Reality Escape Pod - Escape Rooms & Immersive Games

In this special episode, we look back on some key moments from Season 4 of REPOD. Season 4 was notable for several reasons—every guest was from a different country, and all our guests were from the escape room world... yes, we do consider Boda Borg to be an escape room (well, perhaps a distant cousin). Our editor, Steve Ewing, put together a selection of some of his favorite moments from Season 4. In most cases, he didn't go for the most obvious "meatiest" parts of a guest's interview. Rather, he chose a few side stories in hopes of intriguing new listeners to check out our past episodes. These stories include cooking pizzas in an escape room, buying and transporting a giant 80-foot pirate ship from Florida to an ecsape room in Montreal, uncovering massive financial fraud from business partners, intermissions and bathrooms in 3-hour escape rooms, and even running an escape room in the middle of a war with air alarms blaring. This is a great episode to start with if you aren't already a listener. And if you are, hopefully you'll enjoying revisiting some of these key moments. Thank you for listening, and stay tuned for Season 5 of REPOD, booting up again in April 2023. PS. Did you notice our new theme music?   Show Notes   Episode Sponsors Thank you to our sponsors:  Morty - A free app for discovering, planning, tracking, and reviewing your escape rooms and other immersive social outings. Reality Escape Convention - RECON Our escape room and immersive gaming convention, will be an incredible event for creators and consumers of the games we love. In 2023 it will be hosted virtually. Learn More about RECON. Music Credits  Our music was created by Ryan Elder. Production Credits REPOD is produced by Lisa Spira and edited by Steve Ewing of Stand Inside Media. 

In Season 4, Episode 12, David and I reflect back on a season of podcasting with global escape room creators. I am continually impressed with all the guests who were brave enough to come on a podcast and chat with us in a language that’s not their native tongue. After recording this season, one of the most noticeable trends was the rampant imposter syndrome that affects even the most brilliant escape room designers. David and I have a long chat about what causes it, and how to embrace it as a secret superpower. We also noticed some creators shying away from the term “puzzle,” and we spend some time exploring what makes for a puzzle. One of the things I appreciated most about this season were all the guests who were willing to come on the podcast and candidly share stories of their struggles as escape room business owners. Hopefully this will go a long way towards eradicating that pesky imposter syndrome we keep seeing. Thank you so much for listening, and I hope you enjoy the game at the end of the episode. I make David play “Guess that Podcast” where he must guess the podcast episode using only emoji clues. This podcast has really helped us both grow, not only as podcasters, but also as players and humans. We are humbled by the love and support of all our patrons and listeners.   Show Notes   Episode Sponsors Thank you to our sponsors:  Morty - A free app for discovering, planning, tracking, and reviewing your escape rooms and other immersive social outings. Escape Tales - Escape Tales is an acclaimed series of tabletop escape room games— each featuring a unique blend of mind-bending puzzles masterfully woven into thought-provoking, robust narratives. Use code “roomescapeartist” for 25% off all Escape Tales products and Books of Rituals on Board & Dice. Buzzshot - ‘Customer Satisfaction Software’ for your escape room business. Streamline your marketing and grow your escape room business with pre- and post-game features including robust waiver management, branded team photos, and integrated review management. Use code REPOD2022 in the dropdown list when booking a demo for 20% off your first three months. Reality Escape Convention - RECON Our escape room and immersive gaming convention, will be an incredible event for creators and consumers of the games we love. We hope to see you in Boston. Learn More about RECON. Production Credits Hosted by David Spira & Peih-Gee Law Produced by Lisa Spira Edited by Steve Ewing of Stand Inside Media Music by Ryan Elder Logo by Janine Pracht 

