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This paper aims to present a systematic literature review on state-of-the-art Educational Escape Rooms (EERs) with the use of digital technologies. More specifically, the focus of the study is to present the current developments and trends concerning Digital Educational Escape Rooms (DEERs) and investigate how they foster learning outcomes for online learners. Additionally, the present study provides insights into the design process of such technology enhanced EERs. This review is attributed to identifying and covering research gaps since the current literature has focused on the pedagogical aspects of Escape Rooms (ERs) in education, but no studies seem to have been conducted in regard to the pedagogical implications of Digital Escape Rooms (DERs) in educational environments. Based on the exhaustive literature review, an agenda for future research is promised and the implications for designing innovative ER approaches have been highlighted. The anatomy of the fundamental components of conducting systematic literature reviews was followed. The results of the review could be addressed to multidisciplinary teams related to education, game researchers, educational researchers, faculty members, scholars, instructors, and protagonists of educational systems to encourage them to thoroughly study the core elements of DEERs and how they can be applied in virtual educational contexts to facilitate students’ learning achievements.

The traditional lecture-based model of teaching and learning has led to the exploration of innovative approaches including digital escape rooms. Digital escape rooms offer an immersive and engaging experience that promotes critical thinking, problem-solving, and teamwork, making them a unique opportunity to address the challenges of STEM education, which is often perceived as difficult, boring, and intimidating. In this study, the goal is to explore the application of digital escape rooms as an innovative practice in STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics) education in Europe. More specifically, the study aims to evaluate the influence of digital escape rooms on student engagement and learning outcomes in mathematics education as well as to provide valuable insights into the efficacy of this approach as a means of teaching mathematics and fostering active and experiential learning in STEAM education. In order to investigate the potential of digital escape rooms as a metaphor for breaking down barriers and escaping from the ”box” in STEM education, this paper proposes a conceptual framework for understanding the pedagogical value of digital escape rooms in STEM education. It outlines the design process, including learning paths and scenarios, storyline, puzzles, challenges, and feedback mechanisms, and presents a concept of escape room design patterns. An example case study of a digital escape room designed to teach mathematics to university students is also presented, providing insights into the effectiveness of this approach. By using digital escape rooms as a metaphor for breaking down barriers in STEM education, a more inclusive, engaging, and impactful learning environment can be created to prepare students for the challenges and opportunities of the 21st century.

Today’s adolescents represent an elective target in addressing environmental challenges. Education is a key factor in achieving a sustainable future for them. However, formal education can represent a challenge when youths are its target, as they are considered the “interactive generation”. Game-based learning, and, in particular, Digital Educational Escape Rooms (DERs), have emerged as innovative methods in education, with promising applications in environmental sustainability studies. In this study, we developed 14 Digital Escape Rooms using the Social Cognitive Theory of Bandura as a theoretical framework. These were focused on environmental education and we tested them on a sample of 411 students (aged 12–18 years; 158 female, 38.4%). A one-group quasi-experimental research design was adopted, carrying out a pre-test post-test analysis. Each participant completed assessments at two time points: before engaging in the escape rooms (T0) and after (T1). The assessment tools included the Goal Assessment Scale (GAS) and the Perceived Climate Self-Efficacy Scale. Our findings revealed no significant gender differences in goal achievement. However, at T0, females exhibited higher levels of perceived climate self-efficacy in both individual and collective dimensions. Instead, the Digital Escape Rooms appeared particularly effective in increasing self-efficacy among male participants. These results suggest that Digital Escape Rooms hold potential for enhancing environmental self-efficacy, although gender differences in baseline efficacy levels warrant further exploration.

This study evaluates the effectiveness of a digital escape room designed according to the Universal Design for Learning (UDL) principles as an educational tool to raise awareness about school bullying and cyberbullying in lower secondary education. Using a quasi-experimental design with 137 students (66 in the control group and 71 in the experimental group), the gamified activity was compared to a traditional expository intervention. Empathy was measured using the Brief Basic Empathy Scale (BES-B), and bullying-related knowledge and experiences were assessed with the SPB-A scale. The escape room integrated key UDL principles, including multiple means of representation (e.g., video, images, text), action and expression (interactive tasks and puzzles), and engagement (narrative-based missions and collaborative challenges). The results indicate significant improvements in knowledge about behaviors related to school bullying among participants who completed the escape room. Although changes in affective and cognitive empathy were not statistically significant, positive trends were observed in the experimental group. The immersive, collaborative, and accessible nature of the activity positions the escape room as a promising tool within broader strategies for bullying prevention.

