“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 being the sole company to win in all three TERPECA categories: Top Room, Top Online Room, and Top Company. Locurio’s games, The Vanishing Act and The Storykeeper are fan favorites in the escape room scene, and with good reason.
Summer talks about Locurio’s design process and breaks down the art of game flow—what it means and how to achieve it. With a background in acting and theater, Summer loves creating characters that add to the magic of feeling completely immersed in a world. Summer is also very active in the puzzle hunt community and brings her puzzle crafting skills to Locurio’s escape rooms.
I especially loved hearing Summer talk about how to create great game flow and fill a game with character. At over 800 games played, Summer is a true escape room enthusiast. With such a wealth of experience, it’s no wonder that Locurio creates such renowned games that resonate with the escape room community.
Thank You to Our Sponsors
We are immensely grateful to our sponsors this season: Morty App, Buzzshot, and COGS. We truly appreciate your support of our mission to promote and improve the immersive gaming community.
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 and in public beta.
Special Badge for REPOD listeners:
You can learn more at MortyApp.com/REPOD to sign up and get a special badge for our listeners. (This works for existing users too!)
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.
Topics Discussed in this Episode
- 00:04 Sponsor Break: COGS by Clockwork Dog
- 01:27 Welcome to the Reality Escape Pod
- 01:43 Guest Introduction: Summer Herrick
- 01:53 Locurio’s Reputation and Impact
- 07:16 The Origin Story of Locurio
- 10:01 The Meaning Behind the Name “Locurio”
- 12:45 The Design Philosophy of Locurio
- 16:28 The Role of Actors in Escape Rooms
- 18:53 Sponsor Break: Morty
- 20:05 The Longevity of Locurio’s Games
- 22:02 The Importance of Game Flow
- 24:56 Signature Design Elements
- 28:08 Sponsor Break: Buzzshot
- 29:32 Future Plans for Locurio
- 30:09 The Journey to Expansion
- 31:37 The Importance of Playing Games as a Creator
- 36:05 The Impact of Escape Room on Creativity
- 39:53 Puzzle Hunts versus Escape Rooms
- 42:42 The Star Wars in 60 Minutes Stage Production
- 45:47 The Star Wars Galactic Star Cruiser Experience
- 54:03 Bonus Story: Frozen with Fear
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Got a question or thought for the podcast? You can submit a voice recording by calling the Room Escape Artist not-so-hotline that always goes straight to voicemail (551-227-7273).
Resources Mentioned in this Episode
- Locurio Website
- REA Reviews:
- YouTube: Summer’s Talk at RECON 21 “Fun Insurance”
About Summer Herrick
IG: @locurio.llc, @eowynfate
Email: summer@locurio.com
One of Locurio’s original founders, Summer’s background as an actor/ writer in the entertainment industry (NBC’s ‘Community,’ G4’s ‘Web Soup’) has provided her with an ample toolbox for crafting the unique & engrossing narratives that Locurio is well-known for.
A love of mystery, puzzles, and story makes being a designer in the escape room industry Summer’s ultimate dream job. The opportunity to create experiences that transport people and put a little more joy into the universe means everything to her.
Summer is passionate about all things immersive and has travelled extensively to play some of the best escape rooms in the world – 850 and counting! She’s extremely knowledgeable about her craft and dedicated to pushing the boundaries of this exciting art form.
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