In Season 4, Episode 11, we chat with Lukas Rauscher of Crime Runners, Austria. His game, Going Underground, has consistently placed high on the Terpeca list since it first premiered, and has garnered rave reviews for its sense of adventure and adaptive difficulty that creates a fulfilling experience for both new players and experienced enthusiasts. Lukas is an unapologetically passionate escape room enthusiast and advocate. He freely admits to having little to no moderation when it comes to creating his games because he constantly wants to outdo himself. He is also very candid when it comes to struggles with the business. Lukas was a delight to chat with. His passion for the industry is infectious, and I really appreciated how frank he was about his personal confidence struggles. I loved hearing about his approach to designing escape rooms and how they manage adaptive difficulty. This conversation feels like the kind you have over a beer after a satisfying day of amazing escape rooms.   Show Notes   Episode Sponsors Thank you to our sponsors:  Morty - A free app for discovering, planning, tracking, and reviewing your escape rooms and other immersive social outings. Escape Tales - Escape Tales is an acclaimed series of tabletop escape room games— each featuring a unique blend of mind-bending puzzles masterfully woven into thought-provoking, robust narratives. Use code “roomescapeartist” for 25% off all Escape Tales products and Books of Rituals on Board & Dice. Buzzshot - ‘Customer Satisfaction Software’ for your escape room business. Streamline your marketing and grow your escape room business with pre- and post-game features including robust waiver management, branded team photos, and integrated review management. Use code REPOD2022 in the dropdown list when booking a demo for 20% off your first three months. Reality Escape Convention - RECON Our escape room and immersive gaming convention, will be an incredible event for creators and consumers of the games we love. We hope to see you in Boston. Learn More about RECON. Production Credits Hosted by David Spira & Peih-Gee Law Produced by Lisa Spira Edited by Steve Ewing of Stand Inside Media Music by Ryan Elder Logo by Janine Pracht   

In Season 4, Episode 10, we head to Sweden to explore Boda Borg... or at least that's where we thought we were going with this episode. As it turns out, the President/ CEO of Boda Borg is an American business strategy visionary living in Laguna Hills, California named David Spigner. There is surprisingly little information about the Boda Borg story, and we are thrilled to share the tale of how he became the owner and President of what was originally a Swedish company.   Boda Borg has been around since 1995. That is way longer than escape rooms have existed, and it was ingenious in the way it approached what they call "reality gaming." David Spigner recounts how he helped propel it from rooms decorated only with flat, 2D paintings into interactive multidimensional sets with movie-like narrative and feel. He candidly shares his global ambitions as well as the hurdles of trying to explain the appeal of Boda Borg to financial lending communities. David Spigner is an excellent storyteller, and we were enthralled with his tale of discovering and shaping Boda Borg. Spigner is an unusual guest in that his approach to the immersive gaming world comes from a very business-oriented, strategic mindset with aspirations towards massive global expansion. And yet, in chatting with him, it was clear that he intuitively understands the appeal of physically immersive gaming. This was a fascinating conversation that you shouldn't miss.   Show Notes   Episode Sponsors Thank you to our sponsors:  Morty - A free app for discovering, planning, tracking, and reviewing your escape rooms and other immersive social outings. Escape Tales - Escape Tales is an acclaimed series of tabletop escape room games— each featuring a unique blend of mind-bending puzzles masterfully woven into thought-provoking, robust narratives. Use code “roomescapeartist” for 25% off all Escape Tales products and Books of Rituals on Board & Dice. Buzzshot - ‘Customer Satisfaction Software’ for your escape room business. Streamline your marketing and grow your escape room business with pre- and post-game features including robust waiver management, branded team photos, and integrated review management. Use code REPOD2022 in the dropdown list when booking a demo for 20% off your first three months. Reality Escape Convention - RECON Our escape room and immersive gaming convention, will be an incredible event for creators and consumers of the games we love. We hope to see you in Boston. Learn More about RECON. Production Credits Hosted by David Spira & Peih-Gee Law Produced by Lisa Spira Edited by Steve Ewing of Stand Inside Media Music by Ryan Elder Logo by Janine Pracht   

