Reality Escape Pod - Escape Rooms & Immersive Games

We're sharing a little bit of our Patreon exclusive Bonus show from S7E9. In this clip, co-host Peih-Gee Law talks about rat park, a psychological experiment run by Dr. Bruce Alexander in the seventies, and the impact of creating connections through play. Listen to the rest of the Bonus Show now by becoming a patron today at patreon.com/roomescapeartist and to gain to access our library of over 60 bonus after shows. Thank you for supporting our work.

"I think being silly is really important." Playing pretend together is powerful stuff, and Andy Crocker knows this better than anyone. If you’ve experienced heartfelt shenanigans at Ghost Town Alive, or exchanged thrilling secrets in the engineering room aboard Star Wars Galactic Starcruiser, chances are you’ve come across Andy’s work. As an Immersive Performance Director, Andy’s work involves creating unscripted moments that gives the audience a chance to dig into their inner silliness. In addition to her work with Interactive Performance at theme park experiences, Andy is also one half of Mister and Mischief. They create what they call “fun-forward interactive experiences designed to delight audiences and turn strangers into pals.” Escape From Godot definitely fits the bill as a play that suddenly becomes an escape room. Their more recent 40 Watts from Nowhere turned the guests into pirate radio DJ’s reliving the memories of Sue Carpenter, a kickass radio rebel. Andy takes the business of being silly very seriously. Her enthusiasm for spreading the joy of make-believe is palpable. She designs her experience to create a safe space for the audience to indulge in childlike joy. The power of make-believe is real, and no one believes in it more than Andy Crocker. If you want to see the magic for yourself, don't miss Andy's talk at RECON this August, and make sure to get tickets for Escape From Godot. Timestamps & Full Show Notes Episode Sponsors Thank you to our sponsors Morty, Buzzshot, COGS by Clockwork Dog, & RECON, the Reality Escape Convention: Morty Morty is a free app for discovering, planning, tracking, and reviewing your escape rooms and other immersive social outings. Morty News: Morty now features haunt attractions Morty for Android is here Special Badge for REPOD listeners: You can learn more at morty.app/REPOD to sign up and get a special badge for our listeners (works for existing users also). Buzzshot Buzzshot is Escape Room Software, Powering Business Growth, Player Marketing, and improving the Customer Experience. They offer an assortment of pre and post game features including robust waiver management, branded team photos, and streamlined review management for Yelp, TripAdvisor, Google Reviews, and Morty. Buzzshot now has integration with the other REPOD sponsors: Morty and COGS. Special Offer for REPOD Listeners: REPOD listeners get an extended 21-day free trial plus 20% off your first 3 months, with no set-up fees or hidden charges. Visit buzzshot.com/repod to learn more about this exclusive offer. COGS COGS by Clockwork Dog is an easy to use software/ hardware platform for running interactive events, including escape rooms, and other immersive experiences. They have plug & play hardware that seamlessly integrates with their software so you can create a show with lighting and sound cues without having to write a single line of code. Map all kinds of inputs to outputs by building up simple logic steps which determine what you want to happen and when. Special Offer for REPOD Listeners: REPOD listeners can get the COGS Starter Set for only $130 + free shipping to the USA. This bundle is usually valued at $257. You can learn more and purchase your Starter Set at cogs.show. Use code REPOD at checkout. RECON - The Reality Escape Convention Our convention, RECON, will be in Universal City, California on August 18th & 19th, 2024. RECON offers a curated collection of talks and experiences exploring the business and art of escape room and immersive game creation. All are welcome at this event that is crafted around professionals and aspiring professionals. Tickets are on sale now at RealityEscapeCon.com Production Credits Hosted by David Spira & Peih-Gee Law Produced by Theresa Piazza Supported by Lisa Spira, Richard Burns, and Tommy Honton Edited by Steve Ewing of Stand Inside Media Music by Ryan Elder Logo by Janine Pracht

We're sharing a little bit of our Patreon exclusive Bonus show from S7E8. In this clip, co-hosts David Spira and Peih-Gee Law talk about Activate and Time Mission, which are both different types of challenge arcades. Listen to the rest of the Bonus Show now by becoming a patron today at patreon.com/roomescapeartist and to gain to access our library of over 60 bonus after shows. Thank you for supporting our work.

“We always want to make something that we haven't seen before.” There are few companies who have been as influential in the escape room scene as Cross Roads Escape Games. Not only are all their games highly polished with brilliant puzzles, gorgeous sets, and fun interactions, they’re also creatively experimental. The owners, Luke and Madison Rhoades, have made some of the most innovative and format-breaking escape rooms in the world from the iconic experience, The Hex Room, to their most recent masterpiece, The Weeping Witch. In this episode, we break down the brilliance behind their games and what makes them unique. At their core, Luke and Madison are creative dare devils. They look for ways to challenge the industry and add their own fun twist on what defines an escape room. Combined with their theatrical backgrounds and business acumen, this experimental nature is what defines Cross Roads Escape Games and makes them such an iconic company in the escape room scene. Timestamps & Full Show Notes Episode Sponsors Thank you to our sponsors Morty, Buzzshot, COGS by Clockwork Dog, & RECON, the Reality Escape Convention: Morty Morty is a free app for discovering, planning, tracking, and reviewing your escape rooms and other immersive social outings. Morty News: Morty now features haunt attractions Morty for Android is here Special Badge for REPOD listeners: You can learn more at morty.app/REPOD to sign up and get a special badge for our listeners (works for existing users also). Buzzshot Buzzshot is Escape Room Software, Powering Business Growth, Player Marketing, and improving the Customer Experience. They offer an assortment of pre and post game features including robust waiver management, branded team photos, and streamlined review management for Yelp, TripAdvisor, Google Reviews, and Morty. Buzzshot now has integration with the other REPOD sponsors: Morty and COGS. Special Offer for REPOD Listeners: REPOD listeners get an extended 21-day free trial plus 20% off your first 3 months, with no set-up fees or hidden charges. Visit buzzshot.com/repod to learn more about this exclusive offer. COGS COGS by Clockwork Dog is an easy to use software/ hardware platform for running interactive events, including escape rooms, and other immersive experiences. They have plug & play hardware that seamlessly integrates with their software so you can create a show with lighting and sound cues without having to write a single line of code. Map all kinds of inputs to outputs by building up simple logic steps which determine what you want to happen and when. Special Offer for REPOD Listeners: REPOD listeners can get the COGS Starter Set for only $130 + free shipping to the USA. This bundle is usually valued at $257. You can learn more and purchase your Starter Set at cogs.show. Use code REPOD at checkout. RECON - The Reality Escape Convention Our convention, RECON, will be in Universal City, California on August 18th & 19th, 2024. RECON offers a curated collection of talks and experiences exploring the business and art of escape room and immersive game creation. All are welcome at this event that is crafted around professionals and aspiring professionals. Tickets are on sale now at RealityEscapeCon.com Special Offer: If you buy your ticket by May 1, you’ll get priority session selection for Imagi-Ne’er-Do-Wells and The 49 Boxes. Production Credits Hosted by David Spira & Peih-Gee Law Produced by Theresa Piazza Supported by Lisa Spira, Richard Burns, and Tommy Honton Edited by Steve Ewing of Stand Inside Media Music by Ryan Elder Logo by Janine Pracht

We're sharing a little bit of our Patreon exclusive Bonus show from S7E7 with Michael Borys, creators of The 49 Boxes. In this clip. Michael tells us the story behind one of his most prized possessions and interactive sculptural Van Gogh head. Listen to the rest of the Bonus Show now by becoming a patron today at patreon.com/roomescapeartist and to gain to access our library of over 60 bonus after shows. Thank you for supporting our work.

"There's absolutely no difference between Magic and the Magical." We shuffle slowly into the basement, careful not to bump into anything. This is harder than seems, because everywhere we turn, there are boxes and objects. Collections of items are spotlit, dust motes dancing in the air. Curious, we split up and start exploring. In one hidden nook, there’s a display of antique brass locks, and in another, a strange set of wine bottles. Over in the corner, there is a sculpture of a Van Gogh head, which hides pontifications on commercialized art on the back. This basement belongs to Michael Borys, and was our first introduction to the man behind The 49 Boxes. Michael is not only an innovative game designer with a storied career, he is also a magician and a writer. His magical experience, The 49 Boxes, blurs the lines between puzzle hunt, magic show, and interactive theater. We also explore Michael’s other work, including The Arkham Files, an exciting new type of tabletop game that makes use of AR technology. Michael cares deeply about creating a magical experience for players. Whether it’s through magic shows, tabletop games, or his experience The 49 Boxes, Michael’s games aim to transport the player and make them the hero. We are thrilled to bring his unique experience to RECON Los Angeles. Timestamps & Full Show Notes Episode Sponsors Thank you to our sponsors Morty, Buzzshot, COGS by Clockwork Dog, & RECON, the Reality Escape Convention: Morty Morty is a free app for discovering, planning, tracking, and reviewing your escape rooms and other immersive social outings. Morty News: Morty now features haunt attractions Morty for Android is here Special Badge for REPOD listeners: You can learn more at morty.app/REPOD to sign up and get a special badge for our listeners (works for existing users also). Buzzshot Buzzshot is Escape Room Software, Powering Business Growth, Player Marketing, and improving the Customer Experience. They offer an assortment of pre and post game features including robust waiver management, branded team photos, and streamlined review management for Yelp, TripAdvisor, Google Reviews, and Morty. Buzzshot now has integration with the other REPOD sponsors: Morty and COGS. Special Offer for REPOD Listeners: REPOD listeners get an extended 21-day free trial plus 20% off your first 3 months, with no set-up fees or hidden charges. Visit buzzshot.com/repod to learn more about this exclusive offer. COGS COGS by Clockwork Dog is an easy to use software/ hardware platform for running interactive events, including escape rooms, and other immersive experiences. They have plug & play hardware that seamlessly integrates with their software so you can create a show with lighting and sound cues without having to write a single line of code. Map all kinds of inputs to outputs by building up simple logic steps which determine what you want to happen and when. Special Offer for REPOD Listeners: REPOD listeners can get the COGS Starter Set for only $130 + free shipping to the USA. This bundle is usually valued at $257. You can learn more and purchase your Starter Set at cogs.show. Use code REPOD at checkout. RECON - The Reality Escape Convention Our convention, RECON, will be in Universal City, California on August 18th & 19th, 2024. RECON offers a curated collection of talks and experiences exploring the business and art of escape room and immersive game creation. All are welcome at this event that is crafted around professionals and aspiring professionals. Tickets are on sale now at RealityEscapeCon.com Special Offer: If you buy your ticket by May 1, you’ll get priority session selection for Imagi-Ne’er-Do-Wells and The 49 Boxes. Production Credits Hosted by David Spira & Peih-Gee Law Produced by Theresa Piazza Supported by Lisa Spira, Richard Burns, and Tommy Honton Edited by Steve Ewing of Stand Inside Media Music by Ryan Elder Logo by Janine Pracht

We're sharing a little bit of our Patreon exclusive Bonus show from S7E6 with Al and Stacy Delcome, creators of Confusion Escapes in San Bernardino, California. In this clip, Peih-Gee talks about playing her first jubensha, the larp-like murder mystery experience popularized in China. Content Warning: Please be warned that this segment does discuss sexual assault in the context of the game. This is a common and controversial trope in jubensha games. Listen to the rest of the Bonus Show now by becoming a patron today at patreon.com/roomescapeartist and to gain to access our library of over 60 bonus after shows. Thank you for supporting our work.

