CSCape: A Video-Based Escape Room Framework (Not Only) for Computer Science

CSCape is an open-source software framework, presented by Johannes Schildgen of Regensburg University of Applied Sciences, for building interactive, video-based escape-room learning experiences. It runs on a low-cost device such as a Raspberry Pi connected to a projector or TV, displaying a black screen until a task is completed, at which point a story video plays. Educators supply videos or slides and write Python check functions that verify whether players have solved each task, for instance by querying a database, inspecting a network configuration, or validating entries in a Google Form or spreadsheet. The paper positions the framework as primarily aimed at computer science education but applicable across academic disciplines.

The architecture separates the presentation layer, built on reveal.js slides in index.html, from the game logic in game.py and the orchestration in cscape.py. Players work on their own laptops, phones, or pre-configured room computers, and submit input through a Game Data Store, a key-value endpoint whose values can be read by check functions and displayed dynamically on slides. Additional features include Telegram push notifications to the educator, parallel task groups, action methods that can trigger effects such as smart plugs or lights, and a Story Styles plugin that uses text-to-speech dialogue instead of pre-recorded video. The paper illustrates use cases in SQL, Linux administration, cybersecurity, programming, and spreadsheet work, and presents a worked case study, "Luigi's Missing Pizza Order," in which players practice Excel formulas.

The paper offers no empirical evaluation. It contains no survey data, learner outcome measurements, or user-testing results, and its claims about motivation, engagement, and learning effectiveness rest on the cited literature and design intent rather than on data collected for CSCape itself. The framework's contribution is therefore best understood as a technical and design proposal, with an open-source repository and a vision of an educator-driven marketplace for shared scenarios, the feasibility and pedagogical impact of which remain to be validated.