How to create your very own Harry Potter Puzzle Room program!
Following the popular Escape Room trend, we created our very own puzzle room, based entirely in the Harry Potter world! This program was designed for teenagers, and is intended to take one hour to complete... but it can easily be adjusted and adapted based on your needs!
Warning: THIS IS A LONG POST!
... but it will contain all the links and details you need to recreate this program.
There is a summary of what you need at the bottom of the page, after the explanation of our setup.
There is a summary of what you need at the bottom of the page, after the explanation of our setup.
Here is the basic set up for our scenario. An original character (Nautilus Quirrell) has used a time-turner to steal one of Voldemort's horcruxes, in order to prevent Voldemort from being destroyed, and to avenge the death of his father (Professor Quirrell).
Rowena Ravenclaw's diadem is now locked in a Quidditch box and left in the library. A group of Hogwarts students need to unlock the box to reach the horcrux before Nautilus returns.
The full scenario is typed up HERE.
It includes the puzzle room's backstory as well as the first clue to get your group started.
In the puzzle room, we have 6 total locks to be undone.
LOCK ONE.
The first lock is very specific, as we used this lock. It's for sale on Amazon for about $12, but it conveniently has four numbers to unlock it (one red, one blue, one green, and one yellow). It matches up perfectly with the Hogwarts houses for the first clue. If you can't get this lock, you can use a different four-digit lock by simply coloring the dials (just Sharpie in the colors).
LOCK ONE.
The first lock is very specific, as we used this lock. It's for sale on Amazon for about $12, but it conveniently has four numbers to unlock it (one red, one blue, one green, and one yellow). It matches up perfectly with the Hogwarts houses for the first clue. If you can't get this lock, you can use a different four-digit lock by simply coloring the dials (just Sharpie in the colors).
The Hufflepuffs recapped Herbology lessons
The Ravenclaws (always) took notes
The Gryffindors doodled and daydreamed of quaffles
And the Slytherins raided their coats.
This lock is set to be opened with the combination 2564.This order is important, so if your colors aren't in the same order as mine, just switch which clue is at each location so it ends up reading 2564.
On our lock, the 2 lands on the red lock, so it goes with the Gryffindor clue. There is a number 2 hidden in the middle of the snitch on the doodle page. If your colors are in a different order, and you need to swap the numbers out, it should be easy to edit over (either on a computer, or with a piece of paper attached over the number on the printed page).
Our next digit wheel is green, which means the 5 is our Slytherin number. I printed out a Honeyduke's label to wrap around a Hershey's chocolate bar. The candy bar is left in the pocket of a coat we have draped over the back of the chair. I also threw in a few random notes in the pockets as well (kind of as a red herring). The number 5 is tucked into the Honeyduke's wrapper.
The Hufflepuff clue is Herbology, and the yellow number for me is 6, which we have hidden underneath a potted plant (if you don't have a plant available... anything plant-related works. A book or magazine on gardening, gardening gloves, a small shovel, an empty flower pot, a vase.. etc. You could even print off a plant diagram or something to that effect).
LOCK TWO
This is the trickiest lock of the bunch, as it has no extra clues. You can leave an old cell phone on the table if you have one, since they have the numbers and letters listed together. If the numbers from lock one are translated to letters (think old fashioned texting), it spells ALOH. This is why 'H' is left as a clue rather than '4.' Once they make this letter/number connection, they can check the spell list on Nautilus's Charms notes. As any Harry Potter fan knows, Alohomora is the unlocking spell. The second lock has 5 digits, spelling out the rest of the word. OMORA translates to 66672, which is the code to the second lock! This puzzle requires paper and pencils, so the players can decode the word.
LOCK THREE
For this one, we have a basic lock with a key. The key is taped underneath the timer we are using to mark the hour time restraint.
It's a pretty easy one to figure out, but sometimes the teens forget that the clock keeping their time is part of the game as well (there's a doodle on Nautilus's notes that says 'tick tock' to help guide them in that direction as well). This is the one we set to go off after an hour to mark the end of the challenge. We are using this timer, but have painted it to look like a chocolate frog to fit with our ambiance (we spray painted the whole thing glossy brown, and then painted over it with navy and gold for the box colors). If you don't want to deal with making a chocolate frog timer, the key can be taped to any sort of clock.
LOCK FOUR
Lock number four is a directional lock like this one. The code we have set for it is ^ < ^ <.