"A delightful dream world" Imagine walking up to the lobby of an escape room, only to be confronted by an enormous semi-truck that has smashed through one of the walls. Maybe you’re climbing up a massive, sprawling tree and ducking into the treehouse of your childhood dreams. Local favorite Confusion Escapes engineer all their games to maximize fun, which made a lot of sense once we discovered that owner Al Delcome has a background in mechanical engineering. His wife and business partner Stacy Delcome is the one responsible for the gorgeous set decor. The duo honed their talents on haunts. They created incredibly elaborate home haunts, complete with stunt work and elevator simulators. One of the things I appreciated most after our conversation was their emphasis on safety. Al and Stacy are meticulous in their build approach. They ensure that every build is structurally sound and that every surface is finely sanded to prevent splinters and snags. It’s always a pleasure to chat with owners who are passionate and ambitious in their creations. Timestamps & Full Show Notes Episode Sponsors Thank you to our sponsors Morty, Buzzshot, COGS by Clockwork Dog, & RECON, the Reality Escape Convention: Morty Morty is a free app for discovering, planning, tracking, and reviewing your escape rooms and other immersive social outings. Morty News: Morty now features haunt attractions Morty for Android is here Special Badge for REPOD listeners: You can learn more at morty.app/REPOD to sign up and get a special badge for our listeners (works for existing users also). Buzzshot Buzzshot is Escape Room Software, Powering Business Growth, Player Marketing, and improving the Customer Experience. They offer an assortment of pre and post game features including robust waiver management, branded team photos, and streamlined review management for Yelp, TripAdvisor, Google Reviews, and Morty. Buzzshot now has integration with the other REPOD sponsors: Morty and COGS. Special Offer for REPOD Listeners: REPOD listeners get an extended 21-day free trial plus 20% off your first 3 months, with no set-up fees or hidden charges. Visit buzzshot.com/repod to learn more about this exclusive offer. COGS COGS by Clockwork Dog is an easy to use software/ hardware platform for running interactive events, including escape rooms, and other immersive experiences. They have plug & play hardware that seamlessly integrates with their software so you can create a show with lighting and sound cues without having to write a single line of code. Map all kinds of inputs to outputs by building up simple logic steps which determine what you want to happen and when. Special Offer for REPOD Listeners: REPOD listeners can get the COGS Starter Set for only $130 + free shipping to the USA. This bundle is usually valued at $257. You can learn more and purchase your Starter Set at cogs.show. Use code REPOD at checkout. RECON - The Reality Escape Convention Our convention, RECON, will be in Universal City, California on August 18th & 19th, 2024. RECON offers a curated collection of talks and experiences exploring the business and art of escape room and immersive game creation. All are welcome at this event that is crafted around professionals and aspiring professionals. Tickets are on sale now at RealityEscapeCon.com Special Offer: If you buy your ticket by May 1, you’ll get priority session selection for Imagi-Ne’er-Do-Wells and The 49 Boxes. Production Credits Hosted by David Spira & Peih-Gee Law Produced by Theresa Piazza Supported by Lisa Spira, Richard Burns, and Tommy Honton Edited by Steve Ewing of Stand Inside Media Music by Ryan Elder Logo by Janine Pracht

We're sharing a little bit of our Patreon exclusive Bonus show from S7E5 with Blake Hodges-Koch & Thomas Meston, creators of Wild Heart Ranch outside of Joshua Tree, California. In this clip, we talk about Blake & Thomas' initial fear of seasoned escape room players finding Wild Heart Ranch and why David loving refers to a group of escape room players as a complaint." Listen to the rest of the Bonus Show now by becoming a patron today at patreon.com/roomescapeartist and to gain to access our library of over 60 bonus after shows. Thank you for supporting our work.

“The most Myst-like experience I have had in real life” You arrive at the Airbnb, ready for a fun-filled weekend with your loved ones. The ranch is gorgeously furnished with mid-century modern touches. Outside, the desert stretches off into the distance. You wander in after a soak in the hot tub and find a little piece of paper that says "Start Here." Before long, you're uncovering secrets about Grandpa Ray and going on adventures out into the desert. And what is hidden behind those locked doors in the courtyard? Blake Hodges-Koch and Thomas Meston have created magic in Joshua Tree – an escape room-esque immersive experience packaged in an Airbnb. By discovering secrets and solving hidden puzzles in a place you're calling home, the story starts to come alive and the characters become real. Delightful little touches like the custom soundtrack that plays throughout the property add to the experience. Time spent in an experience truly aids immersion, and nothing quite beats living in it for the weekend. Blake and Thomas put a lot of love and effort into crafting a home that's comfortable, appealing, and with plenty of mysteries to discover. It was especially fun to hear how appreciative they are of the escape room community embracing of their project. As David puts it, even after playing a thousand escape rooms, Wild Heart Ranch still managed to surprise and delight him. Timestamps & Full Show Notes Episode Sponsors Thank you to our sponsors Morty, Buzzshot, COGS by Clockwork Dog, & RECON, the Reality Escape Convention: Morty Morty is a free app for discovering, planning, tracking, and reviewing your escape rooms and other immersive social outings. Morty News: Morty now features haunt attractions Morty for Android is here Special Badge for REPOD listeners: You can learn more at morty.app/REPOD to sign up and get a special badge for our listeners (works for existing users also). Buzzshot Buzzshot is Escape Room Software, Powering Business Growth, Player Marketing, and improving the Customer Experience. They offer an assortment of pre and post game features including robust waiver management, branded team photos, and streamlined review management for Yelp, TripAdvisor, Google Reviews, and Morty. Buzzshot now has integration with the other REPOD sponsors: Morty and COGS. Special Offer for REPOD Listeners: REPOD listeners get an extended 21-day free trial plus 20% off your first 3 months, with no set-up fees or hidden charges. Visit buzzshot.com/repod to learn more about this exclusive offer. COGS COGS by Clockwork Dog is an easy to use software/ hardware platform for running interactive events, including escape rooms, and other immersive experiences. They have plug & play hardware that seamlessly integrates with their software so you can create a show with lighting and sound cues without having to write a single line of code. Map all kinds of inputs to outputs by building up simple logic steps which determine what you want to happen and when. Special Offer for REPOD Listeners: REPOD listeners can get the COGS Starter Set for only $130 + free shipping to the USA. This bundle is usually valued at $257. You can learn more and purchase your Starter Set at cogs.show. Use code REPOD at checkout. RECON - The Reality Escape Convention Our convention, RECON, will be in Universal City, California on August 18th & 19th, 2024. RECON offers a curated collection of talks and experiences exploring the business and art of escape room and immersive game creation. All are welcome at this event that is crafted around professionals and aspiring professionals. Tickets are on sale now at RealityEscapeCon.com Special Offer: If you buy your ticket by May 1, you’ll get priority session selection for Imagi-Ne’er-Do-Wells and The 49 Boxes. Production Credits Hosted by David Spira & Peih-Gee Law Produced by Theresa Piazza Supported by Lisa Spira, Richard Burns, and Tommy Honton Edited by Steve Ewing of Stand Inside Media Music by Ryan Elder Logo by Janine Pracht

We're sharing a little bit of our Patreon exclusive Bonus show from S7E4 with Jason & Marketa Richard, creators of Steal and Escape in San Diego, California. In this clip, we talk about making escape room merch and making content for social media. Listen to the rest of the Bonus Show now by becoming a patron today at patreon.com/roomescapeartist and to gain to access our library of over 60 bonus after shows. Thank you for supporting our work.

"Our love language is building together." “High on fun” is how David introduces the games at Steal and Escape, and that’s exactly how I felt after playing their creative and unique games. From popsicles to hilarious assessment tests, and challenges that gave me Survivor PTSD, the games created by husband-and-wife team Jason and Marketa Richard are maximizing the fun factor. Steal and Escape is an escape room company that pulls out all the stops. Indeed, Jason told us he thought The Missing Season might be the last game he’d design. That’s why he threw in all the toys and tricks that he’d always wanted to see in an escape room. You can feel when designers of a game are truly passionate about their craft. And I’m not just saying this because I found an article written by David pinned to the wall of their gamemaster office. But it told me that these owners truly care about the player experience. You can clearly see that they design from the heart. Timestamps & Full Show Notes Episode Sponsors Thank you to our sponsors Morty, Buzzshot, COGS by Clockwork Dog, & RECON, the Reality Escape Convention: Morty Morty is a free app for discovering, planning, tracking, and reviewing your escape rooms and other immersive social outings. Morty News: Morty now features haunt attractions Morty for Android is here Special Badge for REPOD listeners: You can learn more at morty.app/REPOD to sign up and get a special badge for our listeners (works for existing users also). Buzzshot Buzzshot is Escape Room Software, Powering Business Growth, Player Marketing, and improving the Customer Experience. They offer an assortment of pre and post game features including robust waiver management, branded team photos, and streamlined review management for Yelp, TripAdvisor, Google Reviews, and Morty. Buzzshot now has integration with the other REPOD sponsors: Morty and COGS. Special Offer for REPOD Listeners: REPOD listeners get an extended 21-day free trial plus 20% off your first 3 months, with no set-up fees or hidden charges. Visit buzzshot.com/repod to learn more about this exclusive offer. COGS COGS by Clockwork Dog is an easy to use software/ hardware platform for running interactive events, including escape rooms, and other immersive experiences. They have plug & play hardware that seamlessly integrates with their software so you can create a show with lighting and sound cues without having to write a single line of code. Map all kinds of inputs to outputs by building up simple logic steps which determine what you want to happen and when. Special Offer for REPOD Listeners: REPOD listeners can get the COGS Starter Set for only $130 + free shipping to the USA. This bundle is usually valued at $257. You can learn more and purchase your Starter Set at cogs.show. Use code REPOD at checkout. RECON - The Reality Escape Convention Our convention, RECON, will be in Universal City, California on August 18th & 19th, 2024. RECON offers a curated collection of talks and experiences exploring the business and art of escape room and immersive game creation. All are welcome at this event that is crafted around professionals and aspiring professionals. Tickets are on sale now at RealityEscapeCon.com Special Offer: If you buy your ticket by May 1, you’ll get priority session selection for Imagi-Ne’er-Do-Wells and The 49 Boxes. Production Credits Hosted by David Spira & Peih-Gee Law Produced by Theresa Piazza Supported by Lisa Spira, Richard Burns, and Tommy Honton Edited by Steve Ewing of Stand Inside Media Music by Ryan Elder Logo by Janine Pracht

We're sharing a little bit of our Patreon exclusive Bonus show from S7E3 with Brett Jackson, creator of Imagi-Ne’er-Do-Wells. Brett talks about the need to consider the guests emotional safety, and how to be considerate in your experience design. Listen to the rest of the Bonus Show now by becoming a patron today at patreon.com/roomescapeartist and to gain to access our library of over 60 bonus after shows. Thank you for supporting our work.

