S9E4 - Magical Underworld of NYC, Great Gotham Challenge

  "Hiding interesting objects in plain sight is a hallmark of Great Gotham Challenge."

In New York, everyone’s got a story. A gimmick. A hustle. The city’s crawling with characters. Some are just colorful. Others... well, others are part of something bigger. A secret. A puzzle. That hot dog vendor on the corner? A whispered password might just grant you access to a secret underground lair. You never really know if someone’s just being New York... or if you're already inside the game.

Capturing this elusive feeling of a magical underground is what drives Jon Seale and Ryan Patch. They run the Great Gotham Challenge, a massive city-wide puzzle adventure that weaves through the bones of New York City. They describe it as part puzzle hunt, part Amazing Race, and part immersive theater.

I really enjoyed hearing about all the custom props they create for the Great Gotham Challenge that look like ordinary New York objects, but are actually part of the game. There is something magical about an item hidden in plain sight that players will overlook until they're clued to take a deeper look. Much of their game is designed to encourage players to explore stories of New York's oddities and its secret histories. They also talk about working on Compass, formerly known as "Midnight Madness."

You can read reviews about past Great Gotham Challenges on Room Escape Artist.

 

Full Show Notes

 

Episode Sponsors

Thank you to our sponsors: Weldwood Marketing, Buzzshot, COGS by Clockwork Dog, Hive: The Race to Save Time Puzzle Hunt, and Patreon supporters like you. 

 

Weldwood Marketing

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Buzzshot is Escape Room Software, Powering Business Growth, Player Marketing, and improving the Customer Experience. They offer an assortment of pre and post game features including robust waiver management, branded team photos, and streamlined review management for Yelp, TripAdvisor, Google Reviews, and Morty. Buzzshot now has integration with the other REPOD sponsors: Morty and COGS.

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COGS by Clockwork Dog is an easy to use software/ hardware platform for running interactive events, including escape rooms, and other immersive experiences. They have plug & play hardware that seamlessly integrates with their software so you can create a show with lighting and sound cues without having to write a single line of code. Map all kinds of inputs to outputs by building up simple logic steps which determine what you want to happen and when.

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Hive: The Race to Save Time Puzzle Hunt

Based on the new Madders of Time series by bestselling author DL Orton.

• Registration opens May 1, 2025
• Hive: The Race to Save Time runs from May 16-26, 2025
• Over $1,000 in Prizes, winners determined by sweepstakes.
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• Visit Hive: The Race to Save Time website for more details.
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Production Credits

Hosted by David Spira & Peih-Gee Law

Produced by Theresa Piazza

Supported by Lisa Spira

Edited by Steve Ewing

Music by Ryan Elder

Logo by Janine Pracht