Escape the Plagues
Passover + Social Justice + Puzzles
✔ Print at home and play fully offline
✔ Teams of 2-6 players, ages 9-99
✔ Perfect for families, friends, and communities
✔ 45-90 minutes of thought-provoking fun
Begin Your Adventure…
PURCHASE
Download a PDF or order a pre-printed copy that we mail to you.
18 pages of original artwork, designed in grayscale to look great without draining your printer.
PLAY
Solve puzzlesand explore themes of solidarity, climate justice, Indigenous activism, and mutual aid.
What People Are Saying
“Looking to creatively turbocharge this year's Seder? This is intergenerational Torah learning and a contemporary exploration of Jewish values at its best. I can think of no better way to innovate your Seder experience than through the lens of Tikkum Olam that is at the foundation of these playful puzzles.”
—Rabbi David Leipziger Teva
“Escape the Plagues is a fun family game that helps connect an ancient story of oppression to the current need for activism. As someone who grew up Catholic, I very much enjoyed playing with my Jewish partner and getting to learn more about his culture. It is a story that unfolds through thoughtfully designed puzzles, with plenty of resources for those who want to explore the topics deeper.”
—Risa Puno, creator of The Privilege of Escape
“The kids loved everything about the experience - the lively, inclusionary characters, the scene-setting scripts, and the challenging but still solvable puzzles. I had the opportunity to introduce social justice topics that many of the students had not discussed before, and this opened up important conversations about tikun olam, environmentalism, and helping heal the global community.”
—Joanna Powers, Director of Hebrew and Judaics, JDS of Lehigh Valley
Meet the Designers
Lisa Stein is a vocalist, cellist, and music educator based in Pittsburgh, PA. Her current work as an educator builds upon 6 years of experience at Eden Village Camp — an environmental sleepaway camp in upstate New York. Lisa graduated from Wesleyan University in 2021 with a degree in music and religious studies, specializing in contemporary opera, early music, and classical South Indian music. She is currently working toward her Masters in Music Education at Carnegie Mellon University.
Matthew Stein is a puzzle designer, violinist, printmaker, and treasure seeker based in Brooklyn, NY. Formerly a software engineer at YouTube, Matthew has been a full-time enigmatologist since 2019, creating puzzle hunts, alternate reality games, and escape rooms for everyone from a Michelin 3-star restaurant to a wonder-themed design journal. Matthew has played over 700 escape rooms and writes about immersive gaming for Room Escape Artist. Outside of puzzles, Matthew is a fiddler with the klezmer trio Baymele.
Adrian D. is a digital visual artist from Guatemala. Besides working as a freelance artist on a variety of projects, he works as a college professor at the same university he graduated from, teaching digital art to upcoming artists. He loves exploring different mediums of art such as music and writing, and he has a special place in his heart for editorial projects and projects related to the printed media. Adrian loves sharing his passion for art through the classes and courses he develops for people starting their artistic careers.
FAQ
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Escape the Plagues is fun for anyone between the ages of 9 and 99. We recommend that players younger than 12 years old play with an older friend or family member. The game is grounded in Passover themes, but the content is accessible to people from other religious and cultural backgrounds.
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The recommended team size is 2-6 players. It’s possible to play solo, though the script and discussion questions are more enjoyable with a group.
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Escape the Plagues is best played together in person, but it’s also possible to play over video chat. Just make sure that each player or group of players has their own printed copy.
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Escape the Plagues introduces players to community solidarity, climate justice, Indigenous activism, mutual aid, and Jewish anti-racism.
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Escape the Plagues is a cross between a puzzle hunt and an escape room. There are 5 puzzles that each draw upon different puzzle skills, so there’s something for everyone on your team.
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Once you’ve purchased a download of Escape the Plagues, print the 18-page PDF single sided and scaled to fit your paper size.
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All you need is a printer, a pencil/pen, and a pair of scissors. No tech is required to play the game. If you don’t have access to a printer, purchase the Mailed-to-You version and we’ll send you a printed copy of the game.
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The game requires cutting, but you can prepare this before playing. If your Passover observance includes not writing, the puzzles are still doable, just a little more challenging as you’ll just need to remember some extra things along the way.