Your palms are sweaty, but your body is filled with exhilaration. You’re still coming down off the high of pitching your ludicrous idea on stage to a room filled with your peers. Thunderous applause, whistles, and exuberant cheers fill your ears. You walk off, clutching your squashed penny prize. An hour ago, you walked in, nervous as hell, with no idea what to expect. Now you’re leaving with new friends and the satisfaction of exercising your creative muscles. That’s the magic of Imagi-Ne'er-Do-Wells, the brainchild of themed experience designer Brett Jackson. Brett created this event as a creative social club, where guests formulate ridiculous attractions following some hilarious prompts. Not only does it get the creative juices flowing, it also fosters networking opportunities. I especially enjoyed hearing about all the design elements he’s deliberately built into the event. Brett designs with fun, humor, and the safety of his guests as a priority. I hope this episode inspires you to become an Imagi-Ne'er-Do-Well. Timestamps & Full Show Notes Episode Sponsors Thank you to our sponsors Morty, Buzzshot, COGS by Clockwork Dog, & RECON, the Reality Escape Convention: Morty Morty is a free app for discovering, planning, tracking, and reviewing your escape rooms and other immersive social outings. Morty News: Morty now features haunt attractions Morty for Android is here Special Badge for REPOD listeners: You can learn more at morty.app/REPOD to sign up and get a special badge for our listeners (works for existing users also). Buzzshot Buzzshot is Escape Room Software, Powering Business Growth, Player Marketing, and improving the Customer Experience. They offer an assortment of pre and post game features including robust waiver management, branded team photos, and streamlined review management for Yelp, TripAdvisor, Google Reviews, and Morty. Buzzshot now has integration with the other REPOD sponsors: Morty and COGS. Special Offer for REPOD Listeners: REPOD listeners get an extended 21-day free trial plus 20% off your first 3 months, with no set-up fees or hidden charges. Visit buzzshot.com/repod to learn more about this exclusive offer. COGS COGS by Clockwork Dog is an easy to use software/ hardware platform for running interactive events, including escape rooms, and other immersive experiences. They have plug & play hardware that seamlessly integrates with their software so you can create a show with lighting and sound cues without having to write a single line of code. Map all kinds of inputs to outputs by building up simple logic steps which determine what you want to happen and when. Special Offer for REPOD Listeners: REPOD listeners can get the COGS Starter Set for only $130 + free shipping to the USA. This bundle is usually valued at $257. You can learn more and purchase your Starter Set at cogs.show. Use code REPOD at checkout. RECON - The Reality Escape Convention Our convention, RECON, will be in Universal City, California on August 18th & 19th, 2024. RECON offers a curated collection of talks and experiences exploring the business and art of escape room and immersive game creation. All are welcome at this event that is crafted around professionals and aspiring professionals. Tickets are on sale now at RealityEscapeCon.com Special Offer: If you buy your ticket by May 1, you’ll get priority session selection for Imagi-Ne’er-Do-Wells and The 49 Boxes. Production Credits Hosted by David Spira & Peih-Gee Law Produced by Theresa Piazza Supported by Lisa Spira, Richard Burns, and Tommy Honton Edited by Steve Ewing of Stand Inside Media Music by Ryan Elder Logo by Janine Pracht

We're sharing a little bit of our Patreon exclusive Bonus show from S7E2 with Jared Butler, owner of Wasteland Weekend and Neotropolis. In this preview, Peih-Gee talks about some of the escape room-esque features of Neotropolis, and Jared discusses how the bars work. He also shared his dreams for the future of the event. Listen to the rest of the Bonus Show now by becoming a patron today at patreon.com/roomescapeartist and to gain to access our library of over 60 bonus after shows. Thank you for supporting our work.

"The desert adds an incredible layer of realism that you're never gonna get in any polished one hour experience." You’ve been driving through the desert for miles. It’s nighttime, and you've seen nothing but scrub brush and rocks for a while. Suddenly, emerging from the darkness is the glimmer of lights… neon lights, and as you get closer you hear the thunderous pounding of music. People in funky lit-up outfits are running around in this vibrant neon construction. You sigh as you settle into this post-apocalyptic city that you will call home for the next 5 days. It’s difficult to convey the scope of a fully immersive event that spans 5 days and is chock full of missions, tribal allegiances, subcultures, music, and mayhem. Wasteland Weekend and Neotropolis are multi-day, larp-esque, dystopian-themed immersive festivals taking place in the barren wasteland of the Mojave Desert in California. Jared Butler is the mastermind behind these events. He joins us to break down how it all works. It was fascinating to hear about the logistics of running such a complex event. However, what struck me most during this interview was not the commitment to immersion, which is enforced by required in-world costumes, nor the scope, which includes missions, art pieces, performances, and a cohesive narrative. Rather, I was really impressed with the dedication to creating an open and welcoming community. Jared's insistence on keeping his events an inviting and collaborative place to play is apparent, and I could feel how it trickles down through the culture of these events. Wasteland Weekend and Neotropolis are can't-miss experiences if you're looking to delve deeper into immersive play. Timestamps & Full Show Notes Episode Sponsors Thank you to our sponsors Morty, Buzzshot, COGS by Clockwork Dog, & RECON, the Reality Escape Convention: Morty Morty is a free app for discovering, planning, tracking, and reviewing your escape rooms and other immersive social outings. Morty News: Morty now features haunt attractions Morty for Android is here Special Badge for REPOD listeners: You can learn more at morty.app/REPOD to sign up and get a special badge for our listeners (works for existing users also). Buzzshot Buzzshot is Escape Room Software, Powering Business Growth, Player Marketing, and improving the Customer Experience. They offer an assortment of pre and post game features including robust waiver management, branded team photos, and streamlined review management for Yelp, TripAdvisor, Google Reviews, and Morty. Buzzshot now has integration with the other REPOD sponsors: Morty and COGS. Special Offer for REPOD Listeners: REPOD listeners get an extended 21-day free trial plus 20% off your first 3 months, with no set-up fees or hidden charges. Visit buzzshot.com/repod to learn more about this exclusive offer. COGS COGS by Clockwork Dog is an easy to use software/ hardware platform for running interactive events, including escape rooms, and other immersive experiences. They have plug & play hardware that seamlessly integrates with their software so you can create a show with lighting and sound cues without having to write a single line of code. Map all kinds of inputs to outputs by building up simple logic steps which determine what you want to happen and when. Special Offer for REPOD Listeners: REPOD listeners can get the COGS Starter Set for only $130 + free shipping to the USA. This bundle is usually valued at $257. You can learn more and purchase your Starter Set at cogs.show. Use code REPOD at checkout. RECON - The Reality Escape Convention Our convention, RECON, will be in Universal City, California on August 18th & 19th, 2024. RECON offers a curated collection of talks and experiences exploring the business and art of escape room and immersive game creation. All are welcome at this event that is crafted around professionals and aspiring professionals. Tickets are on sale now at RealityEscapeCon.com Special Offer: If you buy your ticket by May 1, you’ll get priority session selection for Imagi-Ne’er-Do-Wells and The 49 Boxes. Production Credits Hosted by David Spira & Peih-Gee Law Produced by Theresa Piazza Supported by Lisa Spira, Richard Burns, and Tommy Honton Edited by Steve Ewing of Stand Inside Media Music by Ryan Elder Logo by Janine Pracht

We're sharing a little bit of our Patreon exclusive Bonus show from S7E1 with The Ministry of Peculiarities. In this preview, David tells a story about an unexpected guest at an early escape room tour. Listen to the rest of the Bonus Show now by becoming a patron today at patreon.com/roomescapeartist and to gain to access our library of over 60 bonus after shows. Thank you for supporting our work.

To sleep, perchance to dream... Sleep No More, the seminal immersive theater piece from Punchdrunk, has inspired countless immersive creators, including Haley and Cameron Cooper of Strange Bird Immersive. Haley and Cameron make no secret that it has heavily influenced their acclaimed escape room The Man From Beyond. When we heard that Punchdrunk would close Sleep No More's New York location, we decided to pay homage to this influential work with a feature on our Spoilers Club. Haley and Cameron are historians of Punchdrunk; they joined us to break down everything you need to know about this innovative show. In this two-part series, we delve into the background of this unique theater company. Then we do a deep dive into Sleep No More, discussing storylines, plot points, and solo moments. If you've never seen the show, you can experience it vicariously through this episode, and even if you're a seasoned attendee, you'll walk away with a deeper understanding. How to Listen When you support Room Escape Artist on Patreon at $15 per month (or above), you get access to the Spoilers Club, our exclusive podcast where hosts David Spira and Peih-Gee Law chat in depth with creators about iconic escape rooms... spoilers and all! https://www.patreon.com/roomescapeartist Production Credits Hosted by David Spira & Peih-Gee Law Produced by Theresa Piazza Supported by Lisa Spira Edited by Peih-Gee Law Music by Ryan Elder Logo by Janine Pracht

"Quirkiness is a core value." In Season 7, Episode 1, we chat with Adam Moody, Jonathan Berk, and Benjamin Berk, the creators of The Ministry of Peculiarities in Azusa, California. Their first full-length game, Hope End, established their quirky brand of escape room, elegantly mixing story, puzzles, and adventure into one of Southern California’s preeminent experiences. One of the reasons this company is so beloved is their commitment to immersion. In the podcast, they talk about how the storytelling begins the moment a guest clicks onto their website, and continues once they step foot into the lobby. There’s a lot of off-beat humor woven into their experience. They’ve even got a few lobby “gags” and pranks, one of which David calls “obnoxiously compelling.” Hope End is the rare escape room that does a little bit of everything, and does it all extremely well. Whether it’s the high production value found in their set design, props or video work, the intimate moments that stem from a great actor, or puzzles with a wow factor, The Ministry of Peculiarities has set an amazingly high bar for the escape room scene in Los Angeles. We loved getting a peek into the minds behind this unique blend of escape room and immersive theater. Timestamps & Full Show Notes Episode Sponsors Thank you to our sponsors Morty, Buzzshot, COGS by Clockwork Dog, & RECON, the Reality Escape Convention: Morty Morty is a free app for discovering, planning, tracking, and reviewing your escape rooms and other immersive social outings. Morty News: Morty now features haunt attractions Morty for Android is here Special Badge for REPOD listeners: You can learn more at morty.app/REPOD to sign up and get a special badge for our listeners (works for existing users also). Buzzshot Buzzshot is Escape Room Software, Powering Business Growth, Player Marketing, and improving the Customer Experience. They offer an assortment of pre and post game features including robust waiver management, branded team photos, and streamlined review management for Yelp, TripAdvisor, Google Reviews, and Morty. Buzzshot now has integration with the other REPOD sponsors: Morty and COGS. Special Offer for REPOD Listeners: REPOD listeners get an extended 21-day free trial plus 20% off your first 3 months, with no set-up fees or hidden charges. Visit buzzshot.com/repod to learn more about this exclusive offer. COGS COGS by Clockwork Dog is an easy to use software/ hardware platform for running interactive events, including escape rooms, and other immersive experiences. They have plug & play hardware that seamlessly integrates with their software so you can create a show with lighting and sound cues without having to write a single line of code. Map all kinds of inputs to outputs by building up simple logic steps which determine what you want to happen and when. Special Offer for REPOD Listeners: REPOD listeners can get the COGS Starter Set for only $130 + free shipping to the USA. This bundle is usually valued at $257. You can learn more and purchase your Starter Set at cogs.show. Use code REPOD at checkout. RECON - The Reality Escape Convention Our convention, RECON, will be in Universal City, California on August 18th & 19th, 2024. RECON offers a curated collection of talks and experiences exploring the business and art of escape room and immersive game creation. All are welcome at this event that is crafted around professionals and aspiring professionals. Tickets are on sale now at RealityEscapeCon.com Special Offer: If you buy your ticket by May 1, you’ll get priority session selection for Imagi-Ne’er-Do-Wells and The 49 Boxes. Production Credits Hosted by David Spira & Peih-Gee Law Produced by Theresa Piazza Supported by Lisa Spira, Richard Burns, and Tommy Honton Edited by Steve Ewing of Stand Inside Media Music by Ryan Elder Logo by Janine Pracht

