Reality Escape Pod - Escape Rooms & Immersive Games

To sleep, perchance to dream… Sleep No More, the seminal immersive theater piece from Punchdrunk, has inspired countless immersive creators, including Haley and Cameron Cooper of Strange Bird Immersive. Haley and Cameron make no secret that it has heavily influenced their acclaimed escape room The Man From Beyond. When we heard that Punchdrunk would close Sleep No More’s New York location, we decided to pay homage to this influential work with a feature on our Spoilers Club. Haley and Cameron are historians of Punchdrunk; they joined us to break down everything you need to know about this innovative show. In this two-part series, we delve into the background of this unique theater company. Then we do a deep dive into Sleep No More, discussing storylines, plot points, and solo moments. If you’ve never seen the show, you can experience it vicariously through this episode, and even if you’re a seasoned attendee, you’ll walk away with a deeper understanding.   Episode Sponsors Thank you to our sponsors Morty, Buzzshot, COGS by Clockwork Dog, & RECON, the Reality Escape Convention:  Morty Morty is a free app for discovering, planning, tracking, and reviewing your escape rooms and other immersive social outings.  Morty News: Morty now features haunt attractions Morty for Android is here Special Badge for REPOD listeners: You can learn more at morty.app/REPOD to sign up and get a special badge for our listeners (works for existing users also).   Buzzshot Buzzshot is Escape Room Software, Powering Business Growth, Player Marketing, and improving the Customer Experience. They offer an assortment of pre and post game features including robust waiver management, branded team photos, and streamlined review management for Yelp, TripAdvisor, Google Reviews, and Morty. Buzzshot now has integration with the other REPOD sponsors: Morty and COGS. Special Offer for REPOD Listeners: REPOD listeners get an extended 21-day free trial plus 20% off your first 3 months, with no set-up fees or hidden charges. Visit buzzshot.com/repod to learn more about this exclusive offer.   COGS COGS by Clockwork Dog is an easy to use software/ hardware platform for running interactive events, including escape rooms, and other immersive experiences. They have plug & play hardware that seamlessly integrates with their software so you can create a show with lighting and sound cues without having to write a single line of code. Map all kinds of inputs to outputs by building up simple logic steps which determine what you want to happen and when. Special Offer for REPOD Listeners: REPOD listeners can get the COGS Starter Set for only $130 + free shipping to the USA. This bundle is usually valued at $257. You can learn more and purchase your Starter Set at cogs.show. Use code REPOD at checkout.   RECON - The Reality Escape Convention Our convention, RECON, will be in Universal City, California on August 18th & 19th, 2024. RECON offers a curated collection of talks and experiences exploring the business and art of escape room and immersive game creation. All are welcome at this event that is crafted around professionals and aspiring professionals. Tickets are on sale now at RealityEscapeCon.com   Production Credits Hosted by David Spira & Peih-Gee Law Produced by Theresa Piazza Supported by Lisa Spira, Richard Burns, and Tommy Honton Edited by Peih-Gee Law Music by Ryan Elder Logo by Janine Pracht