This study explores the utilization of digital escape rooms for promoting environmental education. The goal is to investigate the effectiveness of this technology in enhancing users’ environmental knowledge and eco-friendly behaviors in their daily lives. For this purpose, a digital escape room was developed and used as a testbed for this research. Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) was used to evaluate its acceptance and impact on environmental education. As such, this study examines how the game’s perceived ease of use, enjoyment, and usefulness affect learning engagement, environmental knowledge, and, consequently, environmental behavior. A sample of university students was used to assess these relationships, and the results indicate that the digital escape room positively influences users’ environmental knowledge and encourages eco-friendly behaviors.

Background Gambling behaviors among adolescents and young adults have been experiencing an upward trend in the last years, possibly because of new habits developed during the COVID-19 lockdown restrictions. Different preventive strategies have been proposed: universal classroom-based interventions have shown promising evidence as preventive tools, but challenges exist in engaging the target audience effectively. Serious games, i.e., those designed with the specific intent to educate, broaden knowledge, and change behaviors, have been tested with positive outcomes. Digital escape rooms constitute a modality of serious game that has shown potential for a variety of educational purposes, but their efficacy for preventing addictive behaviors, as well as their long-term impact, has not been widely studied. Methods The present protocol includes two studies: Study 1 aims to examine changes in gambling habits among a large sample ( N  = 420) of adolescents and young adults (aged 16–25) in Aragon, Spain, comparing pre-COVID-19 data to current trends. It will assess various gambling types, including online betting, and estimate the prevalence of problem gambling. Study 2 will be a cluster-randomized controlled trial focused on testing the effectiveness of the GAMBL-OUT digital escape-room in preventing gambling among a sample of 240 youngsters. It will evaluate knowledge, intentions, and attitudes pre- and post-intervention, as well as in a 3-month follow-up assessment. Implementation outcomes will also be assessed using qualitative methods, considering acceptability, adoption, appropriateness, feasibility, fidelity, penetration, and sustainability. Discussion The present project aims at assessing the gambling habits of a sample of 16–25-year-olds in the region of Aragon, Spain, that could be compared to the data gathered before the pandemic started, so not only the prevalence rates can be updated but also potential differences in habits (e.g., preferred gambling alternatives) can be detected. This will undoubtedly help the design of effective preventive measures, such as the GAMBL-OUT digital escape room, a serious game to be implemented in high schools with the aim of increasing knowledge, reducing intentions to gamble, and changing attitudes towards gambling. Trial registration This study was registered in ClinicalTrials.gov on 25/03/2025; registration number: NCT06904794.

The focus of this paper is the development of a digital escape room for pilots' training in flight safety procedures. To this end, we will discuss the methodology we used in order to make sure that each stage of the evolution of our digital platform is safe and suitable for educational use. Therefore, we will analyse the first stages towards the construction and evaluation of the scenarios incorporated in our entirely digital escape room that is intended for the T-6A Texan II pilots' education. Because of the educational character of the digital escape room, the theoretical background of our research is extremely important, since it provides the escape room with the educational aspect. As a result, for the narratives of our simulations and the development of our emergency cases, we used as our baseline the flight manual, the boldface procedures and the operating limitations of T-6A aircraft and we selected the categories of incidents/emergencies to be used as part of our virtual escape room. We, then, constructed the trial-run scenarios that we asked pilots to solve. Finally, we conducted extensive field research with the development and use of appropriate questionnaires and interviews to evaluate the realism of our scenarios. Based on the feedback we received from the field research, we will conclude this paper by discussing the limitations of this study, but also our ideas for future improvements and a timeline on our research progress, as well as on further developing our virtual escape room.

