The escape room was originally designed by students in the Honours Lab, who created an immersive game on a very small budget. In one hour, participants step into the challenges and strengths of someone living with ADHD. The experience has already proven to be a success: within days the escape room was fully booked and in the meantime it attracted national media attention.
“People with ADHD face challenges in their lives, but many of them also experience positive aspects associated with ADHD. However, the focus is often only on negative aspects. We want to show a more complete picture – including creativity, loyalty, and unique ways of thinking,” explains Martine Hoogman, researcher at Radboudumc and affiliated to the Donders Institute. Project leader Jeanette Mostert adds: “Our students surprised us by creating a complete escape room that already works far better than we could have imagined. “This new funding allows the team to take the next step to develop a professional, mobile version together with The Great Escape in Zwolle.”
The success of the escape room is evident: it already attracted schools and companies as well as private groups. The project recently won the Envision Award for the most creative and impactful science communication to the public from the Radboudumc. It will also be showcased as an example of science communication at the upcoming NWO National Science Communication Day on 6 October.
Jet Sterkman is one of the students working on the escape room noticed that visitors during the summer often say they find the escape room challenging but enjoyable: “Many people recognise aspects of ADHD and/or feel that they have learned more about ADHD by the end”.
From prototype to transportable game
Transforming the escape room into a transportable game, such as escape box Rosetta’s Language Stone from the Kletskoppen Fesitval, will allow the escape room to travel to reach a wider audience, especially young people between 15 and 25 years old, in schools, universities, and beyond. It will continue to be a collaborative effort with HAN and ROC as well as ADHD associations Impuls & Woortblind, ensuring that the escape room remains accessible and relevant to people with and without ADHD.
New timeslots added
Read more on the ADHD Escape Room or check the NWO announcement and make sure to follow the ADHD Escape Room on Instagram to stay up to date about new timeslots to experience the escape room this fall yourself.
If you would like to experience the ADHD Escape Room yourself, you are in luck. New timeslots during October were just added to the schedule and you can reserve your spot:
