Leaked Bonus Show! The Escape Ventures (S8E8) Reality Escape Pod

1:19:58

Let's revisit most interesting, entertaining, and impactful moments from REPOD Season 8. Can't wait for the next season REPOD? Don’t worry, Season 9 of the podcast will be back in the very near future. To pass the time until then, have a listen to some memorable clips our editor Steve Ewing selected from each episode of Season 8. And there's a bonus clip from the brand new show PG's Playhouse ! It’s perfect for new listeners of this podcast or fans who want to relive their favorite moments. This season we welcomed many talented escape room owners & designers: Fro creates memorable stories at Boxaroo , Jeroen built an incredible romp through real trains with Demise of the Gricers , and Curtis & Derek at Escape Ventures build amazing escape rooms at incredible speeds. Don’t miss Francine & Victor talking about what it feels like to finish an epic project. We also invited returning guest Elan Lee to discuss his new Netflix show based on Exploding Kittens and his Survivor party game. Game & puzzle creators Sandy Weisz, Oskar Van Deventer, and Brooke Breit came on to talk about the finer points of balancing challenge and fun. Performers David Kwong and Yannick Trapman-O’Brien reflected on the ups and downs of their careers and the personal philosophies that have come out of that. And in Episode 11, escape room super-enthusiast Sera Dodd brought us one of the most emotionally powerful episodes yet. We end the look-back with a Connections -like game from our new podcast, PG’s Playhouse. 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. Episode Sponsors Thank you to our sponsors Morty, Buzzshot, & 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, & Steve Ewing 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…

Reality Escape Pod - Escape Rooms & Immersive Games

1
Imaginary Worlds: Unlocking the Door Between Escape Rooms and Immersive Theater 37:27

il y a environ 9 jours37:27

37:27

A few months ago, Lisa and David played Ghost Light at Myss Tic in Brooklyn, NY, with Eric Molinsky, host of the podast Imaginary Worlds. Eric has been a long time immersive theater and larp fan, but he had yet to be sold on escape rooms. They were convinced that he (like so many others!) just hadn’t had the opportunity to experience what great escape rooms have to offer - so they pitched him on doing an escape room episode. What he made was a beautiful exploration of the escape room world. We absolutely love the episode that he produced and want to make sure that our community is aware of it. REPOD Season 9 is currently in the works... we have some amazing episodes already lined up for you. More soon.…

Reality Escape Pod - Escape Rooms & Immersive Games

1
Leaked Bonus Show! The Escape Ventures (S8E8) 1:04:29

il y a 5 weeks1:04:29

1:04:29

We're sharing one of our many Patreon exclusive Bonus Shows. We put a lot of love and have a ton of fun continuing the conversation after each episodes. We also record many extra episodes in-between seasons. All of this is available exclusively to our Patrons at patreon.com/roomescapeartist. Curtis Ratliff and Derek Townsley join us for more discussion about The Escape Ventures. They share an absolutely outrageous escape room story that we couldn’t put on the main feed. We talk more about game stores and the importance of inclusivity. David gives an argument against longer games, and we also get into the regional differences between Orlando and Los Angeles in terms of escape room culture and design. I also end up learning all about Bucky's. Episode Sponsors Thank you to our sponsors Morty, Buzzshot, & 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 Peih-Gee Law and David Spira Music by Ryan Elder Logo by Janine Pracht…

Reality Escape Pod - Escape Rooms & Immersive Games

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Escape Room Difficult - Hatch Escape's The Ladder (Spoilers Club Preview) 12:25

il y a 5 weeks12:25

12:25

Terry Pettigrew Rolapp and Tommy Wallach of Hatch Escapes in Los Angeles, California joined us to talk about their overwhelmingly ambitious game, The Ladder. In this clip, we talk about the genesis of The Ladder, and the design philosophy behind this game, exploring the nature of difficulty. You can find the rest of this Spoilers Club episode by supporting us on Patreon at patreon.com/roomescapeartist…

