Have you been feverishly refreshing your podcatcher in anticipation of the return of Reality Escape Pod? Don’t worry, Season 10 of the podcast will be here in the very near future. To pass the time, have a listen to some memorable clips our editor Steve Ewing selected from each episode of Season 9. It’s perfect for new listeners of the podcast or fans who want to relive their favorite moments.

Full Show Notes

Thank you to our sponsors: Weldwood Marketing, Buzzshot, COGS by Clockwork Dog, and Patreon supporters like you. 

Maximize your online presence with Weldwood Marketing. It's a one-stop shop for digital marketing—specializing in web design, SEO, online ads, and best business practices. They can even manage all your integrations so you can track the customer journey from clicking on an ad to booking your game. Let Weldwood help unlock more money for your business.

Special offer exclusively for REPOD listeners:

Weldwood rarely offers discounts, but they did for us. REPOD listeners get 15% off Marketing Services for the first 3 months, PLUS $750 off escape room websites. Schedule your Discovery Call and mention REPOD in the notes! Visit weldwoodmarketing.com/repod to learn more about this exclusive offer.

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 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.

Supporitng us on Patreon helps to fund our work, pay our team, and it grants you access to an incredible library of bonus content including: 

Thank you to all of our ongoing supporters 💙

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

In this episode, David and Peih-Gee were joined by Steve, the creator of Blood on the Clocktower... and they talked a whole lot more about Blood on the Clocktower. The conversation spans the overlaps between Clocktower and Survivor, the difficulties of being the Storyteller, and a potential business opportunity for escape room operators (or people who are good at talking and managing game rules).

Find the main REPOD episodes here!

When you support Room Escape Artist on Patreon at $5 per month (or above), you get access to the Bonus Show, our exclusive bonus episodes that follow up on the main episode, almost always with the guest. Plus David and Peih-Gee release extra episode in-between seasons for our Patrons. 

https://www.patreon.com/roomescapeartist

A few months ago David and Peih-Gee appeared as guests on the Aurelius Whitlock's Murder Mystery Museum. They had learned about the show from our of our Patreon members, and after listening to the show for a few minutes, both of them were convinced that they had to go play. 

Hosts Marcus and Nathan are a ton of fun, and care so deeply about their show, and it permeates everything that they do. 

We hope that you have fun listening, and for more Aurelius Whitlock's Murder Mystery Museum, check out their website. 

Alexander Gierholz of Logiclocks, Jeroen van Hasselt of Entered, and Meggy Pepelanova came together to create a unique horror experience set in an entire empty wing of a local Marriott Renaissance hotel.

It only ran for a brief time, and now the best way to understand this mind-boggling immersive show is by listening to Alexander and Jeroen tell its story on The Spoilers Club.

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

It's dark all around you. You clutch your flashlight with trembling hands, but the beam of light blinds you when it hits a wall of fog. In the swirling mist ahead, eerie creatures wander the grounds between you and your goal. You must use your knowledge of the inhabitants of this place to save yourself and your friends. Welcome to Lockhill.

Bill Dalitsikas, owner of Lockhill Escape Game in Athens, Greece, is the master of horror, when it comes to escape rooms. The Sanatorium premiered at the #5 spot on the TERPECA awards, and Chapel & Catacombs was voted the #1 escape room in the world in 2022. (Both games also won Golden Lock Awards.) He joins us on REPOD to talk about his inspiration, thoughts on what makes for a good horror escape room, and the Athens escape room scene. These games are massive, and it's absolutely wild that for the most part, Bill designs and builds these games all by himself.

I really loved hearing him talk about using actors as puzzles in his games. It's one of the many mechanics that make his games feel like real live video games. Indeed, he was heavily inspired by Silent Hill, Mansions of Madness, and Betrayal at House on the Hill.

It became very clear as we talked to Bill that his motivation isn't to scare the players as much as possible; rather it's to give the players the best experience possible. That's why he has three different game modes for The Sanatorium: Day Mode where it's less scary with more focus on the puzzles, Night Mode where the focus is on the actors and scares, and Midnight Mode where players get the best of both worlds—maximum puzzles and maximum scares.

Even if you're not a fan of horror games, I think you will find this conversation compelling. Hopefully it will convince you check out the games at Lockhill next time your are near Athens.

Full Show Notes

Thank you to our sponsors: Weldwood Marketing, Buzzshot, COGS by Clockwork Dog, and Patreon supporters like you. 

Maximize your online presence with Weldwood Marketing. It's a one-stop shop for digital marketing—specializing in web design, SEO, online ads, and best business practices. They can even manage all your integrations so you can track the customer journey from clicking on an ad to booking your game. Let Weldwood help unlock more money for your business.

Special offer exclusively for REPOD listeners:

Weldwood rarely offers discounts, but they did for us. REPOD listeners get 15% off Marketing Services for the first 3 months, PLUS $750 off escape room websites. Schedule your Discovery Call and mention REPOD in the notes! Visit weldwoodmarketing.com/repod to learn more about this exclusive offer.

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 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.

Supporitng us on Patreon helps to fund our work, pay our team, and it grants you access to an incredible library of bonus content including: 

Thank you to all of our ongoing supporters 💙

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

Countless late nights, occasional tears, and many great conversations later, we did it. We made it to 100 episodes of REPOD!

We've had so many incredible guests come on the show, fully willing to share the secret sauce to their success. These guests have been a treasure trove of creative inspiration. From discussing how to create immersive sets, to tricks for directing a player's attention, from how to effectively market your business to creating puzzles, our guests didn't gatekeep or pull their punches.

To celebrate, we're taking a look back through the archives and picking some noteworthy clips. These were all things our guests said that really resonated with us – personally, professionally, or on a creative level.

Each of these clips fundamentally changed how we think about something. Maybe it gave us a new perspective on leadership, like Elan Lee's clip about "other people's work." Or perhaps it was Christine Barger going against industry norms by allowing filming in her escape room. Others were more philosophical, like Alexander Gierholz's musings on the dissonance of escapism. Many of these clips helped shape the way we think about immersive design, such as Linda Klein talking about "experiential mixers" or Tommy Honton's "adrenaline map."

It's been an amazing 100 episodes of Reality Escape Pod. I hope our guests have also inspired you in your creative journey. And if they did, we'd love to hear about it. Let us know if there's anything we missed that especially resonated with you. Thank you all for listening and for all your support!

Full Show Notes

Thank you to our sponsors: Weldwood Marketing, Buzzshot, COGS by Clockwork Dog, and Patreon supporters like you. 

Maximize your online presence with Weldwood Marketing. It's a one-stop shop for digital marketing—specializing in web design, SEO, online ads, and best business practices. They can even manage all your integrations so you can track the customer journey from clicking on an ad to booking your game. Let Weldwood help unlock more money for your business.

Special offer exclusively for REPOD listeners:

Weldwood rarely offers discounts, but they did for us. REPOD listeners get 15% off Marketing Services for the first 3 months, PLUS $750 off escape room websites. Schedule your Discovery Call and mention REPOD in the notes! Visit weldwoodmarketing.com/repod to learn more about this exclusive offer.

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 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.

Supporitng us on Patreon helps to fund our work, pay our team, and it grants you access to an incredible library of bonus content including: 

Thank you to all of our ongoing supporters 💙

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

If you ask an escape room enthusiast about entanglement puzzles, what likely springs to mind are those intertwined, bent metal nails that you need to separate. However, for Paul Kwiat, an entanglement puzzle is something else completely. Professor Kwiat is an acclaimed physicist, specializing in quantum physics, including quantum entanglement, along with quantum cryptography, dense-coding, quantum teleportation, entanglement distillation, and most recently, optical quantum gates. Phew!

But what's a physicist doing on REPOD? Besides his many other accomplishments, Professor Kwiat has also created LabEscape, the first science-based escape room. Most of the puzzles in his games are built on different science phenomena such as magnetism, thermodynamics, and polarization. Many of these are rather advanced principles that would be taught at a college-level course. These are not games for kids!

Professor Kwiat explains that he had three goals when creating his escape room. One—to show that science can be both relevant and accessible. Two—to show that these scientific effects are aesthetically beautiful. Three—that science is fun!

His love of science and physics is certainly infectious. We couldn't resist the opportunity to chat about quantum mechanics, including quantum computers, and cryptography. I truly appreciated that he took the time to explain all these principles to us, even if it meant crushing my romantic notions of how quantum entanglement works. This episode is a bit different, but I think you'll certainly learn something.

Full Show Notes

Thank you to our sponsors: Weldwood Marketing, Buzzshot, COGS by Clockwork Dog, and Patreon supporters like you. 

Maximize your online presence with Weldwood Marketing. It's a one-stop shop for digital marketing—specializing in web design, SEO, online ads, and best business practices. They can even manage all your integrations so you can track the customer journey from clicking on an ad to booking your game. Let Weldwood help unlock more money for your business.

Special offer exclusively for REPOD listeners:

Weldwood rarely offers discounts, but they did for us. REPOD listeners get 15% off Marketing Services for the first 3 months, PLUS $750 off escape room websites. Schedule your Discovery Call and mention REPOD in the notes! Visit weldwoodmarketing.com/repod to learn more about this exclusive offer.

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 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.

Supporitng us on Patreon helps to fund our work, pay our team, and it grants you access to an incredible library of bonus content including: 

Thank you to all of our ongoing supporters 💙

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

When Miss Jezebel first debuted, no one had really ever seen anything like it before. It incorporated an actor into the gameplay in a way that felt more akin to larp or interactive theater. For those in the right mindset, it was uproariously funny. It was also screamingly vulgar, with adult props that would make a bachelor party blush. It was an instant darling of the Los Angeles escape room scene.

Brian Corbitt, creator of Miss Jezebel, joins us in his second appearance on the Spoilers Club for a tell-all. One of his mantras is "Players loved getting trolled." Indeed he did, especially when it came to making out with sock puppets, having to quietly rip a giant piece of velcro apart, or searching for limes. Many of his interactions were designed to maximize fun, while showcasing the players' ability to improvise under pressure. They usually rose to the occasion, much to the amusement of their friends.

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

Escape rooms? What are those? Well, it says here that you're locked in a room, and if you can't solve the puzzles fast enough, a zombie will get you! According to Trip Advisor, it's the top rated activity in the city.

The year is 2014. Amanda Harris has just discovered her first escape room... and her life was changed forever. Since that fateful day, she has gone on to play well over 1,700 escape rooms. She is currently one of the most experienced escape room players in the country, if not the world.

Amanda joins us to talk about the escape room era of yore, when most rooms were festooned with cheap locks and even cheaper furniture. The puzzles were mostly bad, and many of the games were created and run by slightly sadistic gamemasters who guarded hints like dragons sitting on their hoards. Yet she played game after game after game.

Despite how terrible many of the early escape rooms were, she still loved them, and played as many as she could find. Indeed, even finding the games themselves was a challenge back then, let alone finding the gems. Those few gems, however, were absolutely incredible. That's a large part of the reason why David and Lisa created Room Escape Artist all those years ago. Tune in to this episode to hear David and Amanda reminisce about the bad old days and trade war stories about "the early days of  completely bananas, insane escape rooms."

Full Show Notes

Thank you to our sponsors: Weldwood Marketing, Buzzshot, COGS by Clockwork Dog, and Patreon supporters like you. 

Maximize your online presence with Weldwood Marketing. It's a one-stop shop for digital marketing—specializing in web design, SEO, online ads, and best business practices. They can even manage all your integrations so you can track the customer journey from clicking on an ad to booking your game. Let Weldwood help unlock more money for your business.

Special offer exclusively for REPOD listeners:

Weldwood rarely offers discounts, but they did for us. REPOD listeners get 15% off Marketing Services for the first 3 months, PLUS $750 off escape room websites. Schedule your Discovery Call and mention REPOD in the notes! Visit weldwoodmarketing.com/repod to learn more about this exclusive offer.

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 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.

Supporitng us on Patreon helps to fund our work, pay our team, and it grants you access to an incredible library of bonus content including: 

Thank you to all of our ongoing supporters 💙

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

In the dingy dark hallway of an asylum or prison, two men are struggling in a battle of life or death. One man is writhing on the ground while the other has something wrapped around his throat. The art is captivating and gothic, verging on grotesque, and they're animated in an unsettling way. The movement suggests a moment caught in time. We, as investigators, are tasked with uncovering the sequence of events behind this story.

The Rise of the Golden Idol is a mystery-solving, narrative-driven game, and the gameplay truly makes the players feel like detectives investigating the scene of a crime. You hear from suspects, examine the evidence and search crime scenes for clues. The story itself is twisty and fantastical, and feels almost impossible to solve at first until you start pulling at threads. There is a deep satisfaction to solving the puzzles and creating order from the chaos.

Brothers Andrejs Klavins and Ernests Klavins of Color Gray Games join us all the way from Latvia to talk about creating this popular series of games. I really enjoyed hearing about the changes they made from The Case of the Golden Idol when developing the sequel, and how to fine-tune difficulty in these types of mystery games. I was also especially impressed to hear that these games are written in English, which is not their native language. If you love escape rooms, puzzle games, or solving investigative mysteries, I highly recommend you check out The Case of the Golden Idol and The Rise of the Golden Idol.

Full Show Notes

Thank you to our sponsors: Weldwood Marketing, Buzzshot, COGS by Clockwork Dog, and Patreon supporters like you. 

Maximize your online presence with Weldwood Marketing. It's a one-stop shop for digital marketing—specializing in web design, SEO, online ads, and best business practices. They can even manage all your integrations so you can track the customer journey from clicking on an ad to booking your game. Let Weldwood help unlock more money for your business.

Special offer exclusively for REPOD listeners:

Weldwood rarely offers discounts, but they did for us. REPOD listeners get 15% off Marketing Services for the first 3 months, PLUS $750 off escape room websites. Schedule your Discovery Call and mention REPOD in the notes! Visit weldwoodmarketing.com/repod to learn more about this exclusive offer.

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 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.

Supporitng us on Patreon helps to fund our work, pay our team, and it grants you access to an incredible library of bonus content including: 

Thank you to all of our ongoing supporters 💙

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