AI-Powered Holidays at the Koraca House

This Christmas, I crafted a hybrid escape room experience for my parents, blending real-world challenges with a touch of AI magic. Imagine a gift not just wrapped in paper, but wrapped in adventure—a journey through AI-driven puzzles and digital enigmas. Before they could “unlock” their actual present, my parents had to solve challenges scattered around our house.

Yes, I wasn’t just a nightmare as a teenager. 😈

A Collaborative Game Tailored for Two Players

From the start, I knew I wanted puzzles that required my Mum and Dad to work together.

My dad loves maps and plans, my mum plays piano. He’s obsessed with history; she knows how to get things done. He’d nail the references; she’d see through my tricks. It was the perfect setup for a team challenge.

Finding the Red Thread

Tying the puzzles, clues, and narrative together was the hardest part. After hours of overthinking elaborate conceptual frameworks, inspiration struck—Magla (The Fog) by Josipa Lisac.

A favourite from their youth, the song became the perfect theme to connect the puzzles with just the right touch of nostalgia.

The Puzzles

The Misplaced Painting

The adventure began with a mysterious gift card quoting Magla Svuda: “The fog has shrouded the path to your present. Something’s not quite right here.” It included a map of our house with a foggy splotch over the corridor’s paintings.

The Loved Singer

One painting was replaced with a QR code leading to an input box featuring a microphone and singer emoji. My dad instantly recognised the hint—Josipa Lisac—and typed her name. Success! The next clue, referencing another song (Luda… danas sam Luda), read: "I’m angry because someone left something in the kitchen that doesn’t belong." (Also my mum’s favourite sentence).

The Favourite Child

The next QR code was hidden in my hat (left, ahem, inappropriately in the kitchen). It posed a simple yet cruel question: "The birthdate of your favourite child?" Typing my date or my sister’s would return a sassy “Sorry, Nika” or “Sorry, Peter” message. But entering my nephew’s birthdate? "Sorry, Nika & Peter." Of course, my dad typed in my nephew’s birthdate immediately. 🤬

The Guessing Game

This puzzle featured a bilingual AI bot (we’re a Slovenian-English-Danish family), speaking in the long-winded voices of France Prešeren (Slovene poet) and Shakespeare.

The goal? Guess the object it was thinking of: the piano. Once solved, my parents were invited to the piano room and play.

The Piano Instructions

The finale required them to play Magla Svuda on the piano. A QR code atop the piano launched a program I’d written to listen to the notes. Only the correct sequence unlocked the puzzle. Mum immediately knew what to do—soon, they were singing, playing, and laughing .🎶

Hidden in Plain Sight

With the correct melody played, the final message appeared: "The real present has been in plain sight all along." Back to the Christmas tree we went, where they found the ultimate gift: a card with a map of Lake Bohinj, marking the location of a surprise hotel getaway.

The Result

The puzzles brought laughter, teamwork, and more than a touch of chaos to our family Christmas. Watching my parents struggle through laughter 😁 as they unraveled the mystery was the best gift of all—though I might need to outdo myself next year. Suggestions welcome. 😉