Google Slides Escape Room "Hacks" Tour

[@ΓιάννηςΚυριακούλης]

Very innovative ideas and soooooooooooooo interesting "hacks" and tips... This is not just a tutorial video, but a whole contribution and donation to educators! Thanks a lot... I have subscribed and share your channel...

[@nathanaelcard]

i keep coming back! this is great. would love a 1yr update on other things you've learned

[@aliart7415]

Thank you SO much. I had a multiple slide presentation and this helps tremendously.

[@katieargyle]

Great work Amanda!

[@TechieSpaghetti]

Thank you! :)

[@davidzas9413]

BRILLIANT.... THANK YOU

[@nathanaelcard]

So innovative. Thanks for sharing this!

[@TechieSpaghetti]

My pleasure 😊

[@DiscoveringTheArtofLiving]

Awesome tips! I love making escape rooms and this addresses many of the issues I have! Thanks!!

[@TechieSpaghetti]

You are so welcome!

[@staceyhockin4477]

thank you so much for these hacks!! I've made my first escape room and put a youtube video in my fireplace for a real fire. However, when I make it into the preview from edit in the web address- the timer video starts automatically but the fireplace video doesn't. Any ideas on how to get both videos to start automatically?! Hope that makes sense! thanks so much!

[@isabelagalindofrancischini6901]

There is a way to make the new page open in the same tab? Thanks.

[@brandimills2370]

Hi! I’m not sure if you’re still doing these but I have it all down except I’m struggling to figure out how to keep them from forwarding through with the keyboard arrows?

[@CicelyReneeDoesLife]

Is it too late to join the beta squad? I wanted to test drive. Let me know. Thanks!

[@marcelapucheta5234]

Hello! I have a big problem... When I open the scape room, I can pass to the other slides by turning the scroll-wheel, haw can I avoid it? Thanks!

[@danielwee3671]

Regarding the hiding navigation bar hack, while the black bar does disappear so one can't navigate through that, you can still click the arrows on your computer to go to the next slide. Is there any way to overcome this?

[@traceynewportsholly6720]

Awesome stuff! What are the pros and cons of using a separate Google slide presentation for clues so you don't have to use buffer slides? I can guess some, but I'd like to know what your take is. Thanks!

[@TechieSpaghetti]

That's a great question! The only real advantage to putting everything in a single slideshow is that it makes it easier to share templates with a large group. If you're creating an escape room for one-time use, I'd recommend having one slide for your room and then housing all your clues and everything on separate pages of a Google Site.

[@DRchitect]

Hello, I am just now getting into creating some escape rooms. I have looked into doing them in Google Forms and Slides and this video has definitely helped me make up my mind. I love the way it is set up in Slides. The problem I am having is just getting started. I loved this video and the way you set it up. How do I play the room and maybe then be able to use it with others?

[@TechieSpaghetti]

I'm glad you found the video helpful! There is a link in the description to my Teachers Pay Teachers store where you can purchase this and other digital escape room templates I have available. If you have any other questions, let me know!

[@tanyahunter4612]

Is there a way to have the embedded timer automatically start when the escape room link is clicked? So that students can't just not click the timer and cheat?

[@TechieSpaghetti]

Unfortunately, I have yet to find a good way to make the timer actually "reliable." There are options to auto-start a youtube video in Google Slides, but I have found that different browsers and devices treat them differently. For a "forced" timer, you'd probably have to incorporate an LMS (like Canvas) or some other advanced software.

[@geminiijoy]

Love your videos! I was able to create a room in no time! One question- I've applied all the hacks, including the invisible link and skipping the slides. However when I tested, I realized that if I use the scroll ball on my mouse, it took me to the following slide. How can I remedy that?

[@geminiijoy]

Never mind!!! I added some slides directing them to close the tab between each of the clue sides! Thank you for sharing all your tips and tricks with us! A coffee is heading your way! :)

[@TechieSpaghetti]

Huzzah - thank you so much!

[@dinarosenbergasmussen1859]

Hello, I have embedded a google form into a slide, but how do I end the form so that you return to the slide with the escape room again?

