“The Break-in”: New VR Escape Room Harnessing Artificial Intelligence

(eap) Launching today, the new VR escape game “The Break-in” can be played at the The Park Playground VR experience world in Antwerp and also at further The Park Playground locations in Europe, the UK and Australia, all developed and equipped by the Belgian company of the same name. In the VR escape game, generative Artificial Intelligence (AI) is used for a personalized story. Players aged twelve and over and up from two to eight players per field get equipped with headsets of the “HTC VIVE Focus 3” model. Starting the experience, they are set in the scene of a fictional bank and teams must work together on the ambitious mission to retrieve a valuable masterpiece that has gone missing from a guarded vault full of AI-generated artwork. To locate it, teams must find their way through the labyrinthine bank by solving puzzles, finding keycards and navigating lasers, all while avoiding the opposing team.

In addition to special effects such as slow motion, the VR escape room integrates an AI function that allows guests to have a different, personalised experience every time they play. Upon arrival, players answer a few questions as a team, determining what the artwork in their experience will look like – it is rendered in real time. The Park Playground is already using this innovative technology for its VR game “Nanoclash Focus”, in which AI creates personalised avatars for the players.

“It’s always exciting to introduce a new experience to our players. The addition of The Break-in adds to our diverse library of original IPs to continue to accommodate all guests, regardless of their age or interest. I’m thrilled that we’re continuing our journey of bringing AI technology into the VR world, with the introduction of The Break-in. We believe that technology should always be used in a way that creates the best-possible experience for our customers and in this instance, integrating AI is allowing us to create a truly unique and social experience, each and every time it’s played,” commented The Park Playground’s CEO, Peter Vindevogel.

The company, which took part in IAAPA Expo Europe for the first time this year (read our trade show report on IEE Vienna in EAP’s latest magazine issue), operates LBE sites equipped with their VR system themselves, but is also a franchisor for the brand. Centre Parcs Hochsauerland recently became the first location of the holiday park chain to put a VR system from The Park Playground into operation, where guests from a wide age group can now immerse themselves in virtual worlds and complete exciting tasks (c.f. EAP News of 27 Oct 23). ■