacMost. “How To Create a Treasure Hunt Game With Your iPhone and NFC Tags.” https://macmost.com/how-to-create-a-treasure-hunt-game-with-your-iphone-and-nfc-tags.html
• Maliszewski, James. “Retrospective: Caverns of Thracia.” Grognardia, December 2008. http://grognardia.blogspot.com/2008/12/retrospective-caverns-of-thracia.html
• Master Lock product pages (1500iD, 1535DWD) and Room Escape Artist lock word-list posts. https://www.masterlock.com/products/product/1500iD
• “Maze: Solve the World’s Most Challenging Puzzle.” Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maze:_Solve_the_World%27s_Most_Challenging_Puzzle
• MIT News. “The Art and Science of Letterlocking” (2014) and “Researchers Virtually Open Sealed Historic Letters” (2021). https://news.mit.edu/2014/art-and-science-letterlocking
• Mystery Soup Games. “Linear vs. Non-Linear Game Flow” and “Signposting in Escape Room Design.” https://mysterysoupgames.com/
• NXP Semiconductors. “NTAG213/215/216” and “NTAG 424 DNA” product data and datasheets. https://www.nxp.com/products/NTAG213_215_216
• Node-RED, flow automation. https://nodered.org/
• Old-School Essentials SRD, “Encounters.” https://oldschoolessentials.necroticgnome.com/srd/index.php/Encounters
• Olorama and AromaPrime: scent systems for escape rooms. https://olorama.com/scented-escape-rooms-immersion-with-all-five-senses/
• Palace Games. “The Art of Narrative Puzzle Design.” 2025. https://palace-games.com/2025/11/art-of-narrative-puzzle-design/
• Pimoroni. “Inky Impression 7.3in (Spectra 6).” https://shop.pimoroni.com/products/inky-impression-7-3
• “Polylactic acid” and “PETG” (PLA/PETG), Xometry. https://www.xometry.com/resources/3d-printing/petg-vs-pla-3d-printing/
• Printables escape-room tags and Creative Commons licence terms. https://www.printables.com/tag/escaperoom
• Punished Props Academy (Bill Doran). Foamsmith series and “How to Seal EVA Foam.” https://punishedprops.com/
• Punchdrunk handbook (via WXO) and Future of Storytelling. “Behind the Mask with Punchdrunk.” https://worldxo.org/punchdrunk-handbook-immersive-pioneers-share-20-years-of-learnings/
• Puzzlvaria. “2021 MIT Mystery Hunt, Part 1.” 2021. https://puzzlvaria.wordpress.com/
• Resin Obsession and Smooth-On: resin safety, mould-making and casting. https://www.resinobsession.com/resin-tips-techniques/resin-safety/
• “Return of the Obra Dinn.” Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Return_of_the_Obra_Dinn
• “Root (board game)” and reskin/theme context. Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Root_(board_game)
• Scanova. “Static vs Dynamic QR Codes.” 2026. https://scanova.io/blog/static-vs-dynamic-qr-codes/
• Science Buddies. “Secret Messages with Invisible Ink.” https://www.sciencebuddies.org/stem-activities/invisible-ink
• “The Secret (treasure hunt).” Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Secret_(treasure_hunt)
• Sherlocked. “Designing Escape Rooms for Emotion.” https://www.sherlocked.nl/blog/designing-escape-rooms-for-emotion
• “Shut Up & Sit Down” (“Exit vs Unlock!” comparison). 2017. https://www.shutupandsitdown.com/
• “Sleep No More (2011 play).” Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sleep_No_More_(2011_play)
• “Some URLs Are Immortal, Most Are Ephemeral.” iPRES 2024, Zenodo. https://zenodo.org/records/13687116
• Sotheby’s London. “The Masquerade Hare” lot listing, November 2025. https://www.sothebys.com/en/buy/auction/2025/fine-jewelry-l25051/the-masquerade-hare
• “Spirit Island: Considering the theme.” Played by the Past. https://historyprofnichols.wordpress.com/2021/04/07/spirit-island-the-board-game-considering-the-theme/
• Supermagnete. Neodymium magnet documentation and pull-force calculator. https://www.supermagnete.de/eng/
• “Terraforming Assistant” and “WingMate Companion” companion apps. Apple App Store. https://apps.apple.com/us/app/terraforming-assistant/id1419254320
• “Tomb of Horrors,” “Toys-to-life” and “Amiibo.” Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tomb_of_Horrors
• TTRPG Games. “Best Initiative Trackers” and “Ultimate Guide to TTRPG Props and Handouts.” https://www.ttrpg-games.com/blog/ultimate-guide-to-ttrpg-props-and-handouts/
• TV Tropes. “Font Anachronism.” https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/FontAnachronism
• UltraBoardGames. “How to play Chronicles of Crime.” https://www.ultraboardgames.com/chronicles-of-crime/game-rules.php
• Vinawood. “Marine Plywood vs Exterior Plywood.” https://vinawoodltd.com/marine-plywood-vs-exterior-plywood/
• VRcave. “Reduce Your Escape Room Reset Time.” https://blog.vrcave.ca/blog/reduce-your-escape-room-reset-time-and-support-more-patrons
• Watson Adventures (location-as-clue city-hunt design). https://www.watsonadventures.com/
• Xometry. “Acrylic (PMMA): Properties, Uses, and Laser Cutting Design.” https://www.xometry.com/resources/materials/acrylic-pmma/
• “150+ Developers Push to Define a New ‘Fake OS’ Genre on Steam.” 80.lv. https://80.lv/articles/150-developers-push-to-define-a-new-fake-os-genre-on-steam