You're the Host
As the host of this event, you (or another adult) will prepare everything so the kids can escape. Your role is like the Game Master from other escape rooms: do a quick intro, keep things running smoothly, and check answers for each challenge. Don't worry, there's a simple 1-page cheat sheet.
So, What Will This All Look Like?
You could totally unleash your inner mastermind and build a labyrinthine puzzle room across your whole house, but most likely your game will look something like this real family's setup:
Printing The Escape Kit
Open the PDF file from your email download link and print the escape kit on standard A4 paper at home, or take it to a printing/xerox shop.
There's no need for high-gloss paper or professional printing since the gritty style looks almost identical either way. Using thicker card (200 GSM Satin paper) adds a nice touch, but it's by no means necessary.
The game is designed for teams of 1-5 players. Got a larger group? Just print the kit out several times and run it as a competitive team event.
- 1-5 players Print 1 copy
- 6-10 players Print 2 copies
- 11-15 players Print 3 copies
- 16-20 players Print 4 copies
Printing The Bonus Gear
Lost Mummy has a bunch of extra stuff to enhance your escape room theme: photo booth props, posters, party invites, Facebook event details, and even a bonus challenge, all found under the Props folder in your download. All optional, but totally worth it for a truly immersive experience.
Posters
Open the PDF under the Posters folder. You'll likely only want a few, so when you print, type in the page numbers separated by commas.
Photo Booth Props
Open Props → Photo Booth Props → Ready to Print.pdf. Specify which pages to print, cut out the props, pose, and let the adventures begin! Tip: tape a skewer to the glasses to make them easier to hold.
Printing Just a Few Pages
Separate which posters you want to print by typing the page numbers into your print dialog, separated by commas, like the example shown.
Tripwire Challenge To End The Game
A bonus physical challenge that finishes the game with a few laughs, tape string or streamers through a hallway, players must touch each "Pressure Plate" without touching the cords. Find it under Props → Trip Maze in your download.
The answer to the final puzzle is "Avoid the tripwires." It's a nice ending on its own, but it's way cooler if there's an actual tripwire puzzle to escape right after, your kids will love it!
Birthday Party Invitations
Find these under the Invitations folder. Open the PowerPoint file, edit whichever invite you like, then File → Export → JPEG to save each as a photo (sized for standard 4x6 prints). Print them, or share directly on Facebook or Instagram.
Facebook Cover & Event Description
A themed Facebook event cover is bundled in your download so you can share the invite with everyone coming. Copy-paste the included event description below and edit the details if you'd rather not write your own.
To celebrate EVA'S 12TH birthday we're transforming our place into an Egyptian-themed escape room. The kids will make teams and race to solve the mystery of the Lost Mummy and escape the tomb.
What to bring? This will be a party full of Egyptian trickery and ancient food. If you have time, we'd love you to bring a plate of something that feels older than we are, let's show these kids what real ancient is!
What to wear? The ancient past is coming alive, so your kid (and you) can come dressed as Moldy Mummies, Fancy Pharaohs, or Desert Deserters.
We'd love a few parents to help support teams where needed, so we'd love you to theme up and stay for the party.
Presents: This year we're going with ADD YOUR PRESENTS OPTION HERE OR DELETE.
Setup the Puzzle Sheets
Once everything's printed, here's how it all comes together.
What Are The Answers?
During the game, kids can either come to you for hints or use the hints page on their phone. If you've got a manageable group size, just open up the hints section on your phone and let the kids come to you, that way you can give the best hint for where each group is at and help teams catch up if they're falling behind.
Get HintsNow You're Ready to Begin the Game
- 1Since this is a new experience for most children, explain how escape rooms work. A good hook is asking if anyone's played a digital escape room app.
- 2Use your most dramatic voice to read out the storyline below. It's also on the hints page, which you'll probably want ready on your phone.
- 3Each team should appoint a leader and choose a team name.
- 4Players enter their answers into the Solutions Card, each answer fits exactly into one of the boxes provided, so it's obvious once a puzzle is solved. When random letters magically spell "Pharaoh," they'll know they've crushed it.
- 5(Optional) Teams can race with the winning team finishing first, or play this 60-minute timer video on your phone.
- 6(Optional) If they can't complete the game in time, they'll need to drink "mummy juice" from a canopic jar to survive a little longer, then give them a hint. Make "mummy juice" by blending M&M's, milk, and ketchup into a smoothie, looks gross, tastes okay, kids love this stuff.
- 7They'll need pens, scissors, glue/tape, and spare paper. Get everyone hyped up and begin the game!
- 8Open the hints page on your phone so you can give your crew the answers, and don't forget to play the background music.
The Ground Trembles...
As an explorer, you've always dreamed of adventuring through Egypt. It's where your grandfather, Howard Carter, discovered the remains of the ancient pharaoh Tutankhamun. But he had a secret, something he never told anyone other than you: he believed there was another tomb connected to the first. A hidden tomb. A Lost Mummy.
That's what you've spent years preparing for, and now it's your chance to find it! While the boat ride to Egypt took forever, you've finally set foot on dusty sand, ready to unearth this mystery.
Add Authentic Egyptian Style With These Extras
Add Combination Padlocks
One of the solutions (Stone Block Cut Out) is a 4-digit code, so you can easily add a combination padlock. Place that challenge's puzzle sheets in a box or container, seal it with a padlock, and set it to:
Long Lost Chamber: 3245
Posters and Invites
Print as many or as few as you like:
- Scene posters, for setting the mood in each room
- Victory posters, for group photos
- Invites, print or share digitally
Get Additional Props
- Stick the puzzle sheets in piles of sand on a table
- Add stones, sticks, and torn fabric
- Small Egyptian-themed toys, so each child goes home with a memorable gift
- Egyptian wall stickers or other themed props like inflatable palm trees
How to Run the Escape Game in a Classroom or Large Group
The best way to run Lost Mummy for a classroom or large party is a simultaneous race to finish first. Print a copy of the game for every 4-6 players, then:
- Split the larger group into teams of 4-6 kids racing to finish first
- Each group plays simultaneously
- Hand out the first challenge to each team, once they get it right, pass them the next one, this keeps things in order and prevents confusion
- Make a big moment out of revealing the winning team, it's a highlight of the challenge