Escape room concepts

[SailorLovins]

Hello my fellow gamers!

i am trying to add some new concepts to my sandbox world. I really like puzzle concepts and have a few Rune, Door Lock and Floor puzzle concepts in my arsenal. Some of my favorite video games are The Room (Mobile), Myst and recently Rune for VR (an escape room / combat game playing as a sorcerer).
i can be rather distracted and virtually all of my DMing is done on the fly based on background plot lines I have generated or the players have created.
However with escape room and investigator type adventures you must plan or the players won’t be challenged or worse plot holes pock your adventure.
how would you begin planning an escape room? I’m not artist but can use copy and paste when I purchase an artists work. How would you plan out your locks and keys? How would you plan out your clues? What if the PCs find a device and it has multiple hidden compartments with clues and keys? How would you handle the investigation check? Lastly do you know of any published resources (cost is of no consequence) that help design escape rooms?
If the players like it enough (they are very very intelligent and creative players) then I am likely going to publish my adventure if I can find an artist that will work with me.
Happy adventuring!
Sincerely,
Jeff “Sailor_Lovins” Lovins

[Fear Grounds]

how would you begin planning an escape room?

Instead of "escape room", I tend to design my adventures more like "Silent Hill". You find something in one place that can be used to complete a puzzle elsewhere. IE: you find a statue here, that can be used to open a hidden door four rooms away, kinda things. Leave clues to the proper activation of the puzzle as images on the walls/floors/wherever. And of course include "false keys" so that the players actually have to pay attention to what they are doing. All of these can become engaging story elements as well as interesting souvenirs for the players to acquire.

What if the PCs find a device and it has multiple hidden compartments with clues and keys? How would you handle the investigation check?

Think sequential puzzles here:

Set the investigation DC to find step/compartment one. This one should in theory be quite hard. The players have to roll to see if they can solve the "first move". Success lets them open the first compartment, and allows them to attempt to solve/open the second.

Set the DC to find step/compartment two. They could use clues or keys they have found, to open the "second move"(revealed after completing the first step). The DC should be easier for this compartment/step, if they have found the clues or keys you have laid out for them. Success lets them open this compartment, and allows them to attempt to solve the third.

You could add as many compartments/steps to access the device as you wish.

This could easily make the "device" a powerful and engaging story hook. You may want to make the device immune to magic, so someone doesn't just cast "Knock" a bunch of times and ruin the fun for everyone else. Maybe it emits a small anti-magic field, or just through superior construction cannot be unlocked by magic(artifact).

Lastly do you know of any published resources (cost is of no consequence) that help design escape rooms?

Google search escape room ideas. There are a multitude of ideas, tips, and tutorials for escape room concepts.