Imagine giving a group of preteens a name, a few clues, and a Bible passage. Their mission is to discover who the person was, what role they played in the story, and why they mattered. Instead of simply being told the answer, they must investigate the evidence for themselves.
This is one of the strengths of a Bible escape room. Children become Scripture detectives, searching for names, relationships, events, and details that help them solve a challenge.
One interesting person to investigate is Drusilla, who appears in Acts 24:24. She was the wife of Felix, the Roman governor who heard Paul speak about faith in Jesus Christ. Although Drusilla appears briefly in the Bible, her place in Paul’s story provides a useful opportunity to teach children how to investigate people and events in Scripture.
Why Bible Escape Room Ideas Work for Character Investigation
Bible character investigations encourage children to look beyond familiar names and discover the people connected to a Bible story. They must read carefully, compare details, and distinguish one person from another.
A Bible escape room can turn this process into a mission. Children might receive a set of character cards, Bible references, coded clues, or a map. Each clue helps them identify the person they are looking for.
This approach gives children opportunities to:
- Search Scripture: Find information directly in the biblical text.
- Compare evidence: Work out which details belong to which person.
- Make connections: Discover how people are connected to events and other characters.
- Explain their answers: Show which passage supports their conclusions.
- Work together: Share discoveries and solve the challenge as a team.
For preteens, this can be especially valuable. They are ready for challenges that require more than recalling a familiar Bible story. They can investigate a passage, follow clues, and defend an answer with evidence.
Who Was Drusilla in the Bible?
Drusilla is mentioned in Acts 24:24. She was the wife of Felix, the Roman governor who was involved in the proceedings against Paul.
Acts 24 describes Paul being held in custody at Caesarea after his arrest in Jerusalem. Felix heard the accusations against Paul and later had opportunities to speak with him.
Acts 24:24 tells us that Felix came with Drusilla and listened to Paul speak about faith in Christ Jesus. In the following verse, Paul spoke about righteousness, self-control, and the coming judgment. Felix became afraid and sent Paul away.
The passage gives us a glimpse of a serious conversation about faith, personal conduct, and accountability before God.
Key Bible passage: Acts 24:22–27.
Important people in the passage:
- Paul: The apostle who spoke about faith in Jesus Christ.
- Felix: The Roman governor who heard Paul and delayed making a final decision about his case.
- Drusilla: Felix’s wife, who was present when Felix listened to Paul speak about faith in Christ.
The Bible does not tell us how Drusilla personally responded to Paul’s message. We should avoid assuming what she thought or believed based only on her presence in the account.
Bible Escape Room Puzzle: Find the Person Paul Met
A character-identification puzzle can help children investigate the people Paul encountered during his final journey.
In a Bible escape room, the goal is not to guess a name from a picture. Students should use Scripture references to identify the correct person and explain how the evidence supports their answer.
The mission: Identify the person connected to Paul’s appearance before Felix in Caesarea.
What you need:
- Bibles.
- Character cards featuring people from Acts 21–28.
- A question sheet with Scripture references.
- A compass diagram or directional clue sheet.
- A summary sheet for recording answers.
How to run the activity:
1. Introduce the investigation. Explain that Paul met many people during his final journey. The team must use Scripture to identify the person described by each clue.
2. Read the Bible reference. Give students a question that points them to the relevant passage. For Drusilla, they can investigate Acts 24:24.
3. Identify the person. Students read the passage, determine who is being described, and locate the matching character card.
4. Follow the puzzle mechanism. If the game uses compass directions, students record the direction associated with the correct card and use the decoder as instructed.
5. Verify the answer. Students return to the passage and explain which words or details support their conclusion.
For this example, Acts 24:24 identifies Drusilla as Felix’s wife and places her in the account of Paul speaking about faith in Christ.
A well-designed puzzle should make every step clear. Students need to know exactly what to find, what to record, and how the result helps them progress to the next clue.
What Children Can Learn from Paul’s Conversation with Felix and Drusilla
The encounter in Acts 24 provides more than a character-identification challenge. It also offers an opportunity to discuss the message Paul shared.
1. Faith involves more than knowing Bible facts.
Paul spoke about faith in Christ, but he also discussed righteousness and self-control. Help children understand that following Jesus involves the way we think, choose, and treat others.
Discussion question: How can our beliefs influence the choices we make?
2. Important conversations deserve careful thought.
Felix listened to Paul, but Acts 24:25 records that he became afraid and sent Paul away, saying he would call for him at a more convenient time. Later, Felix sent for Paul again and spoke with him, but he continued to delay making a decision about Paul’s case.
This gives teachers an opportunity to discuss how people sometimes postpone difficult decisions.
Discussion question: Why might someone delay responding to something they know deserves attention?
3. We should distinguish what Scripture says from what we assume.
The passage tells us that Drusilla was present. It does not tell us how she responded internally to Paul’s message. Teaching children to recognize this difference helps them read the Bible carefully.
Discussion question: Why is it important to separate what a Bible passage actually says from what we imagine might have happened?
More Bible Escape Room Ideas for Character Puzzles
Drusilla is only one of many people children can investigate in Acts 21–28. A series of character clues can help students build a clearer picture of Paul’s final journey.
For example:
- Claudius Lysias: Investigate the Roman commander involved in Paul’s arrest and transfer from Jerusalem (Acts 21–23).
- Ananias: Discover the role of the high priest during Paul’s hearing before the council (Acts 23:1–5).
- Festus: Explore the governor who succeeded Felix and heard Paul’s case (Acts 24:27–25:12).
- King Agrippa: Investigate the king who heard Paul explain his testimony (Acts 25:13–26:32).
- Julius: Discover the centurion who accompanied Paul on the voyage toward Rome (Acts 27:1–3).
- Publius: Read about the leading man of Malta who welcomed Paul and his companions (Acts 28:1–10).
Each person can become the focus of a question, a clue card, or a small Bible investigation. The challenge becomes more meaningful when children must find the evidence rather than rely on memory alone.
Turn Bible Character Investigation into a Complete Bible Escape Room
Character puzzles work particularly well when they form part of a larger mission. Students can investigate locations, events, and people, then combine their discoveries to complete a final challenge.
In Paul’s Final Journey Escape Room, the third puzzle, Who Did Paul Meet?, challenges preteens to use Bible clues and compass directions to identify people connected to Paul’s final journey.
The activity forms part of a four-puzzle printable adventure covering Acts 21–28. The other puzzles explore Paul’s voyage, the shipwreck, and Paul’s use of Scripture in Rome.
Designed for ages 10–13, the pack gives Sunday School teachers a structured way to combine Bible investigation, problem-solving, and teamwork.
Ready to challenge your preteens? Explore the Paul’s Final Journey Escape Room and help your students discover the people, places, and events of Paul’s final journey through Scripture-based puzzles.
Help Preteens Discover the Bible for Themselves
Drusilla appears in only a few words of the Bible, but investigating her place in Acts 24 can teach children an important skill: careful Bible reading.
When students follow clues, examine a passage, and explain their answers, they practise looking for evidence rather than guessing. They also learn to distinguish the biblical account from assumptions about what people might have thought or felt.
A Bible escape room can make this kind of investigation engaging and memorable. With clear instructions, connected clues, and answers grounded in Scripture, teachers can help preteens become more confident Bible explorers.
Ready to try a Bible escape room with your class? Here is our current list:
Genesis Escape room adventure
Esther Escape room adventure
Paul’s 1st journey Escape room adventure.
Paul’s 2nd journey Escape room adventure.
Paul’s 3rd journey Escape room adventure.
Explore the Paul’s Final Journey Escape Room Adventure from MommmI’mBored—a ready-to-teach printable Bible game for preteens aged 10–13, based on Acts 21–28.
Buy Paul’s Final Journey Escape room puzzle here and the Bundle with Paul’s Journeys 1-4 here.