Many researchers embark upon their doctorate unsure of what it entails or what to expect. Imagine if there were a way to surface, explore and illuminate disorienting doctoral-level transitions, impart memorable wisdom and prepare researchers for their journeys ahead in an absorbing, non-exposing, less anxiety-laden, experiential and immersive way.

There are studies on escape room activities that seek to understand how well doctoral graduates respond to an escape room or devise an escape room activity reflecting the attributes of a successful researcher, and one which examines the efficacy of escape rooms as a team-building intervention. Seemingly none has yet reported on the many parallels between escape room games and the doctoral journey. What started out as a team-building activity for new researchers in the Faculty of Arts at the University of Nottingham (UoN) has evolved as a simulation – or gamification of the doctoral world; delving into the nature and expectations of doctoral study through the lens of the escape room-style game.

In this paper I will outline my innovative approach to developing ‘Riddles of the doctorate’: an immersive and experiential workshop, where researchers collaborate with team members, solve puzzles and crack codes, fostering valuable connections but also supporting their transition into doctoral study. It empowers researchers to orientate themselves within more unstructured study frameworks, manage their expectations, mitigate challenges and re-balance confidence-busting emotions.

I will also share my experiences of running the workshop and the many doctoral parallels unearthed. Tutors invite researchers to suspend their disbelief and activate an experimental, exploratory mindset whilst playing the escape-room style game – this enables participants, inadvertently, to demystify doctoral study, leading to vital insights and an increased awareness of the knowledge and skills they may need to draw on or develop during their doctoral journey.

Researchers have hailed this course as a “game-changer”: drawing on course evaluation data, 100% of respondents agree that the course is interesting and stimulating and 100% claim that they would use the knowledge and skills from the course during their research and/or professional activities. The workshop is also proving memorable long after being attended, highlighting the potential to raise researchers’ awareness in the long-term to ease career transitions ahead.

Keywords: Doctorate, escape room, expectations, game-based learning, challenging transitions.