Reality Escape Pod - Escape Rooms & Immersive Games

By David Spira & Peih-Gee Law

Society & Culture Arts Design Places & Travel

What's Reality Escape Pod - Escape Rooms & Immersive Games about?

Your hosts David Spira & Peih-Gee Law explore immersive gaming from all angles.

Our guests have made awesome stuff: ARGs, puzzle hunts, tabletop games, and of course, escape rooms. Our aim is to bring together different segments of the gaming world and share ideas between them.

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Reality Escape Pod - Escape Rooms & Immersive Games episodes:

06.25.2024
The Wicker Plan – David & Peih-Gee on The Infinite Escape Room
In April, David and Peih-Gee were guests for two episodes of The Infinite Escape Room, a comedy puzzle show where a group of pals sit down, have a drink, and work together to solve an audio escape room. This time around,...
05.30.2024
S7E12 Bonus After-Show Teaser: Hatch Escapes
We're sharing a little bit of our Patreon exclusive Bonus Show from S7E12 with Tommy Wallach and Terry Pettigrew-Rolapp of Hatch Escape. In this clip, Terry talks about the qualities that intrigue him the most when playing Escape Rooms and how...
05.28.2024
S7E12 - Dreaming & Betting Big: Terry Pettigrew-Rolapp & Tommy Wallach of Hatch Escapes
"Where Terry and I live is between games and theater." If you ask any escape room enthusiast to recommend a must-play game in Los Angeles, you'll hear about Lab Rat. When it first opened in 2018, it was ranked #8...
05.22.2024
S7E11 Bonus After-Show Teaser: The Great Lore Debate
We're sharing a little bit of our Patreon exclusive Bonus show from S7E11 with Noah Nelson of No Proscenium. In this clip, Noah and David discussed the exposition dump and why writers should prioritize the audience's relationship with the characters first...
05.21.2024
S7E11 - Everything Immersive: Noah Nelson of No Proscenium
“I have irrational exuberance about the future of immersive.” Whether you work in the immersive theater space, or have more than a passing interest in the immersive arts, chances are you’ve seen Noah Nelson at an immersive event, or listened...
05.17.2024
Spoilers Club: Stay in the Dark Part 1 Preview
This is a teaser from this month's Spoilers Club. David Spira & Peih-Gee Law take a deep dive into iconic or impactful escape rooms. The creators join us to share exclusive behind the scenes, commentary and insights about their games....
05.16.2024
S7E10 Bonus After-Show Teaser: RECON LA
We're sharing a little bit of our Patreon exclusive Bonus show from S7E10. In this clip. David and Lee-Fay Low discuss the art of crafting a great convention talk and what they look for in speakers at RECON. Listen to the rest...
05.14.2024
S7E10 - Unlocking the Secrets of RECON LA with Lee-Fay Low and Theresa Wagner
“It's remarkable what happens when you stop practicing and spend a little bit of time teaching people.“ Do you own an escape room? Do you have a skillset that applies to immersive gaming experiences, such as game designer, prop maker,...
05.09.2024
S7E9 Bonus After-Show Teaser: Andy Crocker
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...
05.07.2024
S7E9 - Captain of Heartfelt Shenanigans: Andy Crocker, Immersive Performance Director
"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...
05.02.2024
S7E8 Bonus After-Show Teaser: Cross Roads
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...
04.30.2024
REPOD S7E8 - Influential and Experimental: Luke & Madison Rhoades of Cross Roads Escape Games
“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...
04.25.2024
S7E7 Bonus After-Show Teaser: Michael Borys
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...
04.23.2024
REPOD S7E7 - Game Design is Magic: Michael Borys of The 49 Boxes
"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,...
04.18.2024
S7E6 Bonus After-Show Teaser: Confusion Escapes
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...
04.16.2024
REPOD S7E6 - Engineering Fun: Al & Stacy Delcome of Confusion Escapes
"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...
04.11.2024
S7E5 Bonus After-Show Teaser: Wild Heart Ranch
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...
04.09.2024
