Room Escape Artist

“What is the trolliest way we could progress the game right now?”

When Miss Jezebel first debuted, no one had really ever seen anything like it before. It incorporated an actor into the gameplay in a way that felt more akin to larp or interactive theater. For those in the right mindset, it was uproariously funny. It was also screamingly vulgar, with adult props that would make a bachelor party blush. It was an instant darling of the Los Angeles escape room scene.

Brian Corbitt, creator of Miss Jezebel, joins us in his second appearance on the Spoilers Club for a tell-all. One of his mantras is “Players loved getting trolled.” Indeed he did, especially when it came to making out with sock puppets, having to quietly rip a giant piece of velcro apart, or searching for limes. Many of his interactions were designed to maximize fun, while showcasing the players’ ability to improvise under pressure. They usually rose to the occasion, much to the amusement of their friends.

I was especially impressed with how carefully Brian thought out the actor interactions. While many of the interactions were meant to just be fun or funny, he also crafted them to shape player expectations. I really enjoyed hearing Brian talk about how the actor conditioned the guests with subtle (and some not so subtle) cues for how to progress in the game. Rather than using a gamemaster or video to explain the story and rules to the players, Miss Jezebel folded this into the game itself.

Miss Jezebel is now closed, so feel free to listen even if you haven’t played.

• In-Person Review
• Online Review
• REPOD S2E6

How to Listen

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!