When designing learning scenarios for first-semester university students, instructional developers should not only impart knowledge and skills but also support transition to university, for example by providing opportunities to build a sense of belonging. In our case study, we illustrate how we addressed these goals by creating a motivating student-centred learning scenario incorporating gamification elements. We developed this scenario during the COVID-19 pandemic based on an existing escape room. A collaboration script guides small groups of students towards reciprocal, positive, and goal-oriented interactions. During the scenario, students get in touch with each other and pay attention to specific requirements for counselling communication. In our paper, we introduce a sophisticated sequence of gaming and counselling phases including elaborate roleplays. Results from a mixed-methods evaluation are not only used to improve the scenario but also show that students build positive relationships and perceive the scenario positively. These points are especially important due to the large proportion of non-traditional students in our sample. We finally report how we adapted the scenario to a variety of learning contexts including hybrid and face-to-face settings. For instructional developers, the current approach highlights the role of instructional scripts in computer-supported collaborative learning environments, resulting in a highly flexible learning scenario. By shifting the focus from communication skills to other higher-order skills (for example, problem-solving abilities), instructors may adapt the script to a wide range of instructional goals.