Reality Escape Pod - Escape Rooms & Immersive Games

We're sharing a little bit of our Patreon exclusive Bonus show from S7E11 with Noah Nelson of No Proscenium. In this clip, Noah and David discussed the exposition dump and why writers should prioritize the audience's relationship with the characters first and foremost. Listen to the rest of the Bonus Show now by becoming a patron today at patreon.com/roomescapeartist and to gain to access our libr...

“I have irrational exuberance about the future of immersive.” Whether you work in the immersive theater space, or have more than a passing interest in the immersive arts, chances are you’ve seen Noah Nelson at an immersive event, or listened to his coverage of it on the No Proscenium podcast.  Or maybe you’ve read about it on their weekly newsletter. Whether it’s reviews of immersive theater shows...

This is a teaser from this month's Spoilers Club. David Spira & Peih-Gee Law take a deep dive into iconic or impactful escape rooms. The creators join us to share exclusive behind the scenes, commentary and insights about their games. This month explored Stay in the Dark; a remarkably enormous game of cat and mouse played through a five story abandoned chemical factory. Creator Gijs Geers from...

We're sharing a little bit of our Patreon exclusive Bonus show from S7E10. In this clip. David and Lee-Fay Low discuss the art of crafting a great convention talk and what they look for in speakers at RECON.  Listen to the rest of the Bonus Show now by becoming a patron today at patreon.com/roomescapeartist and to gain to access our library of over 60 bonus after shows. Thank you for supporting ou...

“It's remarkable what happens when you stop practicing and spend a little bit of time teaching people.“ Do you own an escape room? Do you have a skillset that applies to immersive gaming experiences, such as game designer, prop maker, or tech expert? Are you an aspiring escape room creator? Are you an escape room enthusiast looking to take a deep dive into the craft and see behind the scenes of th...

We're sharing a little bit of our Patreon exclusive Bonus show from S7E9. In this clip, co-host Peih-Gee Law talks about rat park, a psychological experiment run by Dr. Bruce Alexander in the seventies, and the impact of creating connections through play. Listen to the rest of the Bonus Show now by becoming a patron today at patreon.com/roomescapeartist and to gain to access our library of over 60...

"I think being silly is really important." Playing pretend together is powerful stuff, and Andy Crocker knows this better than anyone. If you’ve experienced heartfelt shenanigans at Ghost Town Alive, or exchanged thrilling secrets in the engineering room aboard Star Wars Galactic Starcruiser, chances are you’ve come across Andy’s work.  As an Immersive Performance Director, Andy’s work involves cr...

We're sharing a little bit of our Patreon exclusive Bonus show from S7E8. In this clip, co-hosts David Spira and Peih-Gee Law talk about Activate and Time Mission, which are both different types of challenge arcades.  Listen to the rest of the Bonus Show now by becoming a patron today at patreon.com/roomescapeartist and to gain to access our library of over 60 bonus after shows. Thank you for supp...

“We always want to make something that we haven't seen before.” There are few companies who have been as influential in the escape room scene as Cross Roads Escape Games. Not only are all their games highly polished with brilliant puzzles, gorgeous sets, and fun interactions, they’re also creatively experimental. The owners, Luke and Madison Rhoades, have made some of the most innovative and forma...

We're sharing a little bit of our Patreon exclusive Bonus show from S7E7 with Michael Borys, creators of The 49 Boxes.   In this clip. Michael tells us the story behind one of his most prized possessions and interactive sculptural Van Gogh head. Listen to the rest of the Bonus Show now by becoming a patron today at patreon.com/roomescapeartist and to gain to access our library of over 60 bonus aft...

"There's absolutely no difference between Magic and the Magical." We shuffle slowly into the basement, careful not to bump into anything. This is harder than seems, because everywhere we turn, there are boxes and objects. Collections of items are spotlit, dust motes dancing in the air. Curious, we split up and start exploring. In one hidden nook, there’s a display of antique brass locks, and in an...

We're sharing a little bit of our Patreon exclusive Bonus show from S7E6 with Al and Stacy Delcome, creators of Confusion Escapes in San Bernardino, California.   In this clip, Peih-Gee talks about playing her first jubensha, the larp-like murder mystery experience popularized in China. Content Warning: Please be warned that this segment does discuss sexual assault in the context of the game. This...

"A delightful dream world" Imagine walking up to the lobby of an escape room, only to be confronted by an enormous semi-truck that has smashed through one of the walls. Maybe you’re climbing up a massive, sprawling tree and ducking into the treehouse of your childhood dreams.  Local favorite Confusion Escapes engineer all their games to maximize fun, which made a lot of sense once we discovered th...

We're sharing a little bit of our Patreon exclusive Bonus show from S7E5 with Blake Hodges-Koch & Thomas Meston, creators of Wild Heart Ranch outside of Joshua Tree, California.   In this clip, we talk about Blake & Thomas' initial fear of seasoned escape room players finding Wild Heart Ranch and why David loving refers to a group of escape room players as a complaint." Listen to the rest...

“The most Myst-like experience I have had in real life” You arrive at the Airbnb, ready for a fun-filled weekend with your loved ones. The ranch is gorgeously furnished with mid-century modern touches. Outside, the desert stretches off into the distance. You wander in after a soak in the hot tub and find a little piece of paper that says "Start Here." Before long, you're uncovering secrets about G...

We're sharing a little bit of our Patreon exclusive Bonus show from S7E4 with Jason & Marketa Richard, creators of Steal and Escape in San Diego, California.   In this clip, we talk about making escape room merch and making content for social media.  Listen to the rest of the Bonus Show now by becoming a patron today at patreon.com/roomescapeartist and to gain to access our library of over 60...

"Our love language is building together." “High on fun” is how David introduces the games at Steal and Escape, and that’s exactly how I felt after playing their creative and unique games. From popsicles to hilarious assessment tests, and challenges that gave me Survivor PTSD, the games created by husband-and-wife team Jason and Marketa Richard are maximizing the fun factor. Steal and Escape is an...

We're sharing a little bit of our Patreon exclusive Bonus show from S7E3 with Brett Jackson, creator of Imagi-Ne’er-Do-Wells.  Brett talks about the need to consider the guests emotional safety, and how to be considerate in your experience design. Listen to the rest of the Bonus Show now by becoming a patron today at patreon.com/roomescapeartist and to gain to access our library of over 60 bonus a...

Your palms are sweaty, but your body is filled with exhilaration. You’re still coming down off the high of pitching your ludicrous idea on stage to a room filled with your peers. Thunderous applause, whistles, and exuberant cheers fill your ears. You walk off, clutching your squashed penny prize. An hour ago, you walked in, nervous as hell, with no idea what to expect. Now you’re leaving with new...

We're sharing a little bit of our Patreon exclusive Bonus show from S7E2 with Jared Butler, owner of Wasteland Weekend and Neotropolis.  In this preview, Peih-Gee talks about some of the escape room-esque features of Neotropolis, and Jared discusses how the bars work. He also shared his dreams for the future of the event. Listen to the rest of the Bonus Show now by becoming a patron today at patre...

"The desert adds an incredible layer of realism that you're never gonna get in any polished one hour experience." You’ve been driving through the desert for miles. It’s nighttime, and you've seen nothing but scrub brush and rocks for a while. Suddenly, emerging from the darkness is the glimmer of lights… neon lights, and as you get closer you hear the thunderous pounding of music. People in funky...

We're sharing a little bit of our Patreon exclusive Bonus show from S7E1 with The Ministry of Peculiarities.  In this preview, David tells a story about an unexpected guest at an early escape room tour.  Listen to the rest of the Bonus Show now by becoming a patron today at patreon.com/roomescapeartist and to gain to access our library of over 60 bonus after shows. Thank you for supporting our wor...

To sleep, perchance to dream... Sleep No More, the seminal immersive theater piece from Punchdrunk, has inspired countless immersive creators, including Haley and Cameron Cooper of Strange Bird Immersive. Haley and Cameron make no secret that it has heavily influenced their acclaimed escape room The Man From Beyond . When we heard that Punchdrunk would close Sleep No More's New York location, we d...

"Quirkiness is a core value."   In Season 7, Episode 1, we chat with Adam Moody, Jonathan Berk, and Benjamin Berk, the creators of The Ministry of Peculiarities in Azusa, California. Their first full-length game, Hope End, established their quirky brand of escape room, elegantly mixing story, puzzles, and adventure into one of Southern California’s preeminent experiences.  One of the reasons this...

"This episode is brought to you by language that has fallen outta favor in the last century." We're putting the "celeb" in celebrate! Play along as we test each other's wits with games, puzzles, and trivia, all themed around Los Angeles, the home for this year's Reality Escape Convention . In keeping with the theme, Season 7 of REPOD will feature guests whose work can be found in LA, The City of A...