“My job as a developer helps to make game sets more vivid and immersive.”

As a developer at Kryptex, Manon Lagasse is in charge of coding the special effects, sounds and other puzzles that make up the games. She talks about the electronic requirements of some projects and the importance of computer development in the design of escape games.

Can you explain the role of the developer in an escape game project?

I work in the electronic-computing team. I code all the special effects, sounds and lights in the escape game rooms. I also take part in the development of the game master software that allows to automate the room. I also code the different puzzles.

What is your initial training? What brought you to the escape game?

I have an engineering degree in computer science. I discovered escape games when I was studying, I made a few. Right away, I saw it as a sector of interest because it was close to my study projects, which were about connected objects and home automation. It’s pretty similar except that it’s in the gaming field. And when I left school, I was hired in a company specialized in the creation of escape games.

What drives you to develop an escape game?

In terms of technology, it’s quite similar to what we deploy in home automation. In the escape game, I like the possibility to test, to discuss with the designers, to give them and propose ideas to make the game alive. My job allows me to make the settings more alive and more immersive, and that’s great. I touch many more areas, it’s much more complete. At school, I only did embedded development, whereas here I do network installation, I take part in electronics and I sometimes go to construction sites. It’s much more multi-disciplinary.

What are your favorite projects to work on?

The project Crime on the Orient Express made a big impression on me. The scenery was incredible, the fact that we could add special effects, doors that opened by themselves, sounds that surprised the players, it was really stimulating. I also really enjoyed the Houdini’s Chest project . I had been to install it in Perpignan, it is a very elaborate project at the electronic level. This is one of the most complex projects I’ve been involved in. There are a lot of puzzles with an optical illusion system. By placing elements on the box, the player can open traps. There was also a round screen on the side to keep track of its progress as well as touch-sensitive mini-games on the top of the box. What I liked best was the backlit stained glass window on the side that allowed drawings to appear through transparency. It was very advanced in terms of computer design.