Reality Escape Pod - Escape Rooms & Immersive Games

1
CU Adventures S1E4 Throwback with Anne & Chris Lukeman 46:23

il y a 7 weeks46:23

46:23

We're trying something new and doing a throwback episode. Season 1, Episode 4 was an early darling amongst REPOD listeners. Guests Anne and Chris Lukeman of CU Adventures were such delightful guests. Back then, neither David nor Peih-Gee had played their in person games (but they loved their digital and tabletop games). Since then, David has gone to Champaign-Urbana, and fell further in love with their work. With that in mind, Room Escape Artist is hosting Escape Immerse Explore: Time & Space 2025 (Chicago to Champaign-Urbana) in the spring of 2025. Tickets are available now for Session 1 (Sunday, April 27th – Tuesday, April 29th 2025) and Session 2 (Tuesday, April 29th – Thursday, May 1st 2025). Get your ticket now, while supplies last. Production Credits Hosted by David Spira & Peih-Gee Law Produced by Lisa Spira Music by Ryan Elder Logo by Janine Pracht…

Reality Escape Pod - Escape Rooms & Immersive Games

1
PG's Playhouse 3: Roadside Attractions (ft CU Adventures) 26:42

il y a 7 weeks26:42

26:42

This is the final preview for PG's Playhouse being released on the Reality Escape Pod feed. Please go subscribe to PG's Playhouse wherever you get your podcasts to listen to future episodes. What's a roadtrip without a visit to that Giant Ball of Twine or a glimpse of a giant Muffler Man? If the sign says "World Famous" anything, I'm pulling over for it. Our guests today are Anne & Chris Lukeman, owners of CU Adventures in Time and Space, an escape room company in Illinois. They love roadside attractions, and in fact, their escape room business was inspired by a road trip to House on the Rock. Our game today is about regional foods, where they've been replaced with words that rhyme. David then gives us a short history on roadside attractions, and I learn about the World Famous Muffler Men – an icon of the road trip era. Full Show Notes Production Credits Hosted by Peih-Gee Law & David Spira Puzzles by Peih-Gee Law Produced by Theresa Piazza Supported by Lisa Spira Edited by Peih-Gee Law Music by Matt Farthing Logo by Theresa Wagner If you enjoyed this episode, you can also hear more from Anne & Chris on Season 1, Episode 4 of Reality Escape Pod and consider joining the Escape Immerse Explore Time & Space Tour.…

Reality Escape Pod - Escape Rooms & Immersive Games

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PG's Playhouse #2: Y2K with Tommy Honton 23:43

il y a 9 weeks23:43

23:43

In between Reality Escape Pod Season 8 and 9 we are starting a brand new show. PG's Playhouse. Remember Y2K? The end-of-the-world that came and went without a hitch? Guest Tommy Honton joins us again to explore what really went down in this episode of PG's Playhouse. Our game today is called New Beginnings, where we take the names of old fads and transform them into something new by changing the first letter. David then walks us through a short history of Y2K, the fear mongering about a global shutdown and how the prevention plans went off without a hitch (mostly). Tommy also brought a game testing our knowledge of Greek metric prefixes. If you enjoy the show, please subscribe on your podcast app of choice . Production Credits Hosted by Peih-Gee Law & David Spira Puzzles by Peih-Gee Law Produced by Theresa Piazza Supported by Lisa Spira Edited by Peih-Gee Law Music by Matt Farthing Logo by Theresa Wagner…

Reality Escape Pod - Escape Rooms & Immersive Games

1
Designing & Maintaining 60Out's Wizard's Treasure (Spoilers Club Preview) 5:15

il y a 9 weeks5:15

5:15

Wizard's Treasure designer Grant Leucke joins us to take a deep dive into his design philosophies, he talks to us about how he built this game. In this clip, we talk about the importance of testing and maintaining your games. You can find the rest of this Spoilers Club episode by supporting us on Patreon at patreon.com/roomescapeartist…

