Pharma Sales Escape Room
Portfolio > Bespoke eLearning
Project Overview
Project type: eLearning
Authoring tool: Articulate Storyline 360
Our input: Instructional Design, Graphic Design and Build.
Project Description
We’ve designed escape room-style learning experiences for clients before, but due to confidentiality, we haven’t been able to share them publicly. This interactive Pharma Sales Training demo was created to showcase what’s possible.
Set in a fictional pharmaceutical context, the learner takes on the role of a sales representative preparing for a high-stakes MDT (multidisciplinary team) meeting. Their mission: navigate the office environment, uncover key product information, and respond to stakeholder concerns, all against the clock.
With a fictional drug, SynebroVax, as the centrepiece, this gamified experience demonstrates how immersive storytelling and problem-solving mechanics can make complex clinical data and value messaging stick.
It’s a hands-on example of how we blend interactivity, narrative, and visual design to create memorable, purpose-driven learning.
Exploratory Environment Design
The escape room was built as a detailed office space, encouraging exploration and discovery. Learners can click on objects like computers, folders, and photos to reveal clues, making the experience feel immersive and rewarding.
The environment was designed to feel intuitive but layered, with optional Easter eggs, visual misdirection, and subtle humour to keep users engaged.
Stakeholder Email System
Clicking the computer reveals stakeholder emails, each outlining a specific concern or objection. This sets clear context for the puzzles and gives learners a reason to search the room for relevant information.
Realistic stakeholder voices help ground the narrative in pharma sales scenarios.
Bespoke Puzzle Interactions
Each stakeholder presented a unique challenge, with a custom interaction designed to reflect their perspective, from clinical detail to cost strategy.
- Doctor: A dropdown matching activity where learners connect clinical trial outcomes to key benefit messages, simulating value-based conversations.
- Nurse: A sequencing task using up and down controls to order administration steps, reinforcing safe bedside delivery.
- Pharmacist: A dropdown pairing activity linking product attributes to operational benefits like simplicity and system fit.
- Finance Lead: A slider interaction that reveals long-term value by comparing costs over time, encouraging a broader view of treatment impact.
Each activity is integrated into the environment, making the learning feel natural, contextual, and part of the escape room experience.
Time-Based Challenge
A 30-minute countdown creates urgency, mimicking the real-world pressure reps face when preparing for high-stakes meetings. The timer triggers a lightbox message when time runs out, but learners can choose to continue exploring.
The time mechanic adds gamification without punishing progress, balancing tension with flexibility.
Thematic Narrative and Messaging
Everything is tied to the idea of aligning stakeholders. The theme of “Mission: Stakeholder Success” carries through the tone, visuals, and feedback, reinforcing the learning objective of delivering tailored, impactful messaging.
Even the puzzle feedback reinforces sales confidence and next steps.
Time-Based Challenge
Behind the visuals and interactivity is a carefully scaffolded learning journey, from setting context and encouraging discovery to building confidence and providing reinforcement through feedback.
All puzzles map back to real sales behaviours like objection handling, tailoring conversations, and understanding stakeholder priorities.
Pharma eLearning Specialists
Get in touch if you’d like to explore building something similar for your brand.