Digital escape rooms are increasingly used as active learning tools in higher education, yet evidence from preclinical biomedical subjects and comparisons across academic years remains limited. This study examined students’ perceptions of digital escape rooms implemented in four compulsory Biology courses: Cell Biology (Year 1), Histology (Year 2), General Immunology (Year 3) and Immunopathology (Year 4). A cross-sectional mixed-methods design was applied. Students completed an 11-item Likert-scale questionnaire assessing educational impact, interactivity, motivation and overall perception, together with one open-ended question. A total of 123 students participated. All dimensions received positive ratings, but differences emerged between courses. Histology obtained the highest scores across dimensions, Cell Biology the lowest, and the Immunology courses intermediate values. Significant differences were mainly observed between Histology and the other courses, and between Cell Biology and advanced subjects. Correlations between dimensions were moderate to strong (r = 0.54–0.67). Qualitative analysis identified five themes: deep but topic-specific learning, creativity and interactivity as motivational drivers, high workload relative to assessment weight, technical issues requiring clearer guidance, and variable group dynamics. Overall, digital escape rooms perceived usefulness depended on disciplinary alignment, academic level and workload. Structured scaffolding is essential for integration into biomedical curricula.

This paper presents the development and formative evaluation of an early-stage prototype of a digital escape room designed for student tutor training at TUD Dresden University of Technology. The study focuses on usability and motivation rather than learning gains. The escape room simulates typical challenges encountered in the everyday life of student tutors, such as dealing with technical issues, structuring seminars, and responding to disruptions. The scenario places players in the role of a tutor who must prepare a seminar room within a limited timeframe while overcoming realistic obstacles. Each task must be solved logically and sequentially, guided by minimal interface elements and visual feedback. The challenge lies in identifying problems, making decisions under time pressure, and learning through trial and error, elements that mirror real tutoring situations. The design is anchored in the principles of flow theory (Csikszentmihalyi, 1990) and deindividuation theory (Zimbardo, 1969; Joinson, 2001) to enable engaging and supportive learning. The prototype was evaluated in a two-stage process: qualitatively using the thinking-aloud method, and quantitatively via an online survey on self-efficacy and usability. Initial feedback shows high acceptance of the format and a strong motivational effect, particularly due to the immersive setting, clear progress indicators, and gamified elements. Nevertheless, findings also revealed areas for improvement, most notably in onboarding, clarity of task instructions, and technical stability. Planned improvements directly address these points through redesigned task prompts, enhanced navigation aids, and an introductory onboarding module. The project demonstrates how such game-based formats can serve as scalable, accessible tools for tutor training in higher education.

In recent years, educational digital escape room games (EDERGs) have become a dynamic method for fostering problem-solving, collaboration, and engagement in learning environments. Simultaneously, artificial intelligence (AI) has emerged as a powerful tool to enhance personalization, adaptivity, and real-time feedback in educational contexts. While both domains hold significant pedagogical potential, teachers often lack accessible guidance on how to meaningfully integrate AI into the design of educational games. This study addresses this gap by proposing a design and development research (DDR) project aimed at constructing a step-by-step framework to support teachers in designing AI-enhanced EDERGs. The research explores the question: How can teachers design AI-enhanced EDERGs? Drawing on insights from previous professional development sessions with in-service teachers, this study adopts a qualitative approach to capture educators' experiences, needs, and reflections. Through iterative cycles of analysis, design, evaluation, and refinement, we develop a practical and theoretically grounded framework that combines game-based learning principles with AI-enhanced instructional strategies. The proposed framework outlines key design steps, including setting pedagogical goals, crafting meaningful narratives, designing puzzles aligned with learning outcomes, and integrating AI components such as adaptive hints, automated feedback, and learner analytics. Teacher feedback collected through interviews and reflection journals informs the refinement of the model, ensuring its usability and relevance in real classroom settings. This paper presents the initial version of the framework along with examples of how it can be applied by teachers with varying levels of technical expertise. By bridging the gap between game-based learning and AI integration, the framework aims to empower educators to create more engaging and responsive learning experiences. The study contributes to the field by offering both a practical design guide for educators and a foundation for future research on AI-supported educational game development.