[@TechieSpaghetti]

I would suggest either putting the link back to the escape room on the Submission Confirmation page of the form OR just telling participants to close the form tab (which should take them back to the room slide).

[@josephpatterson78]

Perhaps this isn't workable...but do you know if it would be possible to create an escape room like this, but with 4 slides? As if one were genuinely in a 4-walled room? I get the idea of linking the edges of each slide to trigger the adjacent "wall," but how would one go about doing this in a way that allows the timer to keep going? I feel like if one navigated away from the "first" wall (with the timer), then navigated back, the progress would be lost. Can you help?

[@TechieSpaghetti]

Oo, I love this 4-wall idea, and I may steal it, lol! (Haven't' tried it but I think it should work.) The timer would be the main issue, though. I would probably embed the entire slideshow into a Google Site and then add the timer to the site, rather than the slideshow. Hope this helps! Let me know if you have any other questions or ideas!

[@josephpatterson78]

@@TechieSpaghetti Hey, that would work, I think! AND if you steal the 4-walled idea, I can't wait to see what you do with it!

[@moniquehuisman5670]

Hello, how can I place a link in Goole slide that opens in a new tab, as you did in this escape.

[@TechieSpaghetti]

Greetings! If you are linking to an external site from a google slide, it will automatically open in a new tab. If you are trying to link to a different slide in a new tab, you have to grab the URL from that specific slide and add the link as if it WERE an external URL (rather than just linking to "Slide 3" for example). Hope this helps!

[@jadeenglene]

Hi :) Thank you so much for this tutorial - I'm gonna be the new star in the teachers room when we do my Escaperoom for our next online go-home-meeting ;) Everything works like a charm for me exept the clock countdown. It only starts in preview but when I use your script to minimise the toolbar (rm=minimal) it doesn't begin before pushing the play-botton. And since I have hidden a sound-tic-tok behind it as well, I'm in trouble...Please Help.

[@TechieSpaghetti]

Yeah, I basically just write all my rooms to have the participant hit the start button for the clock, because I haven't figured out a reliable way to have it auto-start. Wish I could be more help, but that one has me stumped a bit too!

[@waynemuller6410]

I linked my lock form but in preview mode students see my view (with answer code). What am I doing wrong?

[@TechieSpaghetti]

Hmmm... it sounds like you are sharing the edit view of your Google Form, and not the "Send" view.

[@galimbat]

Thank you again for this second video! I still have a problem that I don't know how to solve. After skipping slides, if in preview?rm=minimal mode I click on the object in the first slide that links to the second slide, then I can skip ahead with the arrows to the following slides. I don't understand why.... Thanks in advance!

[@TechieSpaghetti]

Yup, it's part of the challenge of doing an escape room entirely in Google Slides (which is why I recommend Google Sites as the container for most people). In addition to the rm=minimal hack, you would need to do the other "hacks" (like putting in blank "buffer" slides, making sure to "skip" all but the first slide, etc.) in order to make sure participants can't skip ahead.

[@michalchalupny60]

Dear Galimbat, I had the same problem. Try to insert between "skipping slides" one slide (for example with text - "go back) with hyperlink to the first slide.. If some one accidentally go there, cannot go further. So you have "skip slide", then slide with sign go back and then the proper one. Hope I wrote it understandably and it help you.

[@galimbat]

@@michalchalupny60 Thank you very much!

[@jdupont8911]

Hi! I tried your trick of linking the URL for the slides, but when I paste it in and add the preview etc., it just links back to the first page of the slide. Can you help me out? Thanks! Your vids have been super helpful!

[@TechieSpaghetti]

Hmm... try using "present?rm=minimal" instead of preview in the slide-specific URL - you also have to make sure to KEEP the part of the URL that contains the slide indicator (the "slide=r123213" section)

[@jdupont8911]

@@TechieSpaghetti I"ll try that! Thank you!

[@marybethbabos9910]

@@jdupont8911 did that workaround work for you? I'm not having success, thank you though Skeptical Educator, your videos are amazing!

[@danielwee3671]

I can't seem to link to skipped slides? What should I do?