About Memoirscape

Memoirscape is a cozy,  untimed, immersive experience that asks guests  to become participants in the first live demonstration of Dr. Julia Adler’s work on interactive memories—reconstructing, for this first test, Dr. Adler’s own happy memory of the summer of 1986 in her grandmother’s apartment, the last she spent there before heading off to college. Memoirscape can be played in-person by single players and groups of 2-4 players, or remotely by single players and groups of 2-8 players (see “Digital Play Experience” below for more information!). In-person play occurs in an academic building on the WPI campus, and the experience can accommodate a total of 16 players (or four groups) playing simultaneously, though it is not a requirement. 

A successor to the Fall 2023 Home for the Holidays escape room built by WPI’s Interactive Media and Game Development students for Prof. Melissa Kagen’s “Design of Interactive Experiences” course, Memoirscape deliberately centers the concepts of cozyness, nostalgia, embedded narrative, and collaborative play, creating an environment where diverse playstyles—and both novices and experts alike—can experience Memoirscape at their own pace: whether through cozying up within Adler’s childhood bedroom or through the pursuit of puzzle-solving endeavors. Regardless of their chosen method of play, guests become integral participants in Dr. Adler’s narrative.

Using tools such as immersive theater and environmental storytelling, the Spring team that brought Memoirscape to life sought to cultivate an atmosphere of cozy immersion, eschewing competitive dynamics in favor of collaborative engagement. Informed by foundational concepts such as the “magic circle” and the burgeoning genre of “cozy games,” the design fosters an environment where players are invited to suspend disbelief and immerse themselves fully in the unfolding narrative. An in-depth discussion of these topics, and the creative work behind Memoirscape, can be seen in Boston Post Mortem‘s recent interview of members of the Spring team. 

Is Memoirscape an “escape room”?

Escape rooms typically require players to sequentially solve a series of interactive puzzles, within a specific timeframe, to achieve an ‘escape’ from a themed room.

• Memoirscape doesn’t ask you to try and escape. Instead, you are invited to immerse yourself in the space, let your curiosity guide you, and notice what unfolds. Allow yourself to be curious, to play around, to savor. Through this gentle exploration, the narrative will reveal itself, layer by layer.
• Memoirscape doesn’t have a required timeframe. From the time you enter to the time we close, you’re free to stay for as little or as long as you like, with only your entrance time limiting how long you have to play. 

So if Memoirscape isn’t an escape room…what is it? The  simplest answer is that we’re an “immersive narrative,” where guests have the chance to step into a story and play the part of participants in an experiment being run by Dr. Adler for her interactive memory lab. No acting skills are necessary; think more of a murder mystery dinner party, or a trip to a Renaissance Faire, or even a visit to a theme park’s princess castle. Guests can choose the level they participate—it wouldn’t be cozy if they couldn’t! But we believe that there should be lower thresholds for puzzle-based experiences like escape rooms, so we built Memoirscape with that goal in mind: something for people who might love the world of immersive, interactive experiences if they had the chance, but are hesitant to jump into an intense, time-based space with the need to escape at its core.

Memoirscape isn’t a trap you have to escape; it’s an experience, like childhood, you’ll eventually have to leave behind. How you choose to do so, what you do when you leave, and how you feel about your memory of it…that’s what’s up to you.

Memoirscape is scheduled to run on four days in A-term of the 2024-25 academic year:

• Wednesday, September 18
• Friday, September 20
• Monday, September 23
• Wednesday, September 25

Memoirscape isn’t a timed experience

Your only limiting factors are when you book your entrance time and when we close for the day. For the limited A-term extension, our ticketed entrance times vary by day; please consult the booking page. The experience closes one hour after the final entrance time; for example, if the last entrance time is 5:00pm, closing is at 6:00pm.

We recommend guests plan a minimum of 1 hour of play within the experience, though they are free to leave at any time; however,  if you’re planning a fast experience, be advised that we have had many, many players find themselves spending more time than they intended within Memoirscape (or wishing they could)!

