The game is based on the theme of partnership law, and more specifically on the rules for leaving or terminating a partnership. The game is based on the idea that a partner may be trapped in a partnership to which she does not want to belong, and that she needs help to find the legal means to escape.
Escape the firm" is based on the codes of a classic escape game. The instructions are not explicit. The students - who are encouraged to play in teams - have to explore the game and work out what they have to do to progress in the adventure.
The game begins in the student's flat (entirely in 3D), where the student receives a call from a friend, Anabelle, who tells her that there is something strange about her uncle's estate. We learn that the uncle, who has died, was a partner in a local gallery; unable to contact the gallery, Annabelle asks the student for help in understanding her situation.
The game alternates between digging, during which the student investigates to gather relevant information (e.g. information about the gallery, the rules of the partnership contract to be applied or evidence of dishonest behaviour by the other partners) and unlocking levels, i.e. solving legal questions (thanks to the clues gathered) in the form of digicodes, padlocks or other passwords. It is designed so that students can playfully experience the various stages of legal reasoning that will enable Anabelle to leave the company with her uncle's share. Students can draw on their course and previously acquired knowledge to identify and analyse the information found and determine the applicable legal rules.
The game provides a few clues for students who get stuck, but there are penalties for doing so in the form of longer game times.
The teacher proposed the escape game concept to her colleagues in the law faculties of the universities of Lausanne and Fribourg, who were won over by the project. For the first edition of the game, it was agreed that students from all three universities would take part simultaneously. To increase the appeal of the game, a competition was set up to reward the best inter-faculty team, as well as the 3 best local teams.
During the lesson following the game, the teacher gave a debriefing in which she went over the timeline of the escape game and the different stages the students had to go through before they could leave the company. She explained the reasoning behind the game and the theoretical elements behind each enigma. She went over the legal texts that the students had to refer to in order to solve Anabelle's situation, and what made it possible to rule out the various possible situations on the basis of the clues available to them. The session was also the occasion for the prize-giving ceremony, which was attended by the Vice-Dean of the Faculty.
