Room Escape Artist

It was a big month for awards! We hope you’ll check out this year’s REAction Award winners, announced earlier this month, in addition to the incredible (and varied!) Golden Lock-Award winning games highlighted below. Plus, Matthew wrapped up his coverage of Switzerland with the completed Recommendations Guide, and kicked off his coverage of Japan with an in-depth look at Japanese puzzle design.

Announcing the 2026 REAction Award Winners

We are thrilled to celebrate five very different experiences, each from creators who took action to make the escape room world more vibrant.

Reviews

🔒 Golden Lock Winners

Expedition Bermuda, One Hour Lockup (Naarden, Netherlands) – The expansive nautical set of Expedition Bermuda was extravagant and the effects were memorable. (Review by Lisa Spira)

Midnite, OuterGround (Rijswijk, Netherlands) – Midnite is a must-play horror game that it stands alone; it won’t blur in your mind with a collection on placeless others. (Review by Lisa Spira)

Into the DarkVerse, DarkPark (Delft, Netherlands) – We’ve never seen an escape room that used light, dark, and craft technology to such beautiful effect as Into the DarkVerse. (Review by David Spira)

Super Sanitary Double Dog Dare Ya!, In Search of an Exit (Portland, OR) – Super Sanitary Double Dog Dare Ya! is a high energy, silly game show with fun trivia and challenges. (Review by Cindi S.)

The Lakehouse, The Sanctuary Escape (Oklahoma City, OK) – The Lakehouse was set in a remote vacation cottage… but the story went a completely unexpected direction. (Review by Cindi S.)

Escape Rooms

Witch’s Hollow, Stained Hourglass Escapes (Salem, MA) – Witch’s Hollow in Salem, MA offers a thematic, family-friendly magical adventure.” (Review by Lisa Spira)

Other Experiences

PAX Unplugged 2025: An Overindulgence of Games & Puzzles – Here’s the best of games, puzzles, and events from PAX Unplugged 2025, which had more experiences than I could play in a weekend! (By Andrew Reynolds)

Prison Escape Utrecht – 2025 (Utrecht, Netherlands) – Structured as a cinematic escape from prison, Prison Escape Utrecht was a living, breathing world, with challenges both physical and social. (Review by David Spira)

Podcast

PG’s Playhouse E36: Spanktown (ft. Zach Sherwin) – We cover Spanktown and other dirty town names and solve a puzzle about dirty movies names with Zach Sherwin of The Crossword Show.

Lisa & David on Marriage Therapy Radio – In this episode, we talk about both how we exist and operate as a couple, as business partners, and as we do, we preached the gospel of escape rooms.

Recommendation Guides

• New
  • Switzerland
• Updated
  • Oklahoma
  • Portland, OR
  • The Netherlands

Commentary

Environmental Effects Create Memorable Escape Room Moments – How to create memorable moments with environmental effects: practical effects that impact the physical game space. (By Richard Burns)

The Brilliance of Japanese Puzzle Culture – In Japan, puzzles are everywhere. Taking many forms, this style is elegant and satisfying. Here, I dive into the nazotoki culture. (By Matthew Stein)

Why Some Escape Rooms Have A Soul – Here are a few ways a creator can ensure their immersive experience contains a soul. (By Richard Burns)

Recap

Room Escape Artist 2025 – Year in Review – Room Escape Artist accomplished a lot in 2025. Here is our year in review, by the numbers, across articles, podcasts, videos, and events. (By Heather Burns)