Cinematic view of The Alchemist library featuring a celestial stained-glass window and a central planetary orrery.

February 12, 2026

Hidden Meanings: The Easter Eggs of The Alchemist

Quick Summary

The crystal-charging puzzle was inspired by a real light-infusion ritual mentioned during a workshop with botanical alchemist Michael Isted.
The Alchemist’s circular bookcase hides book covers referencing winners of Sherlocked’s Instagram puzzle quest, including the team “Red Pandas.”
Two subtle tributes honour legendary escape room players Sarah Dodd and Heiner Steppen, woven into the room’s lore.
These easter eggs don’t affect gameplay but enrich the world, rewarding curiosity and deepening the sense of magic.
Each hidden detail reflects Sherlocked’s philosophy: crafting experiences layered with wonder, story, and intentional design.

There’s a certain kind of joy that fills a room when players discover something they weren’t meant to find at first glance: a wink from the creators, a quiet secret tucked between the lines. The Alchemist is full of those little joys. It’s a room crafted over four years, with 35 artists lending their hands to its world, and like any world made with love, it contains its own constellation of hidden symbols, tributes, and whispered nods.

Today, we’re pulling back the velvet curtain to share some of our favourite easter eggs, the ones that even seasoned escape room adventurers sometimes miss.

Table of Contents

A Crystal Charged by Light… and Something Else

Three players on a dark, Victorian-style balcony using brass searchlights to aim beams of light through a misty room. This light-infusion ritual in The Alchemist was inspired by real-world botanical alchemy.

One of the most magical mechanics inside The Alchemist is the act of charging a crystal by aligning multiple sources of light onto it. For many players, it feels lifted straight out of a fantasy film, a luminous ritual that belongs in The Fifth Element or The Dark Crystal.

But the real story behind it is even stranger, and more delightful.

During the creation of The Alchemist, Victor van Doorn and Francine Boone, the directors and leaders of Sherlocked, were collaborating with botanical alchemist and perfume-maker Michael Isted of The Herball. In one of his workshops, Michael casually mentioned a homeopathic-like method of charging liquids with intention: infusing something with meaning through light. A real practice, used in real-world rituals.

Victor remembers the moment vividly:

“He mentioned this magical way of infusing a liquid with intention through light… and I thought, whoa, that’s exactly what we’re doing in The Alchemist. We’d subconsciously put a real ritual into our magical world.”

What began as a cinematic homage unfolded into a bridge between fantasy and forgotten folk practice, a puzzle that accidentally aligned with something people once believed could change the world.

The Secret Library & Its Very Real Book Covers

A graphic titled "The Fastest Solver" explaining that winning teams from Sherlocked’s Instagram puzzle quest receive an easter egg mention in The Alchemist escape room. To the right is a stack of four weathered, vintage-style books with titles like Advanced Cryptography and The Brightest Minds in Alchemy, showcasing how winning team names are integrated into the room's library lore.

When The Alchemist was announced, Sherlocked launched an Instagram puzzle quest for the community. The prize: a hidden mention inside the room itself.

Players didn’t know then that their reward would be tucked into the grand circular bookcase, a structure loosely inspired by the warm, mysterious world of Dumbledore’s office. Quietly waiting on the shelves are book spines that reference the quest’s winning teams.

Victor describes it with joy:

“In that giant bookcase, you can find these little book covers that are actually referring to the winning teams.”

One of the most beloved is a nod to The Red Pandas, sealed forever inside the universe of The Alchemist, by having their own book in the honour for being the team that solved the Instagram challenge the fastest.

These books don’t affect the gameplay, and they’re not meant to. They’re tiny gifts for those who like to linger, wander, and notice. A small treasure hunt hidden inside a larger treasure hunt.

Tributes to the World’s Most Experienced Escape Room Players

A wide-angle, atmospheric view of the circular bookcase inside The Alchemist, featuring a mechanical wooden orrery with golden brass planets in the foreground. In the background, floor-to-ceiling bookshelves and a colorful stained-glass window create a magical world inspired by legendary settings like Dumbledore's office.

Inside The Alchemist, among the artifacts and arcane trinkets, you’ll find tributes to two titans of the escape room world:

Sarah Dodd and “Puzzle Perfection”

Sarah Dodd has played more than three thousand escape rooms, making her one of the most experienced players alive. In Sherlocked’s universe, she’s the author of a book titled Puzzle Perfection, a small honour for someone whose passion and dedication ripple through the entire industry.

Victor can’t help but switch into a fond, joking tone when mentioning her:

“She has written a book in the universe… which is like Puzzle Perfection.”

Heiner Steppen, The Relentless Explorer

Heiner Steppen, with over two thousand rooms played, appears as well, a subtle nod to someone who has explored more fictional worlds than many of us could ever dream of.

Together, these references form a quiet tribute to the people who shaped the escape room landscape long before The Alchemist opened its doors.

“There are also two references to the most experienced escape room players in the world… Sarah Dodd and Heiner Steppen.”

Spotting their names is a moment of recognition, a connection between players, creators, and the wider global community.

Why We Hide These Things at All

Sherlocked was built on one belief: that the world is more magical than it seems, and that magic blooms in the details. Easter eggs are one of the ways we weave that belief into our rooms.

They invite curiosity. They reward slowness. They enrich the world in ways that don’t shout, but whisper.

Francine often describes this design philosophy beautifully:

“We like to blur the lines between reality and fiction… so you can convince yourself, even just for a moment, that what you’re doing is real.”

These hidden references help keep that blurred edge alive.

A Final Piece of Secret Lore

A close-up shot of a hand interacting with large, weathered metal gears on a dark wooden panel. The intricate mechanical design highlights the tactile, "lived-in" craftsmanship and intentional world-building of the escape room's puzzles.

The Alchemist has been live for two years, and we’re still adding ideas from the original master plan. Small upgrades, tiny details, extra references. Those little finishing touches that make a world feel truly lived-in. Victor explains why these small completions matter:

“When we finish things, we can close the tab in our mind. And every time we add something, the room becomes richer, more alive.”

Each addition is a celebration, a tiny ritual of its own, and a promise that The Alchemist will keep evolving as long as there is wonder left to add.

Conclusion

Whether you're a first-time adventurer or a seasoned puzzle-solver, The Alchemist holds more than meets the eye. A crystal infused with intention. A bookcase lined with hidden names. Tributes to legends of the escape room world.

They’re all part of a grand, ongoing tradition: making the world, even the hidden corners, a bit more magical.

And if you find these secrets someday, that moment is yours to keep. A little spark of wonder, tucked in your pocket for later. Book now!