Throw A Cyberpunk Virtual Escape Room + Giveaway!

Want to throw a cyberpunk virtual escape room? This is my second escape room party I’ve hosted, and I’m excited to share tips that will help you bring this theme to life! It’s surprisingly easy, and adding some fun details will really make your party memorable, whether it’s in person or over Zoom!

Plus, I’m so excited to be offering a giveaway! One winner will get a free escape room from Lock, Paper, Scissors! Keep reading for details.

UPDATE: The contest has now closed.

PS this isn’t a sponsored post, but I am an affiliate for Lock, Paper, Scissors through ShareALink. That means if you click through a link to their website and make a purchase, I get a portion of the sale, at no additional cost to you. This post also contains Amazon affiliate links.

You might think it has to take a ton of work to throw a themed party, or that it would be too difficult to pull off a party through Zoom.

Due to chronic illness, I’m finding ways to continue my love of party planning on a smaller scale. Throwing a virtual party is much less taxing on my health and energy.

Be sure to check out my first post about throwing an archeology themed escape room set in 1920s Egypt.

Here are more tips for planning and hosting a fun and unforgettable themed escape room party!

Customize Your Theme (Or Not!)

For my party, I chose the Rebel Revolt escape room kit. I got this kit free after writing a review for Lock, Paper, Scissors on Facebook last year, which was pretty awesome!

The theme is very 1984/Fahrenheit 451. How perfect would this escape room be for a class or homeschool group studying George Orwell or Ray Bradbury!

PS check out my mini review of 1984 and other recent reads here.

I love the dystopian theme of the kit, and I decided to switch it up because I was in the mood for some vibrant colors and a colorful outfit. So I decided to take dystopian, but make it pretty. Voila: a cyberpunk party idea was born!

Instead of centering on a group of renegades trying to overthrow a corrupt government, my party is about a spaceship crew seeking to recover dangerous cargo from sentient robots bent on taking over a thriving space colony. (You know, your typical birthday.)

My changes to the kit this time around were more cosmetic—I changed the look of the kit, which was easy to do in PowerPoint. I also rewrote parts of the challenges to make them match up to my new storyline. I did end up tinkering with one of the puzzles, slightly changing a couple clues and the answer.

I love making up stories, so this was FUN for me! But if that’s not your style, you can use a kit as-is and you’re ready to go!

Last year, I used the Mummy’s Curse escape room kit and while it’s geared towards kids, my friends and I had a wonderful time. I changed the setting to the 1920s which made dressing up a dream.

Create Digital Save-The-Dates

I made save-the-dates using Canva to get guests excited about the theme. Canva is free and very easy to use. (I use it to create my blog graphics.) I just downloaded the image and texted it to my friends. Easy peasy!

I also created some images from Canva to give my escape room kit its new look. I chose fun Cyberpunk fonts and details that looked like circuitry, grids, and neon.

Include Fun Details In Your Invitations

Here are ideas I shared with my guests for making the party more interactive:

Choose a character name using this cyberpunk name generator.
Use a futuristic zoom background.
Bring a snack like freeze dried fruit for space travel, or anything else space-themed.

Make the Kit Easy to Share and Print

Since everyone would be printing out their own copy of the escape room kit, I wanted to make it easy for my guests to print and use.

I gave most of my pages a white background with subtle grid and circuitry details so my friends could save ink. I added pops of pink, purple and blue though, and didn’t change the colors on the puzzles.

I also wanted it to be easy for everyone to follow along at home. For the first challenge, I labeled each page 1A, 1B, etc. (The second challenge is 2A, 2B, etc.)

Once I had my escape room kit updated, I uploaded it to Dropbox, which is free. I also uploaded the invitation to Dropbox so my guests would have all the details in one place.

Write Yourself A Script

My script functions like an outline to keep the game flowing smoothly.

I start with a brief explanation of how the escape room will work. This is a good time to explain any house rules—for instance, I asked that we give everyone a couple minutes to look at the puzzles by ourselves before we started working on them together. I think this worked really well. Our goal wasn’t to get through the challenges in record time, but to enjoy the experience and let everyone have a chance to contribute.

I also make a note to make sure everyone has their scissors, pen and paper and remind myself to ask if anyone has questions.

Tip: A highlighter would have been helpful for this game too.

I also explain that if we get stuck, I can look up hints. I love that Lock, Paper, Scissors has an interactive webpage that helps you walk though the puzzles. If you get stuck, you can see multiple choice answers for each puzzle, hit a drop down to reveal hints as needed, and type in your answer to see if you’re right.

The best part is writing a couple brief paragraphs setting up the world and the story!

Get Creative with Costumes

Did I pick this theme partly because I loved the wig I got for my Wanda Maximoff costume (see pics on my Instagram) so much that I’ve been wanting to buy another wig? Ummm, maybe. I’ve wanted a blue wig forever, so that was the starting point for my costume

I like the challenge of putting together a costume using clothing pieces I already own. Make it easy for people to use what they have. This will be appreciated by your guests so they can save money. Some of my friends love dressing up, like I do. Other friends…humor me and my costume obsession! I especially want to make it easy for everyone to enjoy.

Here are ideas I included in my invitation so that guests could draw inspiration from books and movies. I also shared a link to my Cyberpunk Pinterest board.

Costume Ideas
Wear all black or all white.
Wear pops of jewel tone or neon colors.
Layer leather.
Wear a jumpsuit. Or something with a lot of pockets and straps. (Think space flight/astronaut suit.)
Wear activewear with stripes of color on the seams or geometric lines.
Wear metallic jewelry or anything that looks like micro chips or circuitry.
Put your hair in space buns.
Add space themed accessories.

Costume Inspiration
Tron: Legacy
Lamentis in “Loki”
The Fifth Element
Cinder/The Lunar Chronicles
Uglies book series
The Matrix

For my costume, I wore a black top and black leggings (I was going to rock pleather pants, but fibromyalgia said no the day of the party.) I added a black pea coat and a chain belt with a hot pink ribbon that I’ve had since I was about 16. I also added a metallic armband that, ironically enough, was part of a homemade Cleopatra costume from a high school report. Black fingerless gloves and my black compression socks that help with my low blood pressure from POTS completed the look.

I also wanted an excuse to wear some jewelry I love, which was made by a local artist: Transistor Sister. My mom, brother, and I went to a fandom-themed craft fair a few years ago and I bought myself a necklace made from a recycled circuit board. My brother got me earrings made from recycled fuses as an early Christmas present.

Bonus: costumes make for great conversation while you wait for everyone to join the party!

Enter the Giveaway!

Contest begins: Friday March 25 10 a.m. PST

Contest ends: Sunday, March 27 11 p.m. PST

Enter: On Instagram or my blog—details below:

Follow my Instagram account and comment what kit you’d like most.

Don’t have Instagram? Comment on this blog post with your favorite kit, and I’ll include you in the giveaway within the contest timeline.

Are you liking the dystopian vibe of Rebel Revolt? Want to travel to Egypt with The Cursed Mummy? Or would you prefer one of the other kits? (Also the Gatsbyesque Envy kit comes in French. How cool would that be to practice learning a new language!)

DETAILS:
-One winner will be randomly selected from those who comment.
-The winner will be contacted via email after the contest closes.
-The winner’s name will be published on my blog and/or social media.
-Must be 18+ to enter.
-Open to participants in the United States.

Even if you didn’t win the giveaway, you can still save big by purchasing escape room kits as a bundle. Check out this deal: