Active learning approaches, including game-based learning and the use of innovative technologies, can enhance student engagement and learning, and they also often foster the development of transferrable skills (e.g., communication or problem-solving). One key problem-solving activity in introductory microbiology courses is the classic “unknown identification” experiment, where students perform a series of tests to identify a provided unknown microbe. While this is an effective teaching and learning strategy, it is time- and resource- intensive, and limited by the need to prepare reagents in advance of a practical lab session. Here, we discuss the development of a virtual escape room that simulates the “unknown identification” experiment. It allows students to engage in diagnostic decision-making in a gamified interactive environment, without the time and resource constraints of a physical lab. It also increases student independence: instead of following “cookbook-style” instructions, students select which tests to perform, and receive automatic feedback on their reasoning skills. Because the virtual escape room uses fewer resources than a traditional lab, students can engage with a greater variety of tests and unknown organisms. Finally, the virtual escape room incorporates a “hints” system, where students struggling to identify an unknown can earn a helpful hint by solving a common lab maths problem – thus helping them to develop key numeracy and calculation skills. Altogether, our experience suggests that virtual escape rooms can be used not only to teach subject-specific knowledge, but also to help develop students’ competencies and transferrable skills.