Several small cultural experiments have been implemented under the Interreg Europe-funded CHERRY project during the summer season 2025. At the beginning of September, we already shared experiences on the results of the so called Museum Bus experiment by the Kainuu Museum and Riihipiha Museum. In this article, we present results from the next two experiments, that have used a similar kind of approach to local culture – escape games!
Local cultural heritage through the eyes of young people: Mysteries of Riihipiha
Riihipiha Museum and the youth group of Oulujärvi LEADER association created an escape game to be played on the museum grounds together with local youth. There are several kinds of escape games, but basically an escape game is an experiential game in which players solve puzzles, riddles, and tasks in order to move on to the next stage and progress through the story line. Games are often based on a specific subject or theme, and playing usually requires teamwork, logical reasoning, and attentiveness. Escape games can be physical rooms, where the setting and objects create an immersive experience, or digital versions played online.
The Mysteries of Riihipiha combined both elements. The playing area was the museum grounds, which provided the setting for the story. The Riihipiha Museum is located in Vuolijoki, and its purpose is to collect, display and present the Kainuu countryside and local history, as it was prior to the widespread use of electricity. The plot guided the player to different sites within the museum area, which could be explored during the game. However, the game progressed via a mobile device, where the story was read. The story line advanced by scanning QR codes hidden around the museum grounds and discovered through clues.
Local youth played a significant role in designing the escape game. The idea of a game made “by young people for young people” was also to attract the younger generation as museum visitors. The theme and plot of the story were co-created with a youth group, who chose local moped culture as a theme that connects generations. The youth of the 1960s were also involved in writing the story, thus creating an authentic story from the Kainuu region full of local cultural heritage. The story begins with the breakdown of a moped, after which players must solve various puzzles to continue their journey.
The escape game was free to play at Riihipiha this summer from 25.7. to 10.8. During this trial period, nearly 200 players from across Finland played the game.
The successful cultural experiment already has a continuation in the works, as plans are being made to make the game available again in summer 2026. In addition, tailored versions of the game for different age groups are under development.
More information is available at: https://riihipiha.fi and https://www.oulujarvileader.fi.
Nature and Heritage Come Close
In collaboration between the Juminkeko Foundation and Rimminkylän Perinneyhdistys ry, a forest themed escape game was developed and implemented as a CHERRY project cultural experiment. The game focuses on the local natural heritage. and draws from Finnish folklore.
Metsänpeitto is a concept from Finnish folklore. The literal translation of Metsänpeitto means “blanket of the forest” in Finnish. It describes a situation in which a person is said to “fall under the blanket of the forest” so to say, disappearing in the woods in a way that they cannot be found, or cannot themselves find the way back. A familiar forest suddenly appears strange and unfamiliar. People were said to sometimes sit right beside a path, and yet still remain unable to return on their own and people looking for them could not find them either. The blanket of the forest had covered them, and its concealing power hid them from view. There are various traditional tricks for escaping or being rescued or from the influence of metsänpeitto, and in this escape game, players advance the story by solving puzzles and tasks relating to the local cultural heritage.
The Metsänpeitto forest escape game can be tried out at the Juminkeko foundation. It was released first during the Kuhmo Night of the Arts on 5.9.
The escape game can also be incorporated by other organizations in Kainuu, since it can be adapted easily to different environments. It is well-suited as a group-building experience for school, or even as a teamwork activity for workplace recreation days. For more information contact the Juminkeko foundation.
More information is available at: https://www.juminkeko.fi
More Information on the CHERRY Project
CHERRY Project on the Site of Regional Council of Kainuu