Please consider donating to Direct Relief   In Season 4, Episode 9, we share stories from Ukraine. We talk to Nataliya (Tasha) Tarkhanova of Hypno Dive, creator of the Project Avatar series of virtual escape room games. Project Avatar is an incredible virtual experience that plays like a live-action video game, where you are directing a live actor (the Avatar) through an enormous abandoned warehouse. With stylish, acrobatic moves and impressive special effects, tech and visuals, Project Avatar was a high point in quarantine-era virtual escape rooms. Then war happened. On February 24, 2022, Russia invaded Ukraine in a major escalation of the Russo-Ukrainian War, which began in 2014. This episode is a bit of a departure for us, but we wanted to share Tasha's story. We begin with discussion of Project Avatar and escape rooms, but in the second half of this episode, we dive into how the invasion has turned Tasha's life upside-down. It's a heavy episode. It's not graphic and there are no explicit depictions of death or violence, but Tasha candidly shares stories of the upheaval in her life and business. There is an emotional story of the war's impact on her daughter that brought both David and Peih-Gee to tears.     The stories that you're going to hear are tragic and hilarious and kind of off-the-wall. Tasha is resilient, creative, and captivating. We think that this is a really important story to tell.   We are donating all of REPOD's income from this episode to Direct Relief, earmarked for the crisis in Ukraine. If this episode touches you, scroll to the end of the show notes and click the button to donate.     Show Notes   Episode Sponsors Thank you to our sponsors:  Morty - A free app for discovering, planning, tracking, and reviewing your escape rooms and other immersive social outings. Escape Tales - Escape Tales is an acclaimed series of tabletop escape room games— each featuring a unique blend of mind-bending puzzles masterfully woven into thought-provoking, robust narratives. Use code “roomescapeartist” for 25% off all Escape Tales products and Books of Rituals on Board & Dice. Buzzshot - ‘Customer Satisfaction Software’ for your escape room business. Streamline your marketing and grow your escape room business with pre- and post-game features including robust waiver management, branded team photos, and integrated review management. Use code REPOD2022 in the dropdown list when booking a demo for 20% off your first three months. Reality Escape Convention - RECON Our escape room and immersive gaming convention, will be an incredible event for creators and consumers of the games we love. We hope to see you in Boston. Learn More about RECON. Production Credits Hosted by David Spira & Peih-Gee Law Produced by Lisa Spira Edited by Steve Ewing of Stand Inside Media Music by Ryan Elder Logo by Janine Pracht   

In Season 4, Episode 8 of REPOD, we return home to the United States for a chat with Mark Flint, CEO of The Escape Game (TEG). With over 26 locations in 14 states, TEG is positioned to offer a shared American experience. Many of their locations have the same games as locations in other cities, all with consistently high quality rooms, accessible venues in high-profile shopping centers, beautifully decorated sets, and friendly customer service.   Mark operates his company with a businessman's brain and an escape room enthusiast's heart. The emphasis on hospitality lies at the heart of The Escape Game experience. Their mission statement is Every Single Guest, and Mark shares insights on how he incorporates their mission into every location and experience.   With their commitment to warm and welcoming customer service, well-maintained, clean lobbies and games, and an eye towards rapid expansion, The Escape Game reflects American values. Mark emphasized their in-house leadership training program, and in chatting with him, it was clear that his strong vision and leadership is reflected through his company.   Show Notes   Episode Sponsors Thank you to our sponsors:  Morty - A free app for discovering, planning, tracking, and reviewing your escape rooms and other immersive social outings. Escape Tales - Escape Tales is an acclaimed series of tabletop escape room games— each featuring a unique blend of mind-bending puzzles masterfully woven into thought-provoking, robust narratives. Use code “roomescapeartist” for 25% off all Escape Tales products and Books of Rituals on Board & Dice. Buzzshot - ‘Customer Satisfaction Software’ for your escape room business. Streamline your marketing and grow your escape room business with pre- and post-game features including robust waiver management, branded team photos, and integrated review management. Use code REPOD2022 in the dropdown list when booking a demo for 20% off your first three months. Reality Escape Convention - RECON Our escape room and immersive gaming convention, will be an incredible event for creators and consumers of the games we love. We hope to see you in Boston. Learn More about RECON. Production Credits Hosted by David Spira & Peih-Gee Law Produced by Lisa Spira Edited by Steve Ewing of Stand Inside Media Music by Ryan Elder Logo by Janine Pracht 

In Season 4, episode 7, we head over to Israel, a relatively unexplored escape room region that has a bounty of creative, lighthearted themes. We chat with prolific escape room designer Gai Bosco of Cerebro, who has designed over 200 escape rooms, or roughly 25% of the Israeli market. Gai is not only an escape room creator, he is a mega-enthusiast and self-proclaimed nerd who got his start creating sci-fi fan fiction. The Israeli escape room scene is teeming with family-friendly fandom themes, with escape rooms playing homage to many movies including The Lion King, Harry Potter, The Hunger Games, and TV shows like Friends and How I Met Your Mother. One of the other notable and unique Israeli escape room themes we discussed culinary escape rooms, where you gather ingredients for a recipe and that you actually bake or cook over the course of your game. Gai is a passionate ambassador for Israeli escape rooms. His game The Sting is his love letter to escape rooms, and includes many enthusiast-insider nods and plays with the concept of escape room tropes. It was clear that Gai really loves his craft and wants to share the joy of Israeli escape rooms with the world.   Show Notes   Episode Sponsors Thank you to our sponsors:  Morty - A free app for discovering, planning, tracking, and reviewing your escape rooms and other immersive social outings. Escape Tales - Escape Tales is an acclaimed series of tabletop escape room games— each featuring a unique blend of mind-bending puzzles masterfully woven into thought-provoking, robust narratives. Use code “roomescapeartist” for 25% off all Escape Tales products and Books of Rituals on Board & Dice. Buzzshot - ‘Customer Satisfaction Software’ for your escape room business. Streamline your marketing and grow your escape room business with pre- and post-game features including robust waiver management, branded team photos, and integrated review management. Use code REPOD2022 in the dropdown list when booking a demo for 20% off your first three months. Reality Escape Convention - RECON Our escape room and immersive gaming convention, will be an incredible event for creators and consumers of the games we love. We hope to see you in Boston. Learn More about RECON. Production Credits Hosted by David Spira & Peih-Gee Law Produced by Lisa Spira Edited by Steve Ewing of Stand Inside Media Music by Ryan Elder Logo by Janine Pracht 

In Season 4, episode 6, we chat with Dino Paulo, owner of escape room company Hinthunt Africa, located in Cape Town, South Africa. Dino also happens to be the winner of the reality show Survivor South Africa: Return of the Outcasts. In his first season, Survivor South Africa: Immunity Island, Dino was voted out early on. However, he established enough of a presence to return for an all-star returnee season, eventually winning the title of Sole Survivor. This turnaround from downtrodden underdog to eventual winner is echoed in his experience as an escape room owner. Dino candidly shares the story of an early business partner who committed financial malfeasance, lessons learned, and how ousting the ex-partner was a bit like blindsiding someone in Survivor. He shares some of the difficulties in working with an escape room franchise. We also spend some time exploring the differences between American and South African Survivor.   Dino is a charming guest and extremely self-effacing despite his impressive achievements. He speaks from the heart, is guided by an analytical brain, and radiates boundless enthusiasm. It's easy to see how he won Survivor (and our hearts).     Show Notes   Episode Sponsors Thank you to our sponsors:  Morty - A free app for discovering, planning, tracking, and reviewing your escape rooms and other immersive social outings. Escape Tales - Escape Tales is an acclaimed series of tabletop escape room games— each featuring a unique blend of mind-bending puzzles masterfully woven into thought-provoking, robust narratives. Use code “roomescapeartist” for 25% off all Escape Tales products and Books of Rituals on Board & Dice. Buzzshot - ‘Customer Satisfaction Software’ for your escape room business. Streamline your marketing and grow your escape room business with pre- and post-game features including robust waiver management, branded team photos, and integrated review management. Use code REPOD2022 in the dropdown list when booking a demo for 20% off your first three months. Reality Escape Convention - RECON Our escape room and immersive gaming convention, will be an incredible event for creators and consumers of the games we love. We hope to see you in Boston. Learn More about RECON. Production Credits Hosted by David Spira & Peih-Gee Law Produced by Lisa Spira Edited by Steve Ewing of Stand Inside Media Music by Ryan Elder Logo by Janine Pracht 

In Season 4, episode 5 of Reality Escape Pod, we headed to Canada to chat with Jonathan Driscoll and Sacha St.Denis, owners of Escaparium escape games, Nuit de Terreur haunted attraction, L'Atelier resto-pub game cafe, and Ezkapaz immersive experiences. As you can tell from their list of businesses, Jonathan and Sacha have big ambitions. Not only do they have over 30 escape rooms under the Escaparium brand, they have recently expanded into a haunted attraction with escape room elements, a game cafe integrated into their Laval location, and an immersive experience at a local speakeasy bar.   It's not just the number of experiences that are epically sized. Their flagship games Rain Corp., Wardrobe for Sale, and The Lost Island of the Voodoo Queen are jaw-droppingly enormous, filled with endearing characters, immersive puzzles, and touching storylines that actually made me cry. When setting out to build a haunt, Jonathan and Sasha didn't want a generic maze. Instead, they created a haunted attraction that's part maze, with mini-escape room elements and private immersive interactions.   It's no easy feat juggling so many different projects. Jonathan and Sacha are supportive leaders and are extremely appreciative of their large creative team. The owners of Escaparium have managed to stay humble and are receptive to constructive feedback, while maintaining their ambitious aspirations. Escaparium is an immersive gaming brand of epic proportions. It's hard to put into words how massive their games are, and that's why I highly encourage you to visit their locations in Montreal.   Show Notes   Episode Sponsors Thank you to our sponsors:  Morty - A free app for discovering, planning, tracking, and reviewing your escape rooms and other immersive social outings. World Escape Room Championship - A global competition for escape room players. It is being held virtually, for free. The elimination round is on November 5, 2022. Each member of the winning team will receive a Nintendo Switch Lite. Buzzshot - ‘Customer Satisfaction Software’ for your escape room business. Streamline your marketing and grow your escape room business with pre- and post-game features including robust waiver management, branded team photos, and integrated review management. Use code REPOD2022 in the dropdown list when booking a demo for 20% off your first three months. Reality Escape Convention - RECON Our escape room and immersive gaming convention, will be an incredible event for creators and consumers of the games we love. We hope to see you in Boston. Learn More about RECON. Production Credits Hosted by David Spira & Peih-Gee Law Produced by Lisa Spira Edited by Steve Ewing of Stand Inside Media Music by Ryan Elder Logo by Janine Pracht 

In Season 4, Episode 4, we head over to The Netherlands for a chat with Alexander Gierholz of Logic Locks, creator of The Amsterdam Catacombs, which has won numerous accolades including a Golden Lock Award and a TERPECA. In a country rich with globally top-rated escape rooms, The Catacombs stands out for its commitment to immersion, stunning location and incredible ending. The Netherlands has a vibrant escape room scene, due in part to Alexander's efforts with events like Up The Game, a global escape room conference he co-founded in 2017. Coming from a psychology background, and having taught experience design and gamification, Alexander approaches game design with a unique holistic philosophy. He thinks deeply about creating experiences that pull from different disciplines which resonate with the audience in a meaningful way. This conversation about escape rooms, gameplay, and creating a community changed the way I think about game design, and I know you'll find it as fascinating as we did.   Show Notes   Episode Sponsors Thank you to our sponsors:  Morty - A free app for discovering, planning, tracking, and reviewing your escape rooms and other immersive social outings. World Escape Room Championship - A global competition for escape room players. It is being held virtually, for free. The elimination round is on November 5, 2022. Each member of the winning team will receive a Nintendo Switch Lite. Buzzshot - ‘Customer Satisfaction Software’ for your escape room business. Streamline your marketing and grow your escape room business with pre- and post-game features including robust waiver management, branded team photos, and integrated review management. Use code REPOD2022 in the dropdown list when booking a demo for 20% off your first three months. Reality Escape Convention - RECON Our escape room and immersive gaming convention, will be an incredible event for creators and consumers of the games we love. We hope to see you in Boston. Learn More about RECON. Production Credits Hosted by David Spira & Peih-Gee Law Produced by Lisa Spira Edited by Steve Ewing of Stand Inside Media Music by Ryan Elder Logo by Janine Pracht