"This episode is brought to you by language that has fallen outta favor in the last century." We're putting the "celeb" in celebrate! Play along as we test each other's wits with games, puzzles, and trivia, all themed around Los Angeles, the home for this year's Reality Escape Convention. In keeping with the theme, Season 7 of REPOD will feature guests whose work can be found in LA, The City of Angels. To celebrate, Peih-Gee's Playhouse is back with another special release episode chock full of games and merriment. We've brought back recurring guest Tommy Honton and our esteemed podcast producer Theresa Piazza. Los Angeles has some of the best escape rooms in the country, not to mention world class restaurants, bars, a thriving theater scene, and of course, theme parks galore. As local Angelinos, Tommy and Peih-Gee's games tried to highlight a few local escape room gems. Some knowledge of Los Angeles area escape rooms and companies will definitely help when trying to play along. Start getting excited for Season 7, because as one of the premiere entertainment capitals of the world, Los Angeles has a ton to offer when it comes to immersive gaming and events. And that means we've got amazing guests lined up for REPOD. Timestamps & Full Show Notes Episode Sponsors Thank you to our sponsors Morty, Buzzshot, and COGS: Morty Morty is a free app for discovering, planning, tracking, and reviewing your escape rooms and other immersive social outings. Morty News: Morty now features haunt attractions Morty for Android is here Special Badge for REPOD listeners: You can learn more at morty.app/REPOD to sign up and get a special badge for our listeners (works for existing users also). Buzzshot Buzzshot is Escape Room Software, Powering Business Growth, Player Marketing, and improving the Customer Experience. They offer an assortment of pre and post game features including robust waiver management, branded team photos, and streamlined review management for Yelp, TripAdvisor, Google Reviews, and Morty. Buzzshot now has integration with the other REPOD sponsors: Morty and COGS. Special Offer for REPOD Listeners: REPOD listeners get an extended 21-day free trial plus 20% off your first 3 months, with no set-up fees or hidden charges. Visit buzzshot.com/repod to learn more about this exclusive offer. COGS COGS by Clockwork Dog is an easy to use software/ hardware platform for running interactive events, including escape rooms, and other immersive experiences. They have plug & play hardware that seamlessly integrates with their software so you can create a show with lighting and sound cues without having to write a single line of code. Map all kinds of inputs to outputs by building up simple logic steps which determine what you want to happen and when. Special Offer for REPOD Listeners: REPOD listeners can get the COGS Starter Set for only $130 + free shipping to the USA. This bundle is usually valued at $257. You can learn more and purchase your Starter Set at cogs.show. Use code REPOD at checkout. Production Credits Hosted by David Spira & Peih-Gee Law Produced by Theresa Piazza Supported by Lisa Spira Edited by Peih-Gee Law Music by Ryan Elder Logo by Janine Pracht

"Why did it have to be snakes?" "Since we started this podcast, I have been talking repeatedly about my desire for there to be more lower budget, experimental, thought provoking, and thoughtful productions." David calls this game "the black box theatre" of escape rooms, while REA Patron Dan Egnor called it "the best room in the world in awesomeness per square foot." You've probably never played this room, or even heard about it, but David and I love this room so much that we dedicated 90 minutes to thoroughly dissecting and reliving The Ghost of Mentryville. Creator Matt Tye of Arcane Escape Room in Newhall, CA joins us to share his design and thought process behind this brilliant game. In this preview, Matt talks about how difficult it is to run this game, especially for the gamemaster, who is operating as a performer, gamemaster, and audio/ visual technician, all within the confines of a very small space. Listen to the rest of the episode now by becoming a Patreon backer at the "Search Win" level for access to all of the Spoilers Club episodes. https://www.patreon.com/roomescapeartist Timestamps & Full Show Notes Episode Sponsors Thank you to our sponsors Morty, Buzzshot, and COGS by Clockwork Dog: Morty Morty is a free app for discovering, planning, tracking, and reviewing your escape rooms and other immersive social outings. Morty News: Morty now features haunt attractions Morty for Android is here Special Badge for REPOD listeners: You can learn more at morty.app/REPOD to sign up and get a special badge for our listeners (works for existing users also). Buzzshot Buzzshot is Escape Room Software, Powering Business Growth, Player Marketing, and improving the Customer Experience. They offer an assortment of pre and post game features including robust waiver management, branded team photos, and streamlined review management for Yelp, TripAdvisor, Google Reviews, and Morty. Buzzshot now has integration with the other REPOD sponsors: Morty and COGS. Special Offer for REPOD Listeners: REPOD listeners get an extended 21-day free trial plus 20% off your first 3 months, with no set-up fees or hidden charges. Visit buzzshot.com/repod to learn more about this exclusive offer. COGS COGS by Clockwork Dog is an easy to use software/ hardware platform for running interactive events, including escape rooms, and other immersive experiences. They have plug & play hardware that seamlessly integrates with their software so you can create a show with lighting and sound cues without having to write a single line of code. Map all kinds of inputs to outputs by building up simple logic steps which determine what you want to happen and when. Special Offer for REPOD Listeners: REPOD listeners can get the COGS Starter Set for only $130 + free shipping to the USA. This bundle is usually valued at $257. You can learn more and purchase your Starter Set at cogs.show. Use code REPOD at checkout. Production Credits Hosted by David Spira & Peih-Gee Law Produced by Theresa Piazza Supported by Lisa Spira Edited by Steve Ewing of Stand Inside Media Music by Ryan Elder Logo by Janine Pracht

“For new listeners, we hope it will be a great introduction to what the podcast is all about, and for our regular listeners, a reminder of the most interesting and impactful moments from Season 6.” Already missing REPOD? Don’t worry, Season 7 of the podcast is launching very soon. In the meantime, our editor, Steve Ewing, put together some of his favorite clips from each episode of Season 6. In Season 6, we interviewed a few guests with ties to the puzzle hunt world, including TERPECA founder Rich Bragg, puzzle constructor Eric Berlin, and Chief Puzzle Officer Greg Pliska, of A.J. Jacobs’s The Puzzler Podcast. We also explored unusual gameplay and immersive concepts with guests who are experimenting and innovating with their projects, including Christian Vernon and Zac MacKrell, creators of the replayable Doors of Divergence and Kellian and Brian Pletcher, creators of Club Drosselmeyer— an immersive, puzzling swing dance party. Plus Eric Wastl invented The Advent of Code, an advent calendar full of programming puzzles, and Lonnie Hanzon explained the intent behind his set designs at Camp Christmas. We covered some fan favorite escape rooms, interviewing Summer Herrick of Locurio, Marie Huber and Nico César of Red Fox Escapes, and Mike Dold and Rick George of Doldrick’s. What I especially loved about these guests was how they explained the thought process behind their design decisions. In our interview with Christine Barger we talk more about effective social media marketing than escape room design. She actively encourages guests to film in her game! Season 6 also included episodes which were a departure from our normal interview style episodes, including my Halloween Spooktacular filled with games and stories, and hosting the hilarious crew from Hey Riddle Riddle to play through Shop of Theseus, our audio escape room from RECON 23. If you want even more podcast episodes, consider joining our Patreon. For only $5 a month, you’ll get access to our Bonus Aftershow, which is a more casual conversation with each guest. Timestamps & Full Show Notes Episode Sponsors Thank you to our sponsors Morty, Buzzshot, and COGS: Morty Morty is a free app for discovering, planning, tracking, and reviewing your escape rooms and other immersive social outings. Morty News: Morty now features haunt attractions Morty for Android is here Special Badge for REPOD listeners: You can learn more at morty.app/REPOD to sign up and get a special badge for our listeners (works for existing users also). Buzzshot Buzzshot is Escape Room Software, Powering Business Growth, Player Marketing, and improving the Customer Experience. They offer an assortment of pre and post game features including robust waiver management, branded team photos, and streamlined review management for Yelp, TripAdvisor, Google Reviews, and Morty. Buzzshot now has integration with the other REPOD sponsors: Morty and COGS. Special Offer for REPOD Listeners: REPOD listeners get an extended 21-day free trial plus 20% off your first 3 months, with no set-up fees or hidden charges. Visit buzzshot.com/repod to learn more about this exclusive offer. COGS COGS by Clockwork Dog is an easy to use software/ hardware platform for running interactive events, including escape rooms, and other immersive experiences. They have plug & play hardware that seamlessly integrates with their software so you can create a show with lighting and sound cues without having to write a single line of code. Map all kinds of inputs to outputs by building up simple logic steps which determine what you want to happen and when. Special Offer for REPOD Listeners: REPOD listeners can get the COGS Starter Set for only $130 + free shipping to the USA. This bundle is usually valued at $257. You can learn more and purchase your Starter Set at cogs.show. Use code REPOD at checkout. Production Credits Hosted by David Spira & Peih-Gee Law Produced by Theresa Piazza Supported by Lisa Spira & Richard Burns Edited by Steve Ewing of Stand Inside Media Music by Ryan Elder Logo by Janine Pracht

"We are so excited that a publishing company is using the medium of puzzles... to promote a book." The only thing I like better than puzzles is winning money while solving puzzles. Who Killed Ickey? is an online treasure hunt taking place January 27, 2024 with prizes worth $50,000. In this special release sponsored episode, we sat down with the Who Killed Ickey? puzzle hunt designer John Bromels for the inside scoop on how this treasure hunt works . John started off creating The Puzzle Crawl—for nerds who like to drink and drunks who like to think. He is also on the team that ran this year's MIT Mystery Hunt.... but don't worry. He told us that he designed The Who Killed Ickey? hunt to be accessible to puzzlers of all experience levels. We’re really excited that a publishing company is using the medium of puzzle hunts to promote their new book. Good luck to all the puzzlers! The Who Killed Ickey? treasure hunt begins at 10 am Pacific Time on January 27, 2024 and ends at 4:30 pm Pacific Time. You can learn more at the Who Killed Ickey? website. Timestamps & Full Show Notes Episode Sponsors Thank you to our sponsors Who Killed Ickey? and Morty, Buzzshot, and COGS by Clockwork Dog: Who Killed Ickey? Who Killed Ickey? is a madcap treasure hunt from Galbraith Literary Publishers taking place on January 27, 2024, with prizes totaling fifty thousand dollars. This hunt is designed by John Bromels, a member of the team running this year’s MIT Mystery Hunt. Who Killed Ickey? Details: Grand prize of $25k to fastest team. Next 10 fastest teams win prizes with total value of $20k. There are mini puzzles every week, and solvers are entered into a drawing for $50. If you solved every single puzzle, you’re entered into a drawing for $5k. The entry fee is buying a copy of the book Who Killed Jerusalem, which will be needed to solve the puzzles. However, you won’t need to read the book to solve anything. Neither the book (which is set in 1977 San Francisco) nor the Hunt are related to recent global events in any way. The Who Killed Ickey? treasure hunt begins at 10 am pacific time on January 27, 2024 and ends at 4:30 pm pacific time. You can learn more at the Who Killed Ickey? website. Morty Morty is a free app for discovering, planning, tracking, and reviewing your escape rooms and other immersive social outings. Morty News: Morty now features haunt attractions Morty for Android is here Special Badge for REPOD listeners: You can learn more at morty.app/REPOD to sign up and get a special badge for our listeners (works for existing users also). Buzzshot Buzzshot is Escape Room Software, Powering Business Growth, Player Marketing, and improving the Customer Experience. They offer an assortment of pre and post game features including robust waiver management, branded team photos, and streamlined review management for Yelp, TripAdvisor, Google Reviews, and Morty. Buzzshot now has integration with the other REPOD sponsors: Morty and COGS. Special Offer for REPOD Listeners: REPOD listeners get an extended 21-day free trial plus 20% off your first 3 months, with no set-up fees or hidden charges. Visit buzzshot.com/repod to learn more about this exclusive offer. COGS COGS by Clockwork Dog is an easy to use software/ hardware platform for running interactive events, including escape rooms, and other immersive experiences. They have plug & play hardware that seamlessly integrates with their software so you can create a show with lighting and sound cues without having to write a single line of code. Map all kinds of inputs to outputs by building up simple logic steps which determine what you want to happen and when. Special Offer for REPOD Listeners: REPOD listeners can get the COGS Starter Set for only $130 + free shipping to the USA. This bundle is usually valued at $257. You can learn more and purchase your Starter Set at cogs.show. Use code REPOD at checkout. Production Credits Hosted by David Spira & Peih-Gee Law Produced by Theresa Piazza Supported by Lisa Spira Edited by Steve Ewing of Stand Inside Media Music by Ryan Elder Logo by Janine Pracht

