Christopher Pineyro should feel pretty comfortable with his Armed Forces Jam team this weekend.
The team members have already had years together both at the University of Central Florida and as interns, professionally.
That was kind of the plan heading in, he said.
“It’s easy to talk things out,” Pineyro said. “If we didn’t know each other, it probably would be awkward. It helps because it makes it easier to communicate and you’re not scared to say anything.”
Pineyro’s team has been building “Escape the Grove,” an escape room modeled after the host venue Central Florida Tech Grove.
It’s one of the challenges at the Jam this weekend, which would earn the team $500.
Pineyro pitched his idea on stage during the Jam’s opening day on Friday.
Today, it’s been all about building.
After an initial snag, the team has been on a roll through the middle of the day.
“We are trying to keep it fun,” he said. “At the end of the day, we are game designers and didn’t want to stray too far from that. An escape room had the right balance.”
While the work has been enjoyable, Pineyro says his takeaway will be more than just a working escape room.
“Whatever tools we use, it will be nice to just have the knowledge of how to use them,” he said.