Role
Lead Unity Developer & Designer

Description
A VR-exclusive escape room inspired by F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby. Players step onto Gatsby’s mansion patio, unlocking doors and uncovering story-driven puzzles (e.g., finding the “West Egg” key, opening Gatsby’s diary with DAISY’s name, wiring lights, and activating a gramophone) to ultimately place Gatsby’s journal under the iconic green light. The experience immerses students in the novel’s setting, characters, and symbolic themes.

Purpose
Created as an interactive literature supplement, this escape room brings The Great Gatsby to life by allowing students to engage with the novel’s iconic motifs (the green light, the East/West Eggs divide, Daisy’s significance) through hands-on puzzles and immersive VR environments. It aims to reinforce comprehension, foster engagement with the text’s symbols, and spark curiosity about its deeper meanings.

Key Responsibilities

• Puzzle Design & Implementation: Translated novel-inspired concepts into interactive VR challenges (e.g., “West Egg” key puzzle, 5-letter DAISY lock, fruit-wire color matching).
• VR Environment Building: Modeled the mansion’s porch, interior rooms, and final library or sitting room with the iconic green light.
• Narrative Integration: Wove in references to key themes—Daisy’s flowers, Gatsby’s parties, the green light—ensuring each puzzle felt true to the novel.
• Audio/Visual Effects: Integrated jazz-era music, voice prompts, and celebratory FX (confetti) for puzzle completion cues.
• User Experience Flow: Balanced puzzle complexity, hint pacing, and final “victory” scene timing for a smooth, rewarding experience.

Tech Stack

• Game Engine: Unity (C#)
• VR Integration: Oculus or similar VR SDK
• Version Control: Git, GitHub
• Audio Tools: Voiceover recordings, jazz music integration

Design Tools

• Figma (for puzzle flowcharts and UI mockups)
• Blender or Maya (creating mansion architecture, puzzle props, and decorative assets)
• Photoshop (texture design for items like the Easter-egg style containers, lock graphics, etc.)

Platform(s)

• VR Headsets only

Core Mechanics / Features

• Key & Lock Puzzles: Example: a decorative egg basket with compass directions, matching “West Egg” to find the mansion key.
• Name Lock: A heart-etched journal secured by a five-letter alpha lock, solved by identifying Daisy’s flowers.
• Party Setup: Gather fruit crates and wire them correctly to turn on twinkle lights, referencing Gatsby’s lavish parties.
• Record & Music Puzzle: A sequence-based lights clue (5-2-1-4) to select the correct numbered record, triggering jazz music.
• Green Light Finale: Place Gatsby’s journal near the fabled green light outside the window to lay his ghost to rest.