REPOD S7E5 - The Secrets of Wild Heart Ranch: Blake Hodges-Koch & Thomas Meston
“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...
04.04.2024
S7E4 Bonus After-Show Teaser: Steal and Escape
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...
04.02.2024
REPOD S7E4 - Design From the Heart with Jason & Marketa Richard of Steal and Escape
"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...
03.28.2024
S7E3 Bonus After-Show Teaser: Brett Jackson
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...
03.26.2024
S7E3 - Kooky and Creative Networking: Brett Jackson, Creator of Imagi-Ne'er Do-Wells
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...
03.23.2024
S7E2 Bonus After-Show Teaser: Jared Butler
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...
03.19.2024
S7E2 - Dystopian Desert Dreams: Jared Butler, Creator of Wasteland Weekend & Neotropolis
"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...
03.18.2024
S7E1 Bonus After-Show Teaser: The Ministry of Peculiarities
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...
03.16.2024
Spoilers Club: Sleep No More - Part 1 Preview
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...
03.12.2024
S7E1: Quirky & Compelling: The Ministry of Peculiarities
"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...
03.05.2024
Peih-Gee's Playhouse, The LA Edition
"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...
02.24.2024
Spoilers Club: Ghost of Mentryville Preview
"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"...
02.21.2024
Season 6 Key Moments
“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...
01.25.2024
The Mind Behind the Who Killed Ickey Treasure Hunt, John Bromels
"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...
01.19.2024
Peek Behind the Curtain with Spoilers Club
"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...
01.12.2024
Special Release Bonus Episode S6E3: Going Viral with Christine Barger
"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...
12.28.2023
S6E13 Bonus After-Show Teaser: The Value of a Good Editor
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...
12.26.2023
S6E13 - Inside the Puzzler Podcast with A.J. Jacobs & Greg Pliska
“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...
12.21.2023
S6E12 Bonus After-Show Teaser: The Case Against Animatronics in Escape Rooms
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...
12.19.2023
S6E12 - Wood, Wire, & Whimsy: Mike Dold & Rick George of Doldrick’s
“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...
12.14.2023
S6E11 Bonus After-Show Teaser: Summer Herrick of Locurio
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...
12.13.2023
S6E11 - The Art of Game Flow with Summer Herrick of Locurio
"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...
12.07.2023
S6E10 Bonus After-Show Teaser: Lonnie Hanzon of Camp Christmas
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...
12.05.2023
S6E10 - The Magic of Maximalism with Lonnie Hanzon of Camp Christmas
"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....
11.30.2023
S6E9 Bonus After-Show Teaser: Advent of Code
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...
11.28.2023
S6E9 - Advent of Code: 25 Days of Programming Puzzles with Creator Eric Wastl
"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...
11.23.2023
S6E8 Bonus After-Show Teaser: Eric Berlin
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...
11.21.2023
S6E8 - Eric Berlin Puzzle Snacks
“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...
11.16.2023
S6E7 Bonus After-Show Teaser: Red Fox
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...
11.14.2023
S6E7: The Analytics of Fun: Great Escape Room Design with Marie Huber & Nico Cesar of Red Fox Escapes
“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...
11.09.2023
S6E6 Bonus After-Show Teaser: Club Drosselmeyer
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...
11.07.2023
S6E6: Nutcracker in Swing Time - Kellian & Brian Pletcher, Creators of Club Drosselmeyer
“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,...
11.04.2023
S6E5 Bonus After-Show Teaser: Halloween Spooktacular
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...

What's Reality Escape Pod - Escape Rooms & Immersive Games about?