There's a reason Los Angeles is known as the City of Dreams. It's a town populated with dreamers and makers. They concoct fantasy worlds filled with quirky characters, dashing heroes, and tormented villains. Oftentimes, the backdrop of Southern California serves as inspiration itself, with its wide sandy beaches, snowy mountaintops, and the desolate wilds of the Mojave desert. In honor of RECON Los Angeles, Season 7 of REPOD is filled with creative luminaries all hailing from Southern California. We curated a select cross-section of the different types of immersive games you'll find locally, and there is an impressive variety of experiences. They range from escape rooms and magic shows to networking games, large scale festivals, and theme parks. There's even an escape room in a vacation home where the Joshua Tree landscape itself is part of the set. Our editor, Steve Ewing, put together some memorable clips from each episode of Season 7. It’s perfect for new listeners of this podcast or fans who want to relive their favorite moments. I hope this episode inspires you to visit my hometown of SoCal, and if you're coming for RECON Los Angeles in August, make sure to check out these featured experiences. If you want even more podcast episodes, consider joining our Patreon. For only $5 a month, you’ll get access to our Bonus Aftershow, which is a more casual conversation with each guest.     Timestamps & Full Show Notes   Episode Sponsors Thank you to our sponsors Morty, Buzzshot, COGS by Clockwork Dog, & RECON, the Reality Escape Convention:  Morty Morty is a free app for discovering, planning, tracking, and reviewing your escape rooms and other immersive social outings.  Morty News: Morty now features haunt attractions Morty for Android is here Special Badge for REPOD listeners: You can learn more at morty.app/REPOD to sign up and get a special badge for our listeners (works for existing users also).   Buzzshot Buzzshot is Escape Room Software, Powering Business Growth, Player Marketing, and improving the Customer Experience. They offer an assortment of pre and post game features including robust waiver management, branded team photos, and streamlined review management for Yelp, TripAdvisor, Google Reviews, and Morty. Buzzshot now has integration with the other REPOD sponsors: Morty and COGS. Special Offer for REPOD Listeners: REPOD listeners get an extended 21-day free trial plus 20% off your first 3 months, with no set-up fees or hidden charges. Visit buzzshot.com/repod to learn more about this exclusive offer.   COGS COGS by Clockwork Dog is an easy to use software/ hardware platform for running interactive events, including escape rooms, and other immersive experiences. They have plug & play hardware that seamlessly integrates with their software so you can create a show with lighting and sound cues without having to write a single line of code. Map all kinds of inputs to outputs by building up simple logic steps which determine what you want to happen and when. Special Offer for REPOD Listeners: REPOD listeners can get the COGS Starter Set for only $130 + free shipping to the USA. This bundle is usually valued at $257. You can learn more and purchase your Starter Set at cogs.show. Use code REPOD at checkout.   RECON - The Reality Escape Convention Our convention, RECON, will be in Universal City, California on August 18th & 19th, 2024. RECON offers a curated collection of talks and experiences exploring the business and art of escape room and immersive game creation. All are welcome at this event that is crafted around professionals and aspiring professionals. Tickets are on sale now at RealityEscapeCon.com   Production Credits Hosted by David Spira, Peih-Gee Law, & 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

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, they needed to escape a giant, flaming wicker man, and all sorts of silliness ensued. The game episode is now available on the Reality Escape Pod feed: And you can find the followup hangout episode where David and Peih-Gee had a casual chat with host Jamie Gibbs on The Infinite Escape Room’s feed. You should absolutely go check out that episode and their show in general.   https://www.theinfiniteescaperoom.com/ 

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 Immersia and Escaparium, located in Montreal, Canada, fit the bill. Listen to the rest of the Bonus Show now by becoming a patron today at patreon.com/roomescapeartist and to gain to access our library of over 60 bonus after shows. Thank you for supporting our work. 

"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 in the world on the TERPECA list. It has maintained a ranking in the top 100 games ever since, which is no small feat. Hatch Escapes' highly anticipated new game, The Ladder, has wowed the escape room community with its unique, replayable mechanics and branching narrative. Terry Pettigrew-Rolapp and Tommy Wallach, the creative minds behind (and owners of) Hatch Escapes, join us for a deep dive into escape room storytelling. They spend a remarkable about of time thinking about how to craft stories with interludes – a skill they developed while writing musical theater. They approach escape rooms from a writer’s perspective, with an eye towards unique interactions, but always with storytelling at the heart of the experience. "When we played our first escape room, we realized immediately: oh, this is a medium that captures, in some ways, the best of both worlds.” Terry and Tommy are constantly iterating on escape rooms as a medium for narrative. I especially enjoyed hearing their analysis of what makes for good storytelling, and the details of how they advance plot and characters in their work. They muse on including plot twists or moments where the stakes change. Terry and Tommy are truly excited about the future of escape rooms as a medium and the ways in which it can evolve, and that excitement is contagious.  If you enjoyed this episode, don’t miss their talk at RECON LA titled:  The Hatch Escapes Championship Title Bout: “Tell Better Stories vs. Stop Telling Stories” A debate between Terry Pettigrew-Rolapp and Tommy Wallach in which the ultimate fate of the medium shall at last be determined.   Timestamps & Full Show Notes   Episode Sponsors Thank you to our sponsors Morty, Buzzshot, COGS by Clockwork Dog, & RECON, the Reality Escape Convention:  Morty Morty is a free app for discovering, planning, tracking, and reviewing your escape rooms and other immersive social outings.  Morty News: Morty now features haunt attractions Morty for Android is here Special Badge for REPOD listeners: You can learn more at morty.app/REPOD to sign up and get a special badge for our listeners (works for existing users also).   Buzzshot Buzzshot is Escape Room Software, Powering Business Growth, Player Marketing, and improving the Customer Experience. They offer an assortment of pre and post game features including robust waiver management, branded team photos, and streamlined review management for Yelp, TripAdvisor, Google Reviews, and Morty. Buzzshot now has integration with the other REPOD sponsors: Morty and COGS. Special Offer for REPOD Listeners: REPOD listeners get an extended 21-day free trial plus 20% off your first 3 months, with no set-up fees or hidden charges. Visit buzzshot.com/repod to learn more about this exclusive offer.   COGS COGS by Clockwork Dog is an easy to use software/ hardware platform for running interactive events, including escape rooms, and other immersive experiences. They have plug & play hardware that seamlessly integrates with their software so you can create a show with lighting and sound cues without having to write a single line of code. Map all kinds of inputs to outputs by building up simple logic steps which determine what you want to happen and when. Special Offer for REPOD Listeners: REPOD listeners can get the COGS Starter Set for only $130 + free shipping to the USA. This bundle is usually valued at $257. You can learn more and purchase your Starter Set at cogs.show. Use code REPOD at checkout.   RECON - The Reality Escape Convention Our convention, RECON, will be in Universal City, California on August 18th & 19th, 2024. RECON offers a curated collection of talks and experiences exploring the business and art of escape room and immersive game creation. All are welcome at this event that is crafted around professionals and aspiring professionals. Tickets are on sale now at RealityEscapeCon.com   Production Credits Hosted by David Spira & Peih-Gee Law Produced by Theresa Piazza Supported by Lisa Spira, Richard Burns, and Tommy Honton Edited by Steve Ewing of Stand Inside Media  Music by Ryan Elder Logo by Janine Pracht