Reality Escape Pod - Escape Rooms & Immersive Games

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PG's Playhouse #1: Is Die Hard a Christmas Movie? 24:58

il y a 10 weeks24:58

24:58

In between Reality Escape Pod Season 8 and 9 we are starting a brand new show. PG's Playhouse. In the inaugural episode of PG's Playhouse, Peih-Gee Law and David Spira are joined by immersive creator Tommy Honton to explore the controversial topic of whether Die Hard is a Christmas movie. We kick off with a game called "Christmas-fied" where non-Christmas movies are transformed into Christmas-themed titles by adding festive song lyrics. We also discuss Die Hard's Christmas credentials, and its tight writing and unique casting choices. If you enjoy the show, please subscribe on your podcast app of choice . Production Credits Hosted by Peih-Gee Law & David Spira Puzzles by Peih-Gee Law Produced by Theresa Piazza Supported by Lisa Spira Edited by Peih-Gee Law Music by Matt Farthing Logo by Theresa Wagner…

Reality Escape Pod - Escape Rooms & Immersive Games

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On the Importance of Working With Nice People (Bonus Preview) 6:35

il y a 10 weeks6:35

6:35

This week, we're joined again by episode guest Victor and Francine from Sherlocked in the Netherlands. They tell us about the escape room they built for Hotel Zoku during the pandemic, and we also explore outdoor escape room style adventures, what to call them, and some logistics to consider when designing them. We also talk about escape room tour logistics, especially when it comes to a potential Netherlands Tour. Finally, Victor and Francine talk about an at home escape room design kit that may be an upcoming Sherlocked product. This is the end of Season 8, but we will continue to produce bonus shows for Patreon backers, even in the off season. And be sure to keep an ear out for our new show, PG's Playhouse, launching very soon. In this clip, we discuss Victor and Francine's Recon Talk, about working with a variety of contractors while building their top rated escape room, The Alchemist . And the importance of working only with nice people. If you enjoy these previews, I hope you’ll consider joining our Patreon . For only $5 a month, you’ll get access to our Bonus Aftershow, where we continually release new episodes, even in our REPOD off-season.…

Reality Escape Pod - Escape Rooms & Immersive Games

1
The Wonder Factory: Francine Boon & Victor van Doorn of Sherlocked (S8E12) 59:11

il y a 11 weeks59:11

59:11

“A vision into the future of what I want escape rooms to be.” After 1,200 escape rooms, it certainly takes something remarkable to capture the #1 spot on David Spira’s list of favorite games. As he tells us in this episode, his favorite game shifts from moment to moment, but in this particular moment, that game is The Alchemist , created by Francine Boon & Victor van Doorn of Sherlocked Escape Rooms in Amsterdam. David had this to say about The Alchemist : “It's a wonder factory. It is filled with impossible moments and machines, and it made me weep with joy during the finale each time I watched it. I think I saw the finale three times when I came to visit. I just love this game and it feels like a vision into the future of what I want escape rooms to be.” It’s not the first time that Sherlocked has created a game that has shaped the future of the escape room industry. Victor started playing escape rooms in 2012 when the industry was still in its infancy, and a few years later, he started Sherlocked, along with a few other partners. Sherlocked's games The Architect and The Vault are noteworthy for the level of immersion they created at the time. They used actors and “cold starts" to truly create the feeling that players were in a movie. We can see the influence of Sherlocked throughout much of the escape room scene in The Netherlands today. Many of the games there make use of actors, with immersive onboarding. Additionally, many are set in historical buildings, just liked Sherlocked is. Victor and Francine are creative alchemists in their own right, combining their skillsets to create wondrous, magical games. This is the season finale for Season 8 of Reality Escape Pod. Season 9 will launch in April. Meanwhile, we are excited to release some off-season content. Plus, keep an ear out for PG's Playhouse, a new show launching this winter. If you want more content, we have over 100 episodes of the Bonus Aftershow available to Patreon Supporters , as well as our Spoilers Club , which offers in-depth coverage of iconic escape rooms. Thank you so much for supporting our show! Full Show Notes Episode Sponsors Thank you to our sponsors Morty, Buzzshot, & 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 Music by Ryan Elder Logo by Janine Pracht…