"One of my favorite things about Spoilers Club is getting to hear about those tiny little details that the designers sneak into their games." One of the things I love about playing escape rooms is that post-game discussion where we get to analyze everything that happened during the game. We can talk about all of our favorite puzzles, things that worked for us, and things that didn't work for us. But it's tough to discuss details on a podcast, because you don't want to spoil anything for people who haven't played the game yet. That's why we created the Spoilers Club. It's a Patreon exclusive series where we invite creators from all of our favorite escape rooms to dish about the challenges and details of creating their games. In this special release episode, I've chosen some fun clips from our more recent Spoilers Club episodes to preview. I tried to choose clips that were interesting but didn't spoil too much about the game. One thing to note is that some clips might have very slight spoilers, but nothing that wouldn't be immediately revealed the minute you step foot into the game. We also don't spoil major reveals or how puzzles work in these clips. Timestamps & Full Show Notes Episode Sponsors Thank you to our sponsors Who Killed Ickey? and Morty, Buzzshot, and COGS by Clockwork Dog: Who Killed Ickey? Who Killed Ickey? is a madcap treasure hunt from Galbraith Literary Publishers taking place on January 27, 2024, with prizes totaling fifty thousand dollars. This hunt is designed by John Bromels, a member of the team running this year’s MIT Mystery Hunt. Who Killed Ickey? Details: Grand prize of $25k to fastest team. Next 10 fastest teams win prizes with total value of $20k. There are mini puzzles every week, and solvers are entered into a drawing for $50. If you solved every single puzzle, you’re entered into a drawing for $5k. The entry fee is buying a copy of the book Who Killed Jerusalem, which will be needed to solve the puzzles. However, you won’t need to read the book to solve anything. Neither the book (which is set in 1977 San Francisco) nor the Hunt are related to recent global events in any way. The Who Killed Ickey? treasure hunt begins at 10 am pacific time on January 27, 2024 and ends at 4:30 pm pacific time. You can learn more at the Who Killed Ickey? website. Morty Morty is a free app for discovering, planning, tracking, and reviewing your escape rooms and other immersive social outings. Morty News: Morty now features haunt attractions Morty for Android is here Special Badge for REPOD listeners: You can learn more at morty.app/REPOD to sign up and get a special badge for our listeners (works for existing users also). Buzzshot Buzzshot is Escape Room Software, Powering Business Growth, Player Marketing, and improving the Customer Experience. They offer an assortment of pre and post game features including robust waiver management, branded team photos, and streamlined review management for Yelp, TripAdvisor, Google Reviews, and Morty. Buzzshot now has integration with the other REPOD sponsors: Morty and COGS. Special Offer for REPOD Listeners: REPOD listeners get an extended 21-day free trial plus 20% off your first 3 months, with no set-up fees or hidden charges. Visit buzzshot.com/repod to learn more about this exclusive offer. COGS COGS by Clockwork Dog is an easy to use software/ hardware platform for running interactive events, including escape rooms, and other immersive experiences. They have plug & play hardware that seamlessly integrates with their software so you can create a show with lighting and sound cues without having to write a single line of code. Map all kinds of inputs to outputs by building up simple logic steps which determine what you want to happen and when. Special Offer for REPOD Listeners: REPOD listeners can get the COGS Starter Set for only $130 + free shipping to the USA. This bundle is usually valued at $257. You can learn more and purchase your Starter Set at cogs.show. Use code REPOD at checkout. Production Credits Hosted by David Spira & Peih-Gee Law Produced by Theresa Piazza Supported by Lisa Spira Edited by Steve Ewing of Stand Inside Media Music by Ryan Elder Logo by Janine Pracht

"You never know why something will go viral, and it doesn't matter why. They'll still come." If social media was an escape room, most owners and designers would never find the key. Navigating all the different trends and social media apps is a daunting task, and it's even harder when most escape rooms don't allow photos or videos of their games. That's why we brought in an expert. In this special release of our Patreon Exclusive Bonus episode from Season 6, Episode 3, we talk to social media influencer and the owner of Exit Game OC, Christine Barger. Exit Game OC not only allows filming during their game, they actively encourage it. They also capture footage of their guests filming TikToks for their own social media. Christine explains that all these players "want to market you. For Free." and wonders why more escape rooms don't take advantage of this free, viral marketing opportunity. We also discuss hiring practices and how to foster kindness towards players. This is a can't-miss conversation. For more episodes like this, support our podcast by joining our Patreon today. Timestamps & Full Show Notes Episode Sponsors Thank you to our sponsors Who Killed Ickey? and Morty: Who Killed Ickey? Who Killed Ickey? is a madcap treasure hunt from Galbraith Literary Publishers taking place on January 27, 2024, with prizes totaling fifty thousand dollars. This hunt is designed by John Bromels, a member of the team running this year’s MIT Mystery Hunt. Who Killed Ickey? Details: Grand prize of $25k to fastest team. Next 10 fastest teams win prizes with total value of $20k. There are mini puzzles every week, and solvers are entered into a drawing for $50. If you solved every single puzzle, you’re entered into a drawing for $5k. The entry fee is buying a copy of the book Who Killed Jerusalem, which will be needed to solve the puzzles. However, you won’t need to read the book to solve anything. Neither the book (which is set in 1977 San Francisco) nor the Hunt are related to recent global events in any way. The Who Killed Ickey? treasure hunt begins at 10 am pacific time on January 27, 2024 and ends at 4:30 pm pacific time. You can learn more at the Who Killed Ickey? website. Morty Morty is a free app for discovering, planning, tracking, and reviewing your escape rooms and other immersive social outings. Morty News: Morty now features haunt attractions Morty for Android is here Special Badge for REPOD listeners: You can learn more at morty.app/REPOD to sign up and get a special badge for our listeners (works for existing users also). Production Credits Hosted by David Spira & Peih-Gee Law Produced by Theresa Piazza Supported by Lisa Spira Edited by Steve Ewing of Stand Inside Media Music by Ryan Elder Logo by Janine Pracht

We're sharing a little bit of our Patreon exclusive Bonus show from S6E13 with A.J. Jacobs and Greg Pliska of The Puzzler Podcast. In this clip. Peih-Gee confesses to some writing struggles and David shares a story of being utterly destroyed and then rebuilt by a writing professor back in college. Listen to the rest of the Bonus Show now by becoming a patron today at patreon.com/roomescapeartist and to gain to access our library of over 60 bonus after shows. Thank you for supporting our work.

“Fun, bite sized, and entertaining.” In the final episode of season 6, we’re back with author and now podcaster A.J. Jacobs, along with his Chief Puzzle Officer, Greg Pliska. We first interviewed A.J. about his book, The Puzzler, in S3E11. The idea for the podcast originated in part while recording the audio book version of The Puzzler. A.J. realized many of the puzzles in the book were visual and wouldn’t work for an audio book. He created a bunch of audio puzzles that only worked in the audio form. But when it came to a podcast, he knew he couldn't do it alone, and so he pulled in puzzle guru Greg Pliska, who collaborated with A.J. on The Puzzler book. Greg Pliska has created puzzles for the Ask Me Another podcast and the Mohonk Mountain House’s Wonderful World of Words. This is a fun-filled weekend in a mountain resort with puzzle-hunts for people who love language. He’s also a commentator for Will Shortz’s annual American Crossword Puzzle Tournament, the YouTube recordings of which, to David’s surprise, “really sucked [him] into it.” Between A.J. and Greg, they possess a powerful pile of podcast puzzling prowess, so I was thrilled to pick their brains about crafting audio puzzles. At the end of the episode, I turned the tables, surprising them with my own game segment called Tilted Titles. Play along, and see if you can beat the puzzle gurus! If you’re looking for pint-sized puzzles for your listening pleasure, make sure to check out The Puzzler Podcast. Timestamps & Full Show Notes Episode Sponsors Thank you to our sponsors Morty, Buzzshot, and COGS: Morty Morty is a free app for discovering, planning, tracking, and reviewing your escape rooms and other immersive social outings. Morty News: Morty now features haunt attractions Morty for Android is here Special Badge for REPOD listeners: You can learn more at morty.app/REPOD to sign up and get a special badge for our listeners (works for existing users also). Buzzshot Buzzshot is Escape Room Software, Powering Business Growth, Player Marketing, and improving the Customer Experience. They offer an assortment of pre and post game features including robust waiver management, branded team photos, and streamlined review management for Yelp, TripAdvisor, Google Reviews, and Morty. Buzzshot now has integration with the other REPOD sponsors: Morty and COGS. Special Offer for REPOD Listeners: REPOD listeners get an extended 21-day free trial plus 20% off your first 3 months, with no set-up fees or hidden charges. Visit buzzshot.com/repod to learn more about this exclusive offer. COGS COGS by Clockwork Dog is an easy to use software/ hardware platform for running interactive events, including escape rooms, and other immersive experiences. They have plug & play hardware that seamlessly integrates with their software so you can create a show with lighting and sound cues without having to write a single line of code. Map all kinds of inputs to outputs by building up simple logic steps which determine what you want to happen and when. Special Offer for REPOD Listeners: REPOD listeners can get the COGS Starter Set for only $130 + free shipping to the USA. This bundle is usually valued at $257. You can learn more and purchase your Starter Set at cogs.show. Use code REPOD at checkout. Production Credits Hosted by David Spira & Peih-Gee Law Produced by Theresa Piazza Supported by Lisa Spira & Richard Burns Edited by Steve Ewing of Stand Inside Media Music by Ryan Elder Logo by Janine Pracht

We're sharing a little bit of our Patreon exclusive Bonus show from S6E12 with Mike Dold and Rick George of Doldrick's Escape Room. In this clip. David makes his case against using animatronics in escape rooms and explains why Doldrick's Spoopy animatronic is one of the few that works. Listen to the rest of the Bonus Show now by becoming a patron today at patreon.com/roomescapeartist and to gain to access our library of over 50 bonus after shows. Thank you for supporting our work.