We're sharing a little bit of our Patreon exclusive Bonus show from 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 and foremost. Listen to the rest of the Bonus Show now by becoming a patron today at patreon.com/roomescapeartist and to gain to access our library of over 60 bonus after shows. Thank you for supporting our work. 

“I 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 to his coverage of it on the No Proscenium podcast.  Or maybe you’ve read about it on their weekly newsletter. Whether it’s reviews of immersive theater shows, thought pieces on the term “immersive” or articles on how to break into the immersive industry, No Proscenium has it covered. After attending Sleep No More and Then She Fell, Noah he came out of these experiences with his mind on fire. He started compiling a list of upcoming immersive shows to share with his friends, which eventually became the No Proscenium website, an incredible resource for all things immersive.  On the podcast, Noah shares insights from his decades long coverage of immersive, including how immersive theater and escape rooms can learn from each other. I especially appreciated hearing him talk about teaching immersive at the college level and hearing about the passion that his students have for the medium. “They're obsessed with the idea of telling stories this way. They want to figure out how to make a good immersive experience, right? It's not cynical at all. They believe in the power of the form. And that's what takes all of this  from being a fad and becoming a medium and industry is that the love of the form is such that people pursue it at any cost.” If you enjoyed this episode, make sure to check out the No Proscenium Podcast.     Timestamps & Full Show Notes   Episode Sponsors Thank you to our sponsors Morty, Buzzshot, COGS by Clockwork Dog, & RECON, the Reality Escape Convention:  Morty Morty is a free app for discovering, planning, tracking, and reviewing your escape rooms and other immersive social outings.  Morty News: Morty now features haunt attractions Morty for Android is here Special Badge for REPOD listeners: You can learn more at morty.app/REPOD to sign up and get a special badge for our listeners (works for existing users also).   Buzzshot Buzzshot is Escape Room Software, Powering Business Growth, Player Marketing, and improving the Customer Experience. They offer an assortment of pre and post game features including robust waiver management, branded team photos, and streamlined review management for Yelp, TripAdvisor, Google Reviews, and Morty. Buzzshot now has integration with the other REPOD sponsors: Morty and COGS. Special Offer for REPOD Listeners: REPOD listeners get an extended 21-day free trial plus 20% off your first 3 months, with no set-up fees or hidden charges. Visit buzzshot.com/repod to learn more about this exclusive offer.   COGS COGS by Clockwork Dog is an easy to use software/ hardware platform for running interactive events, including escape rooms, and other immersive experiences. They have plug & play hardware that seamlessly integrates with their software so you can create a show with lighting and sound cues without having to write a single line of code. Map all kinds of inputs to outputs by building up simple logic steps which determine what you want to happen and when. Special Offer for REPOD Listeners: REPOD listeners can get the COGS Starter Set for only $130 + free shipping to the USA. This bundle is usually valued at $257. You can learn more and purchase your Starter Set at cogs.show. Use code REPOD at checkout.   RECON - The Reality Escape Convention Our convention, RECON, will be in Universal City, California on August 18th & 19th, 2024. RECON offers a curated collection of talks and experiences exploring the business and art of escape room and immersive game creation. All are welcome at this event that is crafted around professionals and aspiring professionals. Tickets are on sale now at RealityEscapeCon.com   Production Credits Hosted by David Spira & Peih-Gee Law Produced by Theresa Piazza Supported by Lisa Spira, Richard Burns, and Tommy Honton Edited by Steve Ewing of Stand Inside Media  Music by Ryan Elder Logo by Janine Pracht

