We recently received this in an email from Javeck at Captured LA:
“We would love some feedback from veteran room escape artists. Btw, I’m not sure if you guys coined that term, but I love it. Your site was the first i had seen that referenced the game participants as room escape artists [sic].”
Thanks Javeck, we did coin the phrase. And we love our name because it’s a pun, Wheel of Fortune style.
Other “Room Escape Artists”
There is company we haven’t visited yet called Escape Artist DC. We like the way they think.
Confusion
There are now at least four companies in Las Vegas:
- Live Room Escape
- Live Game Escape
- Live Escape Adventure
- Lockdown
When we visited Las Vegas in January, there were only the first two “live” companies and I struggled to keep them apart. While in the taxi on my way to the games, I kept checking the address, worried that I’d given the driver the other company’s address instead.
When I tell people about the games we played in Las Vegas, I can’t tell you which games were from which company.
Your name really does matter. Confusing your customers is a bad idea.
Imitation is the highest form of flattery
Choosing a name that mimics established companies connects you to the industry. It makes it clear that your company provides an escape room experience. It helps players find you when they search the internet for an experience similar to the one they just loved.
However…
Imitation breeds confusion
There are only so many English words for Room, Escape, Live, Game, Trap, Lock, Mystery (add more here). If you want me to remember you before I play your games, these words probably won’t help you. If you want me to be able to talk about your games and your company after the fact, these words will make that hard. Oversaturation problem.
Puns!
We are suckers for puns.
PanIQ: This west coast company has a pun in their name and it just looks cool.
Conundroom: You can almost miss the pun in this northwest company’s name, but it’s there.
Logiclock: This UK company has an awesome name. It’s Logic, Clock, and Lock all rolled into one word that’s fun to say.
We haven’t visited any of these companies yet, so we can’t speak to their games, but we remember them anyway. They managed to use words that evoke the themes of the genre without creating more confusion. It isn’t stale.
Why we became Room Escape Artists
David discovered room escapes because he was planning a trip to Budapest. The highest rated activity in Budapest on Tripadvisor was Claustrophilia. That name grabbed his attention. David thought, what is that? I should check it out. And thus he discovered room escape games.
You want your name to do that. At the highest level, a name should and bring people to you. But at the very least, your name should help people remember you and the experience you give them so that can tell others about it.