“Comedy and whimsy feel like the foundational principles of Doldrick’s.” In Season 6, episode 12, we chat with Mike Dold and Rick George, two of the co-owners of Doldrick’s Escape Room in Orlando, Fl. Their games are fan favorites amongst enthusiasts, in particular because of their blend of humor, whimsy, beautiful sets, and fun gameplay. Every single REA review of the Doldrick’s escape rooms talks about how funny they were, with Theresa Wagner writing that Spoopy’s Ghoulish Graveyard “had [her] laughing so hard [she] was in tears.” In fact, their newest game, Crazy Train: The Ballad Of Skeemin' Plotz inspired Lisa to write what David calls “her finest work” as an escape room reviewer. At this point, you’re probably thinking, “these are crazy names for an escape room,” and I’d have to agree. My favorite is “Red Sled Redemption: Hollie Jolly Holiday Hubcap Repair”, which is an escape room title of epically insane proportions, but absolutely fits the Doldrick’s brand of madcap comedy. Besides talking to us about their inspirations for their games, my favorite part is when Rick opens up about the difficulties of running an escape room while raising a young family. I really appreciated his willingness to be vulnerable, and I think it’s valuable for other escape room owners to know that everyone has the same struggles. Timestamps & Full Show Notes Episode Sponsors Thank you to our sponsors Morty, Buzzshot, and COGS: Morty Morty is a free app for discovering, planning, tracking, and reviewing your escape rooms and other immersive social outings. Morty News: Morty now features haunt attractions Morty for Android is here Special Badge for REPOD listeners: You can learn more at morty.app/REPOD to sign up and get a special badge for our listeners (works for existing users also). Buzzshot Buzzshot is Escape Room Software, Powering Business Growth, Player Marketing, and improving the Customer Experience. They offer an assortment of pre and post game features including robust waiver management, branded team photos, and streamlined review management for Yelp, TripAdvisor, Google Reviews, and Morty. Buzzshot now has integration with the other REPOD sponsors: Morty and COGS. Special Offer for REPOD Listeners: REPOD listeners get an extended 21-day free trial plus 20% off your first 3 months, with no set-up fees or hidden charges. Visit buzzshot.com/repod to learn more about this exclusive offer. COGS COGS by Clockwork Dog is an easy to use software/ hardware platform for running interactive events, including escape rooms, and other immersive experiences. They have plug & play hardware that seamlessly integrates with their software so you can create a show with lighting and sound cues without having to write a single line of code. Map all kinds of inputs to outputs by building up simple logic steps which determine what you want to happen and when. Special Offer for REPOD Listeners: REPOD listeners can get the COGS Starter Set for only $130 + free shipping to the USA. This bundle is usually valued at $257. You can learn more and purchase your Starter Set at cogs.show. Use code REPOD at checkout. Production Credits Hosted by David Spira & Peih-Gee Law Produced by Theresa Piazza Supported by Lisa Spira & Richard Burns Edited by Steve Ewing of Stand Inside Media Music by Ryan Elder Logo by Janine Pracht

We're sharing a little bit of our Patreon exclusive Bonus show from S6E11 with Summer Herrick of Locurio. In this preview, we talk about the challenge of designing for and around the most devoted fans of these large format experiences in experiences like Sleep No More and Star Wars Galactic Starcruiser. Listen to the rest of the Bonus Show now by becoming a patron today at patreon.com/roomescapeartist and to gain to access our library of over 50 bonus after shows. Thank you for supporting our work.

"Poor game flow is one of the biggest downfalls to any escape room." In Season 6, episode 11, we chat with Summer Herrick, co-founder of the iconic escape room company Locurio in Seattle, Washington. In 2020, Locurio had the distinction of being the sole company to win in all three TERPECA categories: Top Room, Top Online Room, and Top Company. Locurio’s games, The Vanishing Act and The Storykeeper are fan favorites in the escape room scene, and with good reason. Summer talks about Locurio's design process and breaks down the art of game flow—what it means and how to achieve it. With a background in acting and theater, Summer loves creating characters that add to the magic of feeling completely immersed in a world. Summer is also very active in the puzzle hunt community and brings her puzzle crafting skills to Locurio's escape rooms. I especially loved hearing Summer talk about how to create great game flow and fill a game with character. At over 800 games played, Summer is a true escape room enthusiast. With such a wealth of experience, it’s no wonder that Locurio creates such renowned games that resonate with the escape room community. Timestamps & Full Show Notes Episode Sponsors Thank you to our sponsors Morty, Buzzshot, and COGS: Morty Morty is a free app for discovering, planning, tracking, and reviewing your escape rooms and other immersive social outings. Morty News: Morty now features haunt attractions Morty for Android is here Special Badge for REPOD listeners: You can learn more at morty.app/REPOD to sign up and get a special badge for our listeners (works for existing users also). Buzzshot Buzzshot is Escape Room Software, Powering Business Growth, Player Marketing, and improving the Customer Experience. They offer an assortment of pre and post game features including robust waiver management, branded team photos, and streamlined review management for Yelp, TripAdvisor, Google Reviews, and Morty. Buzzshot now has integration with the other REPOD sponsors: Morty and COGS. Special Offer for REPOD Listeners: REPOD listeners get an extended 21-day free trial plus 20% off your first 3 months, with no set-up fees or hidden charges. Visit buzzshot.com/repod to learn more about this exclusive offer. COGS COGS by Clockwork Dog is an easy to use software/ hardware platform for running interactive events, including escape rooms, and other immersive experiences. They have plug & play hardware that seamlessly integrates with their software so you can create a show with lighting and sound cues without having to write a single line of code. Map all kinds of inputs to outputs by building up simple logic steps which determine what you want to happen and when. Special Offer for REPOD Listeners: REPOD listeners can get the COGS Starter Set for only $130 + free shipping to the USA. This bundle is usually valued at $257. You can learn more and purchase your Starter Set at cogs.show. Use code REPOD at checkout. Production Credits Hosted by David Spira & Peih-Gee Law Produced by Theresa Piazza Supported by Lisa Spira & Richard Burns Edited by Steve Ewing of Stand Inside Media Music by Ryan Elder Logo by Janine Pracht

We're sharing a little bit of our Patreon exclusive Bonus show from S6E10 with Lonnie Hanzon of Camp Christmas. In this preview, we talk about the evolution of retail, visual merchandising into social media and experiences. Listen to the rest of the Bonus Show now by becoming a patron today at patreon.com/roomescapeartist and to gain to access our library of over 50 bonus after shows. Thank you for supporting our work.

"It's a quirky romp through this thing that we call Christmas." In Season 6, episode 10 of Reality Escape Pod, we talk to visual installation artist Lonnie Hanzon, who has been creating immersive displays celebrating Christmas for over 30 years. Lonnie is the mastermind behind the wildly creative Christmas trees and windows at Neiman Marcus in Dallas, and "The Evolution of the Ball" installation at Coors Field in Denver. His holiday immersive experience, Camp Christmas, is a whimsical journey into the land of Christmas where every surface is exploding with decor that tells a story. Lonnie is a self-professed maximalist. Trained as a magician, he employs a variety of techniques designed to convey a narrative. Lonnie has amassed a collection of objects he calls his "palette," and as a visual artist, he deploys them strategically to craft a specific mood or era. At his core, Lonnie is an environmental storyteller, and he breaks down his design decisions, explaining how different elements come together to craft a narrative. I particularly enjoyed hearing Lonnie explain his process of creating immersive environments, often starting with what he calls "a color story" and a vision of sparking childlike joy and exuberance. We also discuss things like the social contract when visiting an immersive space and how to encourage polite etiquette among guests. Lonnie's Camp Christmas has converted more than one cynic to the magic of Christmas, and it made even David's heart swell a few inches. Timestamps & Full Show Notes Episode Sponsors Thank you to our sponsors Morty, Buzzshot, and COGS: Morty Morty is a free app for discovering, planning, tracking, and reviewing your escape rooms and other immersive social outings. Morty News: Morty now features haunt attractions Morty for Android is here Special Badge for REPOD listeners: You can learn more at morty.app/REPOD to sign up and get a special badge for our listeners (works for existing users also). Buzzshot Buzzshot is Escape Room Software, Powering Business Growth, Player Marketing, and improving the Customer Experience. They offer an assortment of pre and post game features including robust waiver management, branded team photos, and streamlined review management for Yelp, TripAdvisor, Google Reviews, and Morty. Buzzshot now has integration with the other REPOD sponsors: Morty and COGS. Special Offer for REPOD Listeners: REPOD listeners get an extended 21-day free trial plus 20% off your first 3 months, with no set-up fees or hidden charges. Visit buzzshot.com/repod to learn more about this exclusive offer. COGS COGS by Clockwork Dog is an easy to use software/ hardware platform for running interactive events, including escape rooms, and other immersive experiences. They have plug & play hardware that seamlessly integrates with their software so you can create a show with lighting and sound cues without having to write a single line of code. Map all kinds of inputs to outputs by building up simple logic steps which determine what you want to happen and when. Special Offer for REPOD Listeners: REPOD listeners can get the COGS Starter Set for only $130 + free shipping to the USA. This bundle is usually valued at $257. You can learn more and purchase your Starter Set at cogs.show. Use code REPOD at checkout. Production Credits Hosted by David Spira & Peih-Gee Law Produced by Theresa Piazza Supported by Lisa Spira & Richard Burns Edited by Steve Ewing of Stand Inside Media Music by Ryan Elder Logo by Janine Pracht

We're sharing a little bit of our Patreon exclusive Bonus show from S6E10 with Eric Wastl, creator Advent of Code. In this preview, we talk about effective interviewing techniques for hiring. Spoiler... it's not Advent of Code puzzles. Listen to the rest of the Bonus Show now by becoming a patron today at patreon.com/roomescapeartist and to gain to access our library of over 50 bonus after shows. Thank you for supporting our work.

"It's also sort of a gateway drug to becoming a programmer." In REPOD season 6, episode 9, we have a rare interview with Eric Wastl, who is not only the creative mind behind Advent of Code, but he is also married to our very own Kate Wastl who writes for Room Escape Artist and is the producer for RECON 24 in Los Angeles this August. Advent of Code is a series of unique programming puzzles that launches on December 1st every year and continues until Christmas. Eric initially created Advent of Code as a means of helping people improve their programming skills. He has certainly accomplished this goal. Over a million people have tackled his programming puzzles in the span of 8 years, with a quarter of a million last year alone. In this episode, Eric takes us behind the scenes, telling us about how meticulously he writes his puzzles to ensure only one correct answer. He also constructs them to be inclusive, so that participants of all skill levels can solve Advent of Code. Creating captivating puzzles isn't merely about providing a brainteaser. The right puzzle can educate, entertain, and even bring together a community. To join this festive programming journey, head over to Advent of Code on December 1st. Timestamps & Full Show Notes Episode Sponsors Thank you to our sponsors Morty, Buzzshot, and COGS: Morty Morty is a free app for discovering, planning, tracking, and reviewing your escape rooms and other immersive social outings. Morty News: Morty now features haunt attractions Morty for Android is here Special Badge for REPOD listeners: You can learn more at morty.app/REPOD to sign up and get a special badge for our listeners (works for existing users also). Buzzshot Buzzshot is Escape Room Software, Powering Business Growth, Player Marketing, and improving the Customer Experience. They offer an assortment of pre and post game features including robust waiver management, branded team photos, and streamlined review management for Yelp, TripAdvisor, Google Reviews, and Morty. Buzzshot now has integration with the other REPOD sponsors: Morty and COGS. Special Offer for REPOD Listeners: REPOD listeners get an extended 21-day free trial plus 20% off your first 3 months, with no set-up fees or hidden charges. Visit buzzshot.com/repod to learn more about this exclusive offer. COGS COGS by Clockwork Dog is an easy to use software/ hardware platform for running interactive events, including escape rooms, and other immersive experiences. They have plug & play hardware that seamlessly integrates with their software so you can create a show with lighting and sound cues without having to write a single line of code. Map all kinds of inputs to outputs by building up simple logic steps which determine what you want to happen and when. Special Offer for REPOD Listeners: REPOD listeners can get the COGS Starter Set for only $130 + free shipping to the USA. This bundle is usually valued at $257. You can learn more and purchase your Starter Set at cogs.show. Use code REPOD at checkout. Production Credits Hosted by David Spira & Peih-Gee Law Produced by Theresa Piazza Supported by Lisa Spira & Richard Burns Edited by Steve Ewing of Stand Inside Media Music by Ryan Elder Logo by Janine Pracht

We're sharing a little bit of our Patreon exclusive Bonus show from S6E8 with puzzle maker Eric Berlin, creator of Puzzle Snacks. In this preview, we talk about designing puzzles for kids and Eric gives us some tips for solving crossword puzzles. Listen to the rest of the Bonus Show now by becoming a patron today at patreon.com/roomescapeartist and to gain to access our library of over 50 bonus after shows. Thank you for supporting our work.

“An escape room crossword puzzle” In Season 6, episode 8, we talk to the charming crossword constructor Eric Berlin. Eric is the creator of Puzzlesnacks, one of our favorite puzzle books, and he authored the Winston Breen trilogy, a series of puzzling novels for kids. Eric was also captain of Team Palindrome, one of the largest MIT Mystery Hunt teams, which won in 2021. Eric has a long and illustrious career crafting creative crossword puzzles. From brazening his way into Games Magazine board game nights to convincing Weird Al Yankovic to star in a cameo congratulating the winners of the MIT Mystery Hunt, Eric has great stories about being a passionate life-long word nerd. This conversation with Eric Berlin opened my eyes to a whole new world of crossword puzzles. I had no idea that they were heavily themed or could masquerade as magic shows and escape rooms. It’s always wonderful to interview guests who are enthusiastic about their craft. It’s delightful to see that Eric has maintained a lifelong love for puzzles. Timestamps & Full Show Notes Episode Sponsors Thank you to our sponsors Morty, Buzzshot, and COGS: Morty Morty is a free app for discovering, planning, tracking, and reviewing your escape rooms and other immersive social outings. Morty News: Morty now features haunt attractions Morty for Android is here Special Badge for REPOD listeners: You can learn more at morty.app/REPOD to sign up and get a special badge for our listeners (works for existing users also). Buzzshot Buzzshot is Escape Room Software, Powering Business Growth, Player Marketing, and improving the Customer Experience. They offer an assortment of pre and post game features including robust waiver management, branded team photos, and streamlined review management for Yelp, TripAdvisor, Google Reviews, and Morty. Buzzshot now has integration with the other REPOD sponsors: Morty and COGS. Special Offer for REPOD Listeners: REPOD listeners get an extended 21-day free trial plus 20% off your first 3 months, with no set-up fees or hidden charges. Visit buzzshot.com/repod to learn more about this exclusive offer. COGS COGS by Clockwork Dog is an easy to use software/ hardware platform for running interactive events, including escape rooms, and other immersive experiences. They have plug & play hardware that seamlessly integrates with their software so you can create a show with lighting and sound cues without having to write a single line of code. Map all kinds of inputs to outputs by building up simple logic steps which determine what you want to happen and when. Special Offer for REPOD Listeners: REPOD listeners can get the COGS Starter Set for only $130 + free shipping to the USA. This bundle is usually valued at $257. You can learn more and purchase your Starter Set at cogs.show. Use code REPOD at checkout. Production Credits Hosted by David Spira & Peih-Gee Law Produced by Theresa Piazza Supported by Lisa Spira & Richard Burns Edited by Steve Ewing of Stand Inside Media Music by Ryan Elder Logo by Janine Pracht

We're sharing a little bit of our Patreon exclusive Bonus show from S6E7 with Marie and Nico, co-creators of Red Fox. Here we talk about lessons learned from designing escape rooms and debate the merits of designing for authenticity versus ease of reset. Listen to the rest of the Bonus Show now by becoming a patron today at patreon.com/roomescapeartist and to gain to access our library of over 50 bonus after shows. Thank you for supporting our work.

“That is some crazy market research.” In season 6, episode 7 of REPOD, we chat with the brilliant Marie Huber and Nico César, owners of Red Fox Escapes in Cambridge, MA. Red Fox Escapes is known for constructing elegant and complex puzzles with gorgeous, detailed sets. As David notes in the episode, “There are a few hallmarks of Red Fox games… your approach to puzzles… and the abundance of detail in your games.” As a former business analyst, Marie has a metrics-based approach to both how she runs the business and her design process. She even ran a workshop at RECON Boston called “Upping Your Game: Beyond the Basics of Game Design.” Nico comes from a software background. He talks about how his approach to tech in escape rooms is different from the norm, which tends to be hardware focused. Marie and Nico have spent a lot of time analyzing what makes for great gameplay and a memorable escape room experience. I especially enjoyed hearing all their stories about how to add a special touch to props in an escape room and their hacks for figuring out the headcounts at local escape rooms. This is a masterclass in how to approach escape room design with intentionality and thoughtfulness. Timestamps & Full Show Notes Episode Sponsors Thank you to our sponsors Morty, Buzzshot, and COGS: Morty Morty is a free app for discovering, planning, tracking, and reviewing your escape rooms and other immersive social outings. Morty News: Morty now features haunt attractions Morty for Android is here Special Badge for REPOD listeners: You can learn more at morty.app/REPOD to sign up and get a special badge for our listeners (works for existing users also). Buzzshot Buzzshot is Escape Room Software, Powering Business Growth, Player Marketing, and improving the Customer Experience. They offer an assortment of pre and post game features including robust waiver management, branded team photos, and streamlined review management for Yelp, TripAdvisor, Google Reviews, and Morty. Buzzshot now has integration with the other REPOD sponsors: Morty and COGS. Special Offer for REPOD Listeners: REPOD listeners get an extended 21-day free trial plus 20% off your first 3 months, with no set-up fees or hidden charges. Visit buzzshot.com/repod to learn more about this exclusive offer. COGS COGS by Clockwork Dog is an easy to use software/ hardware platform for running interactive events, including escape rooms, and other immersive experiences. They have plug & play hardware that seamlessly integrates with their software so you can create a show with lighting and sound cues without having to write a single line of code. Map all kinds of inputs to outputs by building up simple logic steps which determine what you want to happen and when. Special Offer for REPOD Listeners: REPOD listeners can get the COGS Starter Set for only $130 + free shipping to the USA. This bundle is usually valued at $257. You can learn more and purchase your Starter Set at cogs.show. Use code REPOD at checkout. Production Credits Hosted by David Spira & Peih-Gee Law Produced by Theresa Piazza Supported by Lisa Spira & Richard Burns Edited by Steve Ewing of Stand Inside Media Music by Ryan Elder Logo by Janine Pracht

We're sharing a little bit of our Patreon exclusive Bonus show from S6E6 with Kellian and Brian Pletcher, co-creators of Club Drosselmeyer. Here's a snippet of us sharing some advice for interacting with the performers at an immersive event. And also how to draw some hesitant guests, deeper into your storyline. Listen to the rest of the Bonus Show now by becoming a patron today at patreon.com/roomescapeartist and to gain to access our library of over 50 bonus after shows. Thank you for supporting our work.

“It's an interactive Nutcracker in swing time.” In REPOD season 6, episode 6, we go behind the scenes with the creators of Club Drosselmeyer, Kellian and Brian Pletcher. Club Drosselmeyer is a World War II-themed mass-puzzling, swing-dancing, and immersive performance event, and it’s one of Room Escape Artist’s favorite holiday events. Kellian talks to us about what to expect from Club Drosselmeyer, the format of the show, and how the puzzles work. She talks about drawing inspiration from history as well as current events and tells us why it’s important to throw in a dash of whimsy and weirdness (like robots in 1940.) We also chat about how to approach large-scale, open-world immersive events without getting overwhelmed. If you’re looking for a fabulous holiday event with mysteries to unravel, puzzles to solve, gorgeous outfits, raucous performances, and a lively dance floor, look no further than Club Drosselmeyer. David and Lisa love it so much that they created Operation Nutcracker, a Room Escape Artist event built around this show. Timestamps & Full Show Notes Episode Sponsors Thank you to our sponsors Morty, Buzzshot, and COGS: Morty Morty is a free app for discovering, planning, tracking, and reviewing your escape rooms and other immersive social outings. Morty News: Morty now features haunt attractions Morty for Android is here Special Badge for REPOD listeners: You can learn more at morty.app/REPOD to sign up and get a special badge for our listeners (works for existing users also). Buzzshot Buzzshot is Escape Room Software, Powering Business Growth, Player Marketing, and improving the Customer Experience. They offer an assortment of pre and post game features including robust waiver management, branded team photos, and streamlined review management for Yelp, TripAdvisor, Google Reviews, and Morty. Buzzshot now has integration with the other REPOD sponsors: Morty and COGS. Special Offer for REPOD Listeners: REPOD listeners get an extended 21-day free trial plus 20% off your first 3 months, with no set-up fees or hidden charges. Visit buzzshot.com/repod to learn more about this exclusive offer. COGS COGS by Clockwork Dog is an easy to use software/ hardware platform for running interactive events, including escape rooms, and other immersive experiences. They have plug & play hardware that seamlessly integrates with their software so you can create a show with lighting and sound cues without having to write a single line of code. Map all kinds of inputs to outputs by building up simple logic steps which determine what you want to happen and when. Special Offer for REPOD Listeners: REPOD listeners can get the COGS Starter Set for only $130 + free shipping to the USA. This bundle is usually valued at $257. You can learn more and purchase your Starter Set at cogs.show. Use code REPOD at checkout. Production Credits Hosted by David Spira & Peih-Gee Law Produced by Theresa Piazza Supported by Lisa Spira & Richard Burns Edited by Steve Ewing of Stand Inside Media Music by Ryan Elder Logo by Janine Pracht

We're sharing a little bit of our Patreon exclusive Bonus show from S6E5 with where Peih-Gee & David catch up on their experiences and travels. In this preview, we talk about playing escape rooms with new players. Going out to experience Delusion an immersive haunted attraction and Pomona, California, and Ghost of Mentryville, a recently reopened game from Arcane Escape Rooms. Listen to the rest of the Bonus Show now by becoming a patron today at patreon.com/roomescapeartist and to gain to access our library of over 50 bonus after shows. Thank you for supporting our work.

“Chris, you’re a monster.” Join us for spooky trivia games that test your escape room knowledge and scary stories to tell in the dark. Peih-Gee takes over hosting duties from David to present a ghostly and entertaining episode with guests Tommy Honton, and Anne & Chris Lukeman. We learn about things like mummy brown and the origins of Halloween, a unique trick or treating tradition in the midwest, and a video game called Sanity’s Requiem, which gaslit its players into going mad. Play along with us on The Price is Fright, where we guess the number of escape rooms in the world with certain words in the title, such as “zombie” or “asylum.” And you don’t want to miss Chris’ terrifying tale of a group of friends who wander into an escape room and leave haunted with a mystery they’ll never figure out. This is a special seasonal episode, and we’ll return to our usual format next week. We hope you have fun playing along on our Halloween Spooktacular Special. Happy Hauntings! Timestamps & Full Show Notes Episode Sponsors Thank you to our sponsors Morty, Buzzshot, and COGS: Morty Morty is a free app for discovering, planning, tracking, and reviewing your escape rooms and other immersive social outings. Morty News: Morty now features haunt attractions Morty for Android is here Special Badge for REPOD listeners: You can learn more at morty.app/REPOD to sign up and get a special badge for our listeners (works for existing users also). Buzzshot Buzzshot is Escape Room Software, Powering Business Growth, Player Marketing, and improving the Customer Experience. They offer an assortment of pre and post game features including robust waiver management, branded team photos, and streamlined review management for Yelp, TripAdvisor, Google Reviews, and Morty. Buzzshot now has integration with the other REPOD sponsors: Morty and COGS. Special Offer for REPOD Listeners: REPOD listeners get an extended 21-day free trial plus 20% off your first 3 months, with no set-up fees or hidden charges. Visit buzzshot.com/repod to learn more about this exclusive offer. COGS COGS by Clockwork Dog is an easy to use software/ hardware platform for running interactive events, including escape rooms, and other immersive experiences. They have plug & play hardware that seamlessly integrates with their software so you can create a show with lighting and sound cues without having to write a single line of code. Map all kinds of inputs to outputs by building up simple logic steps which determine what you want to happen and when. Special Offer for REPOD Listeners: REPOD listeners can get the COGS Starter Set for only $130 + free shipping to the USA. This bundle is usually valued at $257. You can learn more and purchase your Starter Set at cogs.show. Use code REPOD at checkout. Production Credits Hosted by David Spira & Peih-Gee Law Produced by Theresa Piazza Supported by Lisa Spira & Richard Burns Edited by Steve Ewing of Stand Inside Media Music by Ryan Elder Logo by Janine Pracht

We're sharing a little bit of our Patreon exclusive Bonus show from S6E4 with Mark Larson co-creator and voice of The Shop of Theseus. Here's a snippet of where Mark we talks about implementing search mechanics. David also gives us a teaser for the game at RECON next year, which will be live in person in Los Angeles. Listen to the rest of the Bonus Show now by becoming a patron today at patreon.com/roomescapeartist and to gain to access our library of over 50 bonus after shows. Thank you for supporting our work.

We're giving The Shop of Theseus a final send-off, and we invited the hilarious crew from the Hey Riddle Riddle Podcast to test their wits in this audio escape room co-created and run by Mark Larson, who was a guest on REPOD Season 5, Episode 11. If you missed playing this game during RECON Remote 23, or if you want to relive your glory moments, join us for this final playthrough of The Shop of Theseus. JPC, Adal, and Erin are some of Chicago's top improvisers, and they had me roaring with laughter through the entire game. I highly recommend checking out their podcast Hey Riddle Riddle if you like improv comedy and riddles. Start with the episode guest-starring our very own Peih-Gee Law. Timestamps & Full Show Notes Episode Sponsors Thank you to our sponsors Morty, Buzzshot, and COGS: Morty Morty is a free app for discovering, planning, tracking, and reviewing your escape rooms and other immersive social outings. Morty News: Morty now features haunt attractions Morty for Android is here Special Badge for REPOD listeners: You can learn more at morty.app/REPOD to sign up and get a special badge for our listeners (works for existing users also). Buzzshot Buzzshot is Escape Room Software, Powering Business Growth, Player Marketing, and improving the Customer Experience. They offer an assortment of pre and post game features including robust waiver management, branded team photos, and streamlined review management for Yelp, TripAdvisor, Google Reviews, and Morty. Buzzshot now has integration with the other REPOD sponsors: Morty and COGS. Special Offer for REPOD Listeners: REPOD listeners get an extended 21-day free trial plus 20% off your first 3 months, with no set-up fees or hidden charges. Visit buzzshot.com/repod to learn more about this exclusive offer. COGS COGS by Clockwork Dog is an easy to use software/ hardware platform for running interactive events, including escape rooms, and other immersive experiences. They have plug & play hardware that seamlessly integrates with their software so you can create a show with lighting and sound cues without having to write a single line of code. Map all kinds of inputs to outputs by building up simple logic steps which determine what you want to happen and when. Special Offer for REPOD Listeners: REPOD listeners can get the COGS Starter Set for only $130 + free shipping to the USA. This bundle is usually valued at $257. You can learn more and purchase your Starter Set at cogs.show. Use code REPOD at checkout. Production Credits Hosted by David Spira & Peih-Gee Law Produced by Theresa Piazza Supported by Lisa Spira & Richard Burns Edited by Steve Ewing of Stand Inside Media Music by Ryan Elder Logo by Janine Pracht

We're sharing a little bit of our Patreon exclusive Bonus show from S6E3 with Christine Barger co-creator of 13th Basement. Here's a snippet of Christine sharing the type of content that has worked for her escape room which has garnered millions of views on TikTok. Listen to the rest of the Bonus Show now by becoming a patron today at patreon.com/roomescapeartist and to gain to access our library of over 50 bonus after shows. Thank you for supporting our work.

“It's about whether you want to be culturally relevant in 2023.” In Season 6, Episode 3 of REPOD, we discuss the importance of social media marketing with The Haunt Girl—Christine Barger, co-owner of The Exit Game OC. Her game, 13th Basement, is a hilarious comedy-horror escape room that’s self-aware and parodies typical escape room tropes. Christine has almost a million followers on TikTok as an entertainer and haunt/ escape room influencer. The conversation moves from haunts to being an escape room blogger. Christine tells us how she finally made the leap from influencer to escape room creator. Christine is one of the very few owners who allows players to film her entire game, and she actively encourages them to post in-game footage on social media. Hear what she has to say about why this is essential for growing your escape room business. It was fascinating to hear Christine’s approach to social media for her escape room business, especially when she explains her background as an influencer and social media whiz. She’s leveraged in-game footage to create viral videos with millions of views, driving new players to her escape room. This is a can’t-miss conversation for those looking to improve their marketing game. Timestamps & Full Show Notes Episode Sponsors Thank you to our sponsors Morty, Buzzshot, and COGS: Morty Morty is a free app for discovering, planning, tracking, and reviewing your escape rooms and other immersive social outings. Morty News: Morty now features haunt attractions Morty for Android is here Special Badge for REPOD listeners: You can learn more at morty.app/REPOD to sign up and get a special badge for our listeners (works for existing users also). Buzzshot Buzzshot is Escape Room Software, Powering Business Growth, Player Marketing, and improving the Customer Experience. They offer an assortment of pre and post game features including robust waiver management, branded team photos, and streamlined review management for Yelp, TripAdvisor, Google Reviews, and Morty. Buzzshot now has integration with the other REPOD sponsors: Morty and COGS. Special Offer for REPOD Listeners: REPOD listeners get an extended 21-day free trial plus 20% off your first 3 months, with no set-up fees or hidden charges. Visit buzzshot.com/repod to learn more about this exclusive offer. COGS COGS by Clockwork Dog is an easy to use software/ hardware platform for running interactive events, including escape rooms, and other immersive experiences. They have plug & play hardware that seamlessly integrates with their software so you can create a show with lighting and sound cues without having to write a single line of code. Map all kinds of inputs to outputs by building up simple logic steps which determine what you want to happen and when. Special Offer for REPOD Listeners: REPOD listeners can get the COGS Starter Set for only $130 + free shipping to the USA. This bundle is usually valued at $257. You can learn more and purchase your Starter Set at cogs.show. Use code REPOD at checkout. Production Credits Hosted by David Spira & Peih-Gee Law Produced by Theresa Piazza Supported by Lisa Spira & Richard Burns Edited by Steve Ewing of Stand Inside Media Music by Ryan Elder Logo by Janine Pracht

We're sharing a little bit of our Patreon exclusive Bonus show from S6E2 with Rich Bragg of TERPECA. Here's a snippet of Rich talking about the inherent difficulties of trying to rank the top escape rooms in the world on the typical list. Listen to the rest of the Bonus Show now by becoming a patron today at patreon.com/roomescapeartist and to gain to access our library of over 50 bonus after shows. Thank you for supporting our work.

If you consider yourself a serious escape room enthusiast, chances are you’ve heard of TERPECA, the Top Escape Rooms Project Enthusiasts' Choice Award. In Season 6, Episode 2 of REPOD, we chat with Rich Bragg, founder of TERPECA and ClueKeeper, and a former escape room Guinness World Record holder. Rich has been involved in the immersive gaming scene since he first discovered the world of elaborate puzzle hunts in the early 2000s. Rich talks about playing in Moscow while setting the Guinness World record, and he tells us about playing the “hard with pain” game mode. We discuss the “TERPECA Effect,” while talking about the impact that the Enthusiast Choice Awards has had on the international escape room scene. Not only has this project created a globally recognized reference list of the top escape rooms, it has also brought the international community together, with many enthusiasts traveling all over the world to experience these games. Rich’s passion for the puzzling world crosses many genres. It’s abundantly clear that he puts a lot of thought into ensuring that TERPECA is balanced, fair, and accurately reflects the opinions of the most experienced players. If you’re an experienced enthusiast, we hope this episode convinces you to vote in the upcoming TERPECA season. Your opinion matters! Timestamps & Full Show Notes Episode Sponsors Thank you to our sponsors Morty, Buzzshot, and COGS: Morty Morty is a free app for discovering, planning, tracking, and reviewing your escape rooms and other immersive social outings. Morty News: Morty now features haunt attractions Morty for Android is here Special Badge for REPOD listeners: You can learn more at morty.app/REPOD to sign up and get a special badge for our listeners (works for existing users also). Buzzshot Buzzshot is Escape Room Software, Powering Business Growth, Player Marketing, and improving the Customer Experience. They offer an assortment of pre and post game features including robust waiver management, branded team photos, and streamlined review management for Yelp, TripAdvisor, Google Reviews, and Morty. Buzzshot now has integration with the other REPOD sponsors: Morty and COGS. Special Offer for REPOD Listeners: REPOD listeners get an extended 21-day free trial plus 20% off your first 3 months, with no set-up fees or hidden charges. Visit buzzshot.com/repod to learn more about this exclusive offer. COGS COGS by Clockwork Dog is an easy to use software/ hardware platform for running interactive events, including escape rooms, and other immersive experiences. They have plug & play hardware that seamlessly integrates with their software so you can create a show with lighting and sound cues without having to write a single line of code. Map all kinds of inputs to outputs by building up simple logic steps which determine what you want to happen and when. Special Offer for REPOD Listeners: REPOD listeners can get the COGS Starter Set for only $130 + free shipping to the USA. This bundle is usually valued at $257. You can learn more and purchase your Starter Set at cogs.show. Use code REPOD at checkout. Production Credits Hosted by David Spira & Peih-Gee Law Produced by Theresa Piazza Supported by Lisa Spira & Richard Burns Edited by Steve Ewing of Stand Inside Media Music by Ryan Elder Logo by Janine Pracht

We're sharing a little bit of our Patreon exclusive Bonus show from S6E1 with Christian and Zach of Doors of Divergence. Here's a snippet of Christian and Zach talking about their expectations of what their audience would love and what actually kept people coming back for replays. David talks about his past covering live music events and compares doors of divergence to jazz music. They also talk about creating on the fly, magical memories for their guests. Listen to the rest of the Bonus Show now by becoming a patron today at patreon.com/roomescapeartist and to gain to access our library of over 50 bonus after shows. Thank you for supporting our work.