Your hosts David Spira & Peih-Gee Law explore immersive gaming from all angles. Our guests have made awesome stuff: ARGs, puzzle hunts, tabletop games, and of course, escape rooms. Our aim is to bring together different segments of the gaming world and share ideas between them.
Episodes
Monday Oct 16, 2023
Monday Oct 16, 2023
“It's about whether you want to be culturally relevant in 2023.” In Season 6, Episode 3 of REPOD, we discuss the importance of social media marketing with The Haunt Girl—Christine Barger, co-owner of The Exit Game OC. Her game, 13th Basement, is a hilarious comedy-horror escape room that’s self-aware and parodies typical escape room tropes. Christine has almost a million followers on TikTok as an entertainer and haunt/ escape room influencer.
The conversation moves from haunts to being an escape room blogger. Christine tells us how she finally made the leap from influencer to escape room creator. Christine is one of the very few owners who allows players to film her entire game, and she actively encourages them to post in-game footage on social media. Hear what she has to say about why this is essential for growing your escape room business.
It was fascinating to hear Christine’s approach to social media for her escape room business, especially when she explains her background as an influencer and social media whiz. She’s leveraged in-game footage to create viral videos with millions of views, driving new players to her escape room. This is a can’t-miss conversation for those looking to improve their marketing game.
Episode Sponsors
Thank you to our sponsors Morty, Buzzshot, and COGS:
Morty
Morty is a free app for discovering, planning, tracking, and reviewing your escape rooms and other immersive social outings.
Morty News:
- Morty now features haunt attractions
- Morty for Android is here
Special Badge for REPOD listeners:
You can learn more at morty.app/REPOD to sign up and get a special badge for our listeners (works for existing users also).
Buzzshot
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.
Special Offer for REPOD Listeners:
REPOD listeners get an extended 21-day free trial plus 20% off your first 3 months, with no set-up fees or hidden charges. Visit buzzshot.com/repod to learn more about this exclusive offer.
COGS
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.
Special Offer for REPOD Listeners:
REPOD listeners can get the COGS Starter Set for only $130 + free shipping to the USA. This bundle is usually valued at $257. You can learn more and purchase your Starter Set at cogs.show. Use code REPOD at checkout.
Production Credits
Hosted by David Spira & Peih-Gee Law
Produced by Theresa Piazza
Supported by Lisa Spira & Richard Burns
Edited by Steve Ewing of Stand Inside Media
Music by Ryan Elder
Logo by Janine Pracht
Monday Oct 16, 2023
Monday Oct 16, 2023
We're sharing a little bit of our Patreon exclusive Bonus show from S6E2 with Rich Bragg of TERPECA.
Here's a snippet of Rich talking about the inherent difficulties of trying to rank the top escape rooms in the world on the typical list.
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 50 bonus after shows.
Thank you for supporting our work.
Monday Oct 09, 2023
Monday Oct 09, 2023
If you consider yourself a serious escape room enthusiast, chances are you’ve heard of TERPECA, the Top Escape Rooms Project Enthusiasts' Choice Award. In Season 6, Episode 2 of REPOD, we chat with Rich Bragg, founder of TERPECA and ClueKeeper, and a former escape room Guinness World Record holder.
Rich has been involved in the immersive gaming scene since he first discovered the world of elaborate puzzle hunts in the early 2000s. Rich talks about playing in Moscow while setting the Guinness World record, and he tells us about playing the “hard with pain” game mode. We discuss the “TERPECA Effect,” while talking about the impact that the Enthusiast Choice Awards has had on the international escape room scene. Not only has this project created a globally recognized reference list of the top escape rooms, it has also brought the international community together, with many enthusiasts traveling all over the world to experience these games.
Rich’s passion for the puzzling world crosses many genres. It’s abundantly clear that he puts a lot of thought into ensuring that TERPECA is balanced, fair, and accurately reflects the opinions of the most experienced players. If you’re an experienced enthusiast, we hope this episode convinces you to vote in the upcoming TERPECA season. Your opinion matters!
Episode Sponsors
Thank you to our sponsors Morty, Buzzshot, and COGS:
Morty
Morty is a free app for discovering, planning, tracking, and reviewing your escape rooms and other immersive social outings.
Morty News:
- Morty now features haunt attractions
- Morty for Android is here
Special Badge for REPOD listeners:
You can learn more at morty.app/REPOD to sign up and get a special badge for our listeners (works for existing users also).
Buzzshot
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.
Special Offer for REPOD Listeners:
REPOD listeