🗺️ Escape room: The Lost Travel Map

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A map escape room for teens and adults: use compass directions, follow steps on a grid and find the end of the journey. Free printable kit.

Teens and adults
Advanced
30–40 minutes
4 story stations

The story

The map for the journey was torn into four pieces. Each piece gives a different direction on the way to the finish.

The hiking team reached the starting point with no idea where to go. Only exact answers will bring the route back.

Run it at home or in class

What to prepare

A grid map of the room
Direction cards
A compass (real or drawn)
An envelope with the last piece of the map

Tips for the facilitator

Draw a grid map of the room and mark the starting point.
In stage two, let players actually walk the steps on the floor.
Hide the last envelope on the west side of the room; check with a compass first.

Difficulty level

The story clues stay the same on every level; harder levels add more locks in between. You can ask for a hint at every stage.

0 of 6 stages solved · Easy · 15–25 minutes

Stage 1: North first

1/6

On the map, N stands for north. If you stand facing north, which direction is behind you?

Run it in real life too

Print a facilitator kit for the easy level: a sheet with the opening story, the setup and every answer, plus a big card for each of the 6 stages.

🗺️ The Lost Travel Map: facilitator kit

Teens and adults · 15–25 minutes · Level: Easy · 6 stages

Opening story: The map for the journey was torn into four pieces. Each piece gives a different direction on the way to the finish. The hiking team reached the starting point with no idea where to go. Only exact answers will bring the route back.

Setup

A grid map of the room
Direction cards
A compass (real or drawn)
An envelope with the last piece of the map
Print the 6 stage cards and put them in order, or hide each card around the room so every answer leads to the next one.
Read the opening story to the group and start a timer.
When the group gets stuck, give one hint from the table, one at a time.
Draw a grid map of the room and mark the starting point.
In stage two, let players actually walk the steps on the floor.
Hide the last envelope on the west side of the room; check with a compass first.

Answers and hints (facilitator only)

Stage	Answer / code	Hints
1. North first	south	The opposite of north.
2. The grid route	2	The steps east and west cancel each other out.
3. A quarter turn	east	On a compass, north is at the top and to its right is…
4. Warm-up route · The symbols on the lock	4	Every symbol is a number. What is one symbol worth? · Add: 2 plus 2.
5. Warm-up route · The number board	10	Look at the last number in the sequence. · Add 2 to it.
6. The finish	west	The sun rises in the east and sets in the opposite direction.

Read at the end: You walked towards the sunset and found the last piece of the map. The journey is complete, and the team can now navigate anywhere.

🗺️ The Lost Travel Map · Stage 1 of 6

North first

On the map, N stands for north. If you stand facing north, which direction is behind you?

✍️ Our answer:

🗺️ The Lost Travel Map · Stage 2 of 6

The grid route

You leave the starting point: 3 squares east, 2 squares north, then 3 squares west. How many squares are you from the starting point now?

✍️ Our answer:

🗺️ The Lost Travel Map · Stage 3 of 6

A quarter turn

You stand facing north and turn a quarter turn to the right, clockwise. Which way are you facing now?

✍️ Our answer:

🗺️ The Lost Travel Map · Stage 4 of 6

Warm-up route · The symbols on the lock

On the way to the last clue of “The Lost Travel Map” you find another corridor of locks. Every 🗺️ is worth 2. Add two symbols.

🗺️ + 🗺️ = ?

Which number opens the lock?

✍️ Our answer:

🗺️ The Lost Travel Map · Stage 5 of 6

Warm-up route · The number board

Each step to the right adds 2.

2 → 4 → 6 → 8 → ?

What is the next number in the sequence?

✍️ Our answer:

🗺️ The Lost Travel Map · Stage 6 of 6

The finish

The last piece of the map says: “The treasure lies in the direction where the sun sets every evening.” Which way do you go?

✍️ Our answer:

Facilitator guide: 🗺️ The Lost Travel Map

What the room practices

Compass directions, grid moves and turns.

The 4 stations (without the answers)

North first: On the map, N stands for north. If you stand facing north, which direction is behind you?
The grid route: You leave the starting point: 3 squares east, 2 squares north, then 3 squares west. How many squares are you from the starting point now?
A quarter turn: You stand facing north and turn a quarter turn to the right, clockwise. Which way are you facing now?
The finish: The last piece of the map says: “The treasure lies in the direction where the sun sets every evening.” Which way do you go?

Age and group size

Best with teams of 4–6 players. With more people, split into two teams racing the clock, each with its own kit.

Giving hints in this room

Online the hints open one at a time; in the printed kit they sit in the facilitator table next to each answer. Give the first hint after a couple of minutes of silence, not at the first wrong guess.

Questions and answers

What age is “The Lost Travel Map” for, and how long does it take?

It was written for teens and adults, at advanced difficulty, and usually takes 30–40 minutes. It has 4 story stations, and online you can choose between three difficulty levels that add more locks.

What do I need to run “The Lost Travel Map”?

A printer and these props: A grid map of the room; Direction cards; A compass (real or drawn); An envelope with the last piece of the map. The printable kit includes a facilitator sheet with every answer and a card for each stage.

What if the players get stuck?

Every stage has graded hints. Online they open one at a time; in the printed kit they sit next to each answer on the facilitator sheet. The first hint never gives the answer away.

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