Why every half hour?

Memoirscape isn’t a closed half-hour experience; instead, entry times are staggered every half hour. In addition to helping us maintain a range of play, that timing also allows us to introduce you to the experience, provide you safety guidelines, and answer any last-minute questions you may have before entering the experience

Depending on what kind of experience you want to have, you might be interested in choosing a particular entry time:

• Want to give yourself time to explore, learn, and play at your own pace? Book an earlier entrance time.
• Want to test yourself against the clock to discover the story inside the room? Book a later entrance time.
• Not sure what sort of player you are yet? Pick any open entry time; room attendants will be present to help answer questions and guide you toward the kind of experience you want to have.

For the limited-time extension, tickets are free!

Memoirscape isn’t a closed experience; instead, entry times are staggered every half hour so other guests may enter (and leave!) the room while your group is in it. In addition to helping us maintain a range of play, that timing also allows us to introduce you to the experience, provide you safety guidelines, and answer any last-minute questions you may have before entering.

• Interested in experiencing Memoirscape with just your party? Booking the earliest entry time will give up to 4 guests half an hour to experience Memoirscape without other guests present.
• Interested is experiencing Memoirscape with others? While there’s no predicting how many guests will be present at any time, a later entrance time is likely to have guests still active and enjoying the experience.

Accessibility

As part of creating an immersive, interactive environment based on a specific time period, Memoirscape has some elements that may not be accessible for some guests. Parts of this experience may include:

• audio/visual elements that may include unclear sound, unexpected sound, continuous sound;
• manipulating small objects;
• bending down and/or picking things up from the floor;
• moving through one or more non-ADA accessible entrance(s);
• moving short distances, such as from the parking lot to the building entrance to the elevator that leads to check-in.

Depending on accessibility needs, alternate materials and routes may be available.

Allergens

Parts of this experience may include:

• airborne perfume
• food/drink

Content

Please see this page if you have any specific concerns over the content found in this experience.

Available Assistance

For questions or concerns  regarding any of the above:

• Prior to reserving a time, guests are encouraged to contact the Memoirscape team directly;
• upon arrival guests can speak to the lobby attendant; and
• during the experience guests can speak to the lobby or room attendant.

While there is no specific age range for the full Memoirscape experience, children under the age of 8 may have difficulty with the experience; children between the ages of 8 and 13 would benefit from adult supervision.

Due to the staggered timing and limited space, we recommend making reservations in advance. Walk-ins may be admitted based on availability, but we cannot guarantee entrance.

About IMGD

WPI Interactive Media and Game Development (IMGD) is among the oldest games and interactive  media degrees in the nation. Blending the visual and technical arts, programming, storytelling, music, writing, design, user experience, and production management, IMGD offers highly customizable degree programs that both covers the breadth of interactive media and games and empowers students to specialize in their own area of interest. One of the only academic units in the nation that has all the areas of games and interactive media within a single program, IMGD is a hyper-collaborative program. Through course and project work, IMGD trains students at all levels both in development of specialized skillsets and in how to effectively and respectfully communicate with each other, collaborate, and work toward common design goals that require all those skills to align.

About Worcester Polytechnic Institute

WPI is a top-tier STEM-focused research university and a recognized pioneer and global leader in project-based learning. Founded in 1865 on the principle that students learn most effectively by applying the theory learned in the classroom to the practice of solving real-world problems, WPI’s continued mission is to transform lives, turn knowledge into action to confront global challenges, and revolutionize STEM through distinctive and inclusive education, projects, and research.  WPI’s project-based curriculum engages undergraduates in solving important scientific, technological, and societal problems throughout their education and at more than 50 project centers around the world.  Today WPI offers more than 70 bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral degree programs across 18 academic departments in science, engineering, technology, business, the social sciences, and the humanities and arts. To help address ongoing challenges, improve lives, and help create a more sustainable world, WPI faculty and students pursue groundbreaking research in such areas as the life sciences, smart technologies, materials and manufacturing, and global initiatives.