Reality Escape Pod - Escape Rooms & Immersive Games

1
Designing Neurodivergent-Friendly & Accessible Escape Rooms with Sera Dodd (Bonus Preview) 7:00

il y a 11 weeks7:00

7:00

In this Bonus Show, we're joined again by guest Sarah Dodd. We cover a whole range of escape room topics, including well-crafted small scale escape rooms, whether we should introduce more categorization in escape room awards, and we also talk about taxonomy and the jargon of escape rooms. In this preview, we talk about designing for neurodivergent friendly escape rooms and the importance of accessibility options If you enjoy these previews, I hope you’ll consider joining our Patreon . For only $5 a month, you’ll get access to our Bonus Aftershow, where we continually release new episodes, even in our REPOD off-season.…

Reality Escape Pod - Escape Rooms & Immersive Games

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Life Lessons from 3,000 Escape Rooms: Sera Dodd (S8E11) 1:16:04

il y a 12 weeks1:16:04

1:16:04

“Finding escape rooms has been finding my community and my joy.” When people find out I’ve played 400 escape rooms, they react with awe and wonder, to which my usual response is “That’s nothing—my podcast co-host David Spira has played over 1,200 escape rooms!” However, as it turns out, even David is not the final boss when it comes to the most escape rooms played. Enter Sera Dodd, who alongside her partner Sharan Gill, is one of the most experienced escape room players in the Western world. Clocking in at a whopping 3,000 games, not only has Sera seen it all, but she’s also helped shape the escape room industry over the years. From consulting on games, to sitting on the board of advisors for TERPECA , to co-founding the Escape Room Industry Conference (ERIC), Sera has used her experience and knowledge to help push the industry forward. I especially appreciated Sera’s candor. She speaks openly about being autistic, and how escape rooms are a great way for neurodivergent people to find community and embrace play and adventure in a safe and controlled environment. (We discuss this in more detail in the Bonus Aftershow.) She also shares with us how her diagnosis of terminal cancer has changed her perspective on life: “I think when one's faced with their own mortality, you spend a lot of time thinking, 'what is the point of life?' And the best I've come up with is to have good times, to be good, to do good, and to have good times with good people. And that's what escape rooms do for me.” In the podcast, Sera talks about finding her tribe in our community of escape room enthusiasts globally, of finding generous friendship and joyous camaraderie. It’s a poignant reminder of how precious life is, and how important it is to appreciate the people in your life. I’m very grateful to Sera for joining us on Reality Escape Pod to share her story. Full Show Notes Episode Sponsors Thank you to our sponsors Morty, Buzzshot, & 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 Music by Ryan Elder Logo by Janine Pracht…

Reality Escape Pod - Escape Rooms & Immersive Games

1
Teasing PG's Playhouse with Sandy Weisz 7:51

il y a 12 weeks7:51

7:51

Puzzle designer Sandy Weiss joins us again to talk all things puzzles. We dive more deeply into creating elegant puzzles that connect within their narrative context, and we talk about bringing puzzly games to various audiences. Sandy shares his perspective on Noms, or nicknames, at the National Puzzlers League, and we also talk a bit about his course curriculum and our shared love of Blood on the Clock Tower. This clip is a bit of a teaser for our new show, PG's Playhouse, which will feature games, puzzles, and a short chat. Here, we talk a bit about inspirations for puzzles, and then we play a game that I created for Sandy. If you enjoy these previews, I hope you’ll consider joining our Patreon . For only $5 a month, you’ll get access to our Bonus Aftershow, where we continually release new episodes, even in our REPOD off-season.…

Reality Escape Pod - Escape Rooms & Immersive Games

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Elegance in Puzzles: Sandy Weisz, The Mystery League (REPOD S8E10) 57:13

il y a 13 weeks57:13