Module 1 - START
Conceptualising an escape game on social entrepreneurship
1. Identifying the target audience and setting the appropriate difficulty level
1.1 Why the target audience comes first
Every educational escape game must be designed with a specific group of learners in mind. Social entrepreneurship encompasses a wide range of concepts – from basic civic engagement to advanced impact measurement – and not all learners start from the same level of experience, motivation, or cognitive readiness.
Clearly defining the target audience allows creators to:
- Select appropriate language and terminology
- Adjust the cognitive and emotional complexity of challenges
- Decide on group size and collaboration intensity
- Choose suitable digital tools and accessibility features
Without this step, there is a risk that the escape game becomes either too simplistic (leading to disengagement) or too complex (causing frustration and cognitive overload).
Activity: True/False questions
Decide whether the statements are true or false.
1.2 Defining the target group
When defining the target audience, creators should consider several interrelated dimensions. These dimensions help translate an abstract “youth audience” into a concrete learner profile.
Age group
The age of participants strongly influences cognitive development, attention span, emotional maturity, and prior knowledge.
Possible age ranges include:
- Young people aged 15-18 (secondary school level):
Learners are often new to entrepreneurship concepts and benefit from guided discovery, clear instructions, and strong narrative motivation. - Young people aged 19-24 (upper secondary education, VET, early higher education):
Learners can engage with more complex scenarios, ethical dilemmas, and abstract thinking, and often appreciate real-world relevance. - Young adults aged 25-30 (youth work, higher education, entrepreneurship programmes):
Participants may bring professional or volunteer experience and can handle advanced decision-making, strategic thinking, and reflection.
Educational and professional background
Creators should consider:
- Learners with no prior experience in entrepreneurship or social innovation
- Learners with basic economic or civic education
- Learners already engaged in youth initiatives, NGOs, start-ups, or social projects
The game should not assume knowledge that participants do not yet have. When necessary, concepts should be introduced gradually through gameplay rather than lectures.
Learning context
The setting in which the escape game will be used affects its structure and facilitation:
- Formal education (schools, universities):
Time-limited sessions, curriculum alignment, assessment considerations. - Non-formal education (youth centres, NGOs, Erasmus+ activities):
Greater flexibility, focus on engagement, teamwork, and experiential learning. - Informal or online learning:
Higher need for intuitive design, self-explanatory instructions, and accessibility.
Cultural and linguistic diversity
Many Erasmus+ activities involve multicultural and multilingual groups. Creators should consider:
- Use of clear, simple language
- Avoidance of culture-specific references or stereotypes
- Visual support for instructions and clues
- Opportunities for collaboration across language levels
Inclusive design ensures that diversity becomes an asset rather than a barrier.
Activity: Matching
Drag each of the three elements to the correct drop zone.
1.3 Setting the difficulty level
Once the target group is defined, the next step is to determine the appropriate difficulty level of the escape game. Difficulty is not only about puzzle complexity but also about emotional pressure, time constraints, and cognitive load.
A well-designed educational escape game typically includes:
- A progression from simple to more complex tasks
- A balance between individual thinking and group collaboration
- Moments of challenge combined with achievable success
A practical approach is to design the game around three difficulty layers:
- Introductory level: simple logic, guided puzzles, clear cause-effect relationships.
Example: identifying the correct stakeholder in a simple community scenario. - Intermediate level: increased autonomy, limited resources, ethical choices.
Example: choosing between two solutions with different social impacts. - Advanced level: strategic thinking, trade-offs, evaluation of impact and sustainability.
Example: balancing financial sustainability with long-term community benefit.