Room Escape Artist

February brought you a little bit of everything: reviews of incredible escape rooms all over the world (including remote play), immersive theater coverage, and a deep dive into US tariffs. Also, RECON Laval sponsorship information is now available!

RECON 26 Sponsorship Opportunities Now Available

If you have a product or service that supports the escape room and immersive gaming industries, there’s no better place to showcase your brand than at RECON Laval.

RECON takes place August 16-17, 2026 in Laval, Quebec, CA.

For details on sponsorship packages, contact Cindi, RECON’s Sponsorship Coordinator, through the RECON website.

Reviews

🔒 Golden Lock Winners

Aurum: Order of Gold, BackSpace Escape Rooms (Amsterdam, Netherlands) – Aurum: Order of Gold was a mechanics-forward game with an undercurrent of narrative, in a well-executed package. (Review by David Spira)

Shadow Zen, Studio Escape (Osaka, Japan) – Shadow Zen at Studio Escape was a love letter to Japanese history and culture – perfect for tourists and locals alike. (Review by Matthew Stein)

Escape Rooms

Curse of the Hidden Temple, PuzzleConnect (Holmdel, NJ) – PuzzleConnect offers a great escape room experience in New Jersey and Curse of the Hidden Temple is the most impressive game in their lineup. (Review by David Spira)

Shaky Grounds Cafe, Side Quest Escape Games (Portland, OR) – Shaky Grounds Cafe is an unusual combination of a coffee-shop-themed mobile escape room and emergency preparedness education. It’s excellent! (Review by Cindi S.)

Play-At-Home

The Pharaoh’s Tomb, Wolf Escape Games (online escape game) – The Pharaoh’s Tomb had a great story, strong voice acting, and surprisingly polished animation and music. (Review by the REA Hivemind)

Immersive & Interactive Theater

Masquerade NYC – Masquerade is the immersive theater show New York City needed. This Phantom of the Opera retelling was incredible. (By David Spira)

The Haven – The Haven is a one-on-one immersive show in Brooklyn, New York. It’s elegant, comfortable, and thought-provoking. (By Lisa Spira)

Podcast

PG’s Playhouse E38: Phylloxera (ft. I Know Dino)– We learn how the world solved the problem of the phylloxera menace in this podcast episode with the duo from I Know Dino.

Secrets of NYC’s $42,000 Puzzle Competition – In the latest episode of the Spoilers Club podcast we spoil Midnight Madness 2025, New York City’s most exclusive puzzle hunt. Here’s a preview. Subscribe on Patreon to listen to the full episode.

Recommendation Guides

• New
  • Charlotte, North Carolina
  • Madrid, Spain
• Updated:
  • Northern New Jersey

Commentary

US Tariffs, Escape Rooms, & You – For consumers and small business owners looking to understand more about tariffs, this article will help you out. (By Jacky Chang)