We were very lucky to have an old set of Lands and Peoples books at our disposal, where we hid the clue for this lock. You probably don't have these books laying around to write in, but there's an easy alternative. Lands and Peoples has a map of the British Isles in book 1, page 35 (which is a clue left on Nautilus's schedule... it stands out because it isn't written in 24 hour time). You just need to print off a picture of a map. We used invisible ink to draw the path of the Hogwarts Express. We found amazing details about this here, where someone else has done all the research. Essentially, the train travels North, West, North, West... which is what we tried to replicate with our lock. Just in case that wasn't enough, the bottom of the page (in invisible ink) reads "The Hogwarts Express moves N,W,N,W." Some teams figured this out without the bottom note, however.
Plus, to make the invisible ink more fun, we created a light wand. I started out with an invisible ink revealing pen light. I attached a plastic straw to the end of the light, and covered both the straw and the pen with electrical tape (so the light travels through a dark tube and comes out the end). I then covered the whole thing with hot glue and paint until it looked like a wand (though I left the button visible). The button turns on the black light, revealing the invisible ink on the map.
Once the kids figured out how to work the wand, I also handed over a larger blacklight so they could cover more space.
LOCK FIVE
For this clue, the teens needed to do a little research. The set up explains that Nautilus is planning to take Ravenclaw's diadem to Albania. This was a wonderful use for our Lands and Peoples set. Book III includes a chapter on Albania. I know that most people won't have access to this, so I scanned in the relevant page. It can be printed off and hidden in a stack of notes, or in a different book. To find this one, the teens needed to search through the table of contents on all seven books (unless they already knew where Albania is located).
The first page of the Albania chapter has an overlay that indicates the year 1939, which is the answer to the fifth lock! To make this overlay, I put a piece of tissue paper on top of the page I needed. I traced boxes around the words I wanted revealed, and then placed the same tissue paper over a blank piece of paper. I traced over the boxes again, enough to leave dents in the blank page. After that, it was pretty easy to cut the boxes with an x-acto knife. If you're using the same page/overlay as me, however, you can cut out the boxes from my scanned copy.
I hid the overlay in a hollowed out book. You can make one following a tutorial online, or you can purchase one. I made one from a book sale book we were lucky enough to have, titled The Complete Book of Garden Magic.
LOCK SIX
You've made it to lock six! This is the only lock that really needs any knowledge of Harry Potter, and it's only the first book/movie. This is a spell lock with 5 letters. The key for this lock is troll, and it comes from the clue 'Father's diversion SPELL in the dungeon.' This clue is hidden inside a chocolate frog box on the table. The box was printed off from here. You just cut it out, fold it, and glue it.
The trick with this clue is that Quirrell didn't use a spell as a diversion, he used a troll. The teens just needed to spell the word. Unfortunately, I forgot to scan this note in... so you can either write or type "Father's diversion SPELL in the dungeon." to place inside your chocolate frog box.
At the end of the hour, whether the team succeeds or not, they take a group picture. Following the tradition of most escape rooms, we have signs that show their success (or lack of). The signs I created are themed for the different Hogwarts houses, and are printed front and back with a successful message on one side, and an unsuccessful message on the other.
SUMMARY
Here's a quick recap of what you need for the program.
LOCKS:
BOX:
EXTRAS:
Frog Timer
Black Light Pen (for wand)
Old Phone (keypad type)
Old Book (to hollow out) or Book Safe
Plant
Chocolate Bar
Map of the British Isles
Jacket/Coat
Scrap Paper/Pencils
OPTIONAL PIECES:
(we used...)
Books
Stuffed Owl
Folder
Extra Red Herring Notes
Origami Chocolate Frog
Additional Chocolate Frog Boxes
Additional Honeydukes Wrappers
PRINTABLES:
EDIT: I've been informed that the original Albania page and overlay did not line up properly, so I have now uploaded new, cleaner copies.
All of these items should come in at a total less than $100. For us, most of the pieces were objects we already owned, or were able to borrow. If you've done an escape or puzzle room before, you probably have most of them on hand. Most of the items don't need to be exact, either. Any lockable tool/tackle box should work. You can probably find several combination locks around (there were certainly a few around my house from gym lockers and traveling and such).
This program plan is free and open for anyone's use! If you try it out, we'd LOVE to see pictures and stories with the hashtag #NautilusQuirrell .
If you have any questions, feel free to contact me at MagraceL@preblelibrary.org
Good luck!
