Room Escape Artist

This month we published a lot of European reviews, and covered some truly exceptional experiences overseas. But for North American readers who aren’t traveling abroad, take a look at David’s reaction to Netflix House. Also, I suggest everyone scroll to the end for some important commentary pieces.

Patreon travelogues are back!

Our newest Patreon perk, introduced last year, is travelogue videos. In these videos, David and Lisa share hot takes on escape rooms, reacting to them just a few hours after playing. This month included a series of travelogues from Charlotte, NC, covering Nocturne Adventures, Keepers of Balance, Doors of Divergence, and more. Plus, we did a special travelogue for Netflix House.

Subscribe to REA’s Patreon at the “Bonus Show” level, and you’ll get access to travelogues in addition to bonus REPOD content.

Reviews

🔒 Golden Lock Winners

Arbreville, De Gouden Kooi (Mechelen, Belgium) – From an immersive set that charmed us at every turn, to puzzles that blended seamlessly with the environment around us, Arbreville brought us on an emotional journey that we didn’t see coming. (Review by Cindi S.)

Codex Regenesis: Five Fables of Magick Misused, Chronicle Books (at home) – Codex Regenesis: Five Fables of Magick Misused weaves puzzles, story, and art into a beautiful and touching work of interactive fiction. (Review by Chuck Kaplan-Smith)

Intracorpus, Vortex Escapes (Terrassa, Spain) – Intracorpus is optimized for joy and delight, all set within an absolutely zany setting: the human body. (Review by Matthew Stein)

Night of the Meteor, Escape Lab (Valencia, Spain) – With vividly cartoonish scenes and quirky characters, Night of the Meteor captured similar feelings to what made its source material so unforgettable. (Review by Matthew Stein)

Space Base: Extermination, Mayto Kingdom (Vitoria-Gasteiz, Spain) – Space Base: Extermination set a new bar for what replayability can look like in an escape room. (Review by Matthew Stein)

Escape Rooms… and More

Alchemist’s Legacy, MindMaze (Prague, Czech Republic) – Alchemist’s Legacy was a beautiful, classic style of escape room made with a high level level of skill and care that also happens to be the sequel to a game that inspired David to create Room Escape Artist. (Review by David Spira)

Project Poltergeist, The Chamber (Prague, Czech Republic) – Project Poltergeist did a wonderful job of keeping the tension high, and building anticipation. (Review by Cindi S.)

Let’s Talk About Netflix House Philadelphia (King of Prussia, Pennsylvania) – A visit to the in-person venue that serves as a hybrid restaurant, immersive venue, mini-golf, gift shop, and movie theater left David more confused than impressed. (Reaction by David Spira)

Play-At-Home

The Witching Hour, PostCurious – The Witching Hour balanced story and puzzles into a bewitching blend, bolstered by the beautiful design PostCurious is known for. This play-at-home game is currently being crowdfunded on Kickstarter and will eventually be available for retail purchase. (Review by Sarah Willson)

Podcast

PG’s Playhouse 53: Sears Catalog (ft. Aparna Nancherla) – Writer, actress, and comedian Aparna Nancherla joined us to talk about puzzle streak addictions, imposter syndrome, and comedy. We also talk about the origins of the Sears Catalog, about its eventual home in the outhouse, and where the term “bathroom reading” originated.

Reality Escape Pod Live with Gijs Geers – Our very first REPOD Live Show was full of unexpected turns. We strongly encourage you to watch this episode on YouTube as it has all of the live video from RECON.

Recommendation Guides

Updated:

• Brussels, Belgium
• Paris, France

Commentary

Designing Escape Rooms Around Game Mechanics – Escape rooms are often remembered for their story or theme, but the most memorable ones are built around what players actually do. (By Richard Burns)

Short Form Video: Why Mock Guests? – Posting videos of guests looking silly might get views, but it can also convince nervous players that escape rooms are a place to be embarrassed. (By David Spira)

Water – Forbidden Escape Room Elements – Most escape room owners who include water to their games end up regretting it, and not just because of leaks. Find out why water is so hard to control and what can grow in it when no one is paying attention. (By David Spira)