Download our free app to listen on your phone

Reality Escape Pod - Escape Rooms & Immersive Games episodes:

The Wicker Plan – David & Peih-Gee on The Infinite Escape Room

S7E12 Bonus After-Show Teaser: Hatch Escapes

S7E12 - Dreaming & Betting Big: Terry Pettigrew-Rolapp & Tommy Wallach of Hatch Escapes

S7E11 Bonus After-Show Teaser: The Great Lore Debate

S7E11 - Everything Immersive: Noah Nelson of No Proscenium

Spoilers Club: Stay in the Dark Part 1 Preview

S7E10 Bonus After-Show Teaser: RECON LA

S7E10 - Unlocking the Secrets of RECON LA with Lee-Fay Low and Theresa Wagner

S7E9 Bonus After-Show Teaser: Andy Crocker

S7E9 - Captain of Heartfelt Shenanigans: Andy Crocker, Immersive Performance Director

S7E8 Bonus After-Show Teaser: Cross Roads

REPOD S7E8 - Influential and Experimental: Luke & Madison Rhoades of Cross Roads Escape Games

S7E7 Bonus After-Show Teaser: Michael Borys

REPOD S7E7 - Game Design is Magic: Michael Borys of The 49 Boxes

S7E6 Bonus After-Show Teaser: Confusion Escapes

REPOD S7E6 - Engineering Fun: Al & Stacy Delcome of Confusion Escapes

S7E5 Bonus After-Show Teaser: Wild Heart Ranch

REPOD S7E5 - The Secrets of Wild Heart Ranch: Blake Hodges-Koch & Thomas Meston

S7E4 Bonus After-Show Teaser: Steal and Escape

REPOD S7E4 - Design From the Heart with Jason & Marketa Richard of Steal and Escape

S7E3 Bonus After-Show Teaser: Brett Jackson

S7E3 - Kooky and Creative Networking: Brett Jackson, Creator of Imagi-Ne'er Do-Wells

S7E2 Bonus After-Show Teaser: Jared Butler

S7E2 - Dystopian Desert Dreams: Jared Butler, Creator of Wasteland Weekend & Neotropolis

S7E1 Bonus After-Show Teaser: The Ministry of Peculiarities

Spoilers Club: Sleep No More - Part 1 Preview

S7E1: Quirky & Compelling: The Ministry of Peculiarities

Peih-Gee's Playhouse, The LA Edition

Spoilers Club: Ghost of Mentryville Preview

Season 6 Key Moments

The Mind Behind the Who Killed Ickey Treasure Hunt, John Bromels

Peek Behind the Curtain with Spoilers Club

Special Release Bonus Episode S6E3: Going Viral with Christine Barger

S6E13 Bonus After-Show Teaser: The Value of a Good Editor

S6E13 - Inside the Puzzler Podcast with A.J. Jacobs & Greg Pliska

S6E12 Bonus After-Show Teaser: The Case Against Animatronics in Escape Rooms

S6E12 - Wood, Wire, & Whimsy: Mike Dold & Rick George of Doldrick’s

S6E11 Bonus After-Show Teaser: Summer Herrick of Locurio

S6E11 - The Art of Game Flow with Summer Herrick of Locurio

S6E10 Bonus After-Show Teaser: Lonnie Hanzon of Camp Christmas

S6E10 - The Magic of Maximalism with Lonnie Hanzon of Camp Christmas

S6E9 Bonus After-Show Teaser: Advent of Code

S6E9 - Advent of Code: 25 Days of Programming Puzzles with Creator Eric Wastl

S6E8 Bonus After-Show Teaser: Eric Berlin

S6E8 - Eric Berlin Puzzle Snacks

S6E7 Bonus After-Show Teaser: Red Fox

S6E7: The Analytics of Fun: Great Escape Room Design with Marie Huber & Nico Cesar of Red Fox Escapes

S6E6 Bonus After-Show Teaser: Club Drosselmeyer

S6E6: Nutcracker in Swing Time - Kellian & Brian Pletcher, Creators of Club Drosselmeyer

S6E5 Bonus After-Show Teaser: Halloween Spooktacular

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