https://www.dev-esc.com

Come and try to escape, and help me while doing so! I am seeking alpha testers.

* Fully remote; BYO video conf (works over Zoom, Skype, Teams, Google Meet - anything that enables screenshare + audio)

* Teams between 2 and 8 (although haven't tried different sizes much)

* You'll need to understand code, maybe write some code, hack a bit (needs a real computer, not a smart device)

* Currently planning a few manual test sessions, with me sitting in

Basic idea: for dev teams, coding together is something that is actually enjoyable. Get some satisfaction and build some team cameraderie without, y'know, meetings and JIRA and, well, clients/customers. Especially with covid-imposed remoteness, I see dev teams needing a bit of levity, a bit of (cringe) team building - I wanted to try a way that's not online drinking or a straight-up quiz.

Each player will be asked for a couple of things (player name, simple stuff), then the team is dropped together into the escape room. Swarm over the puzzles, pair up or spread out (up to you) - puzzle/code/hack your way out together, finish the endgame and then reflect on the fun you had on the way. Heavily influenced by Advent of Code, Project Euler.

I would like to charge for this eventually. The main challenges as I see it are content and game dynamics. I would like to learn from the first few teams that play. Getting the puzzle difficulty right, making hints available to the players at the right times, witnessing first-hand how different teams handle and react to the UX. That kind of thing.

As soon as there is a self-serve option I might do a "Show HN". For now, I'd love to hear people's initial reactions, ideas and feedback.