Immersive Experience Design, Olde City Escape Games, Philadelphia, PA
The Midnighters is a quirky mash-up 60-minute escape room that took several turns during the game writing/puzzle development process. The resulting game finds inspiration in Philadelphia’s infamous underground boxing culture, riffs on 1980s B-rated teen adventure and horror movies, and incorporates urban legend/lore from the City’s 1976 Bicentennial Time Capsule (rumored to be buried under Olde City Escape Game’s block on Chestnut Street). The game even throws in some nods to Philadelphia’s history with NASA and the Moon Tree. (True story: in 1971 Astronaut Stuart Roosa was on the Apollo 14 mission and brought tree seeds to space. Upon returning to Earth, one of the sycamore seeds was planted in Philly’s Washington Square Park). Make sense yet?
Map of the Midnighters Game Flow
Graphic design game flyer inspired by actual scenes under the El Train in the rough and tumble neighborhood of Kensington, Philadelphia. Vibes riff on B-rated teen films from the 1980s
Early conceptual game design for the Midnighters taking inspiration from 1980s horror movies and synth music that eventually inspired our game soundtrack.
THE NARRATIVE:
Distant dogs bark. The street is quiet and the moon illuminates the old metal door to the Brotherly Love Boxing Club, in Olde City, Philadelphia...
It’s 1988 and you are “The Midnighters,” a group of mischievous kids from the neighborhood. From your legendary break-in at the local arcade, to that time you snuck a “Midnighter’s” jacket on the statue of William Penn at City Hall, you feel like you’ve accomplished it all. Tonight, however, awaits your greatest adventure.
A moon rock gifted from NASA for Philadelphia’s 1976 bicentennial time capsule has been missing for over a decade. To this day, “The Heist of ‘79” remains an unsolved mystery. Urban legend has it that your crazy Uncle Mick, owner of the Brotherly Love Boxing Club, was in on the job. For years you’ve listen to your grandpa spill his suspicions about Mick having the time capsule stashed away in his gym...but no one’s ever had the guts to sneak in successfully to find out.
With recent headlines reporting the value of lunar rocks soaring on the black market, time is running out to recover the moon. Break into the old boxing club and follow where the mystery leads you as you try to uncover the undiscoverable in this Stranger Things meets Goonies-style adventure...but watch out because ol’ Mick’s probably already expecting you...
