You pay a visit to an eccentric colleague, a specialist in AI and the Internet of Things. Entering her mansion-lab, a holographic AI agent welcomes you:
As the agent speaks, you hear the subtle but unmistakeable click of the door lock behind you...
The Missing Links is a unique virtual escape room.
It's a computer science-themed experience, where you'll find inspiration from networks, bits & bytes, cryptography, NP-completeness, and more. We recommend that most of your team should have basic knowledge of computer science, but non-experts can play too and solve most of the puzzles.
The game also uses an unusual medium that mimics elements of a physical escape room experience — it is played entirely within Google Slides. Just as in the real world, you can interact with what's around you. The features of Slides form the "physics" of the game, so you will have the freedom to use your creativity in solving the puzzles.
Can you use your computer science knowledge and puzzle-solving skills to fix the network and escape the mansion?
We're excited that Escape The Roomers awarded The Missing Links a Bullseye Award in the Best Innovator of the Year category for 2022!
Escape The Roomers reviewed The Missing Links in August 2022:
"I must say that I was very impressed on how 'The Missing Links' was nicely built by putting the essence of the escape room and computer science-themed puzzles all together using Google Slides. ... I loved the story and the structure of the game. The atmosphere of a virtual escape room created by pictures and slides was very engaging. I really enjoyed learning some of the basic materials used in the area while playing this game. If team members have basic knowledge of computer science, that definitely helps to finish the game faster. But, even if players are not familiar with the field, I believe they can still enjoy it like I did because the hints were very organized and helpful. ... I recommend this game to those who love anything about computer science, the internet, logical puzzles, or difficult challenges. This game can be a fun introductory educational tool for those who are interested in computer science. So, why don't you visit the computer genius and see what you can do in her mansion?"
"5 of us went through the escape room just now, and it was a TON of fun! I'm really impressed as how well you were able to utilize Slides for this."
-- A player from the Google Slides team
"Let me tell you that it was really fun, interesting, and challenging. The first challenge was to organize ourselves. ... But in the end, we naturally were solving and collaborating in all the challenges. ... All in all, it was a fantastic experience, my friends and I loved it."
-- Fabricio R.
"We thoroughly enjoyed the game and look forward to seeing another one from you in the future. ... The puzzles were quite well put together and I really enjoyed the flow of the game."
-- Sal B.
We're excited that Escape The Roomers awarded The Missing Links a Bullseye Award in the Best Innovator of the Year category for 2022!
Escape The Roomers reviewed The Missing Links in August 2022:
"I must say that I was very impressed on how 'The Missing Links' was nicely built by putting the essence of the escape room and computer science-themed puzzles all together using Google Slides. ... I loved the story and the structure of the game. The atmosphere of a virtual escape room created by pictures and slides was very engaging. I really enjoyed learning some of the basic materials used in the area while playing this game. If team members have basic knowledge of computer science, that definitely helps to finish the game faster. But, even if players are not familiar with the field, I believe they can still enjoy it like I did because the hints were very organized and helpful. ... I recommend this game to those who love anything about computer science, the internet, logical puzzles, or difficult challenges. This game can be a fun introductory educational tool for those who are interested in computer science. So, why don't you visit the computer genius and see what you can do in her mansion?"
"5 of us went through the escape room just now, and it was a TON of fun! I'm really impressed as how well you were able to utilize Slides for this."
-- A player from the Google Slides team
"Let me tell you that it was really fun, interesting, and challenging. The first challenge was to organize ourselves. ... But in the end, we naturally were solving and collaborating in all the challenges. ... All in all, it was a fantastic experience, my friends and I loved it."
-- Fabricio R.
"We thoroughly enjoyed the game and look forward to seeing another one from you in the future. ... The puzzles were quite well put together and I really enjoyed the flow of the game."
-- Sal B.
The Missing Links is played collaboratively in about 2 hours for teams of 3-6 players. For one or two players, expect a longer game. You can play with larger teams at your own risk (collaboration might be compromised).
What you'll need:
We're currently delivering game codes via email while switching providers. So just send us a request at labcontrolagent@gmail.com and we'll reply with a game code, free of charge!
Looking for an engaging social activity for your event? If you'd like to set up games for multiple teams, or have a game designer present to kick off the game, contact us.
The Missing Links is free for use by educational institutions. To schedule an event, email us. We can also arrange educational presentations of the computer science concepts in the game.