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. This month explored Stay in the Dark; a remarkably enormous game of cat and mouse played through a five story abandoned chemical factory. Creator Gijs Geers from DarkPark guided us on a journey through his game.   Get the full episode by supporting Room Escape Artist on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/roomescapeartist   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!

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 of the Bonus Show now by becoming a patron today at patreon.com/roomescapeartist and to gain to access our library of over 60 bonus after shows. Thank you for supporting our work. 

“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, or tech expert? Are you an aspiring escape room creator? Are you an escape room enthusiast looking to take a deep dive into the craft and see behind the scenes of these remarkable games?  If the answer to any of these questions is YES, then RECON LA is perfect for you. Programming Lead Lee-Fay Low and Games Lead Theresa Wagner join us to break down everything you need to know about our escape room convention. We talk about new changes to the format of the convention, which has been designed to ensure that every attendee has a chance to see and play everything offered. We tease some of the main stage talks and speakers, and we also discuss some of the incredible experiences guests will be able to enjoy, including Imagi-Ne’er Do-Wells & The 49 Boxes.  If you’re on the fence about attending RECON LA, hopefully this episode will help you decide to join in. If you’ve already bought a ticket, this episode will give a sense of what to expect and help you maximize your time at RECON.    Timestamps & Full Show Notes   Episode Sponsors Thank you to our sponsors Morty, Buzzshot, COGS by Clockwork Dog, & RECON, the Reality Escape Convention:  Morty Morty is a free app for discovering, planning, tracking, and reviewing your escape rooms and other immersive social outings.  Morty News: Morty now features haunt attractions Morty for Android is here Special Badge for REPOD listeners: You can learn more at morty.app/REPOD to sign up and get a special badge for our listeners (works for existing users also).   Buzzshot Buzzshot is Escape Room Software, Powering Business Growth, Player Marketing, and improving the Customer Experience. They offer an assortment of pre and post game features including robust waiver management, branded team photos, and streamlined review management for Yelp, TripAdvisor, Google Reviews, and Morty. Buzzshot now has integration with the other REPOD sponsors: Morty and COGS. Special Offer for REPOD Listeners: REPOD listeners get an extended 21-day free trial plus 20% off your first 3 months, with no set-up fees or hidden charges. Visit buzzshot.com/repod to learn more about this exclusive offer.   COGS COGS by Clockwork Dog is an easy to use software/ hardware platform for running interactive events, including escape rooms, and other immersive experiences. They have plug & play hardware that seamlessly integrates with their software so you can create a show with lighting and sound cues without having to write a single line of code. Map all kinds of inputs to outputs by building up simple logic steps which determine what you want to happen and when. Special Offer for REPOD Listeners: REPOD listeners can get the COGS Starter Set for only $130 + free shipping to the USA. This bundle is usually valued at $257. You can learn more and purchase your Starter Set at cogs.show. Use code REPOD at checkout.   RECON - The Reality Escape Convention Our convention, RECON, will be in Universal City, California on August 18th & 19th, 2024. RECON offers a curated collection of talks and experiences exploring the business and art of escape room and immersive game creation. All are welcome at this event that is crafted around professionals and aspiring professionals. Tickets are on sale now at RealityEscapeCon.com   Production Credits Hosted by David Spira & Peih-Gee Law Produced by Theresa Piazza Supported by Lisa Spira, Richard Burns, and Tommy Honton Edited by Steve Ewing of Stand Inside Media  Music by Ryan Elder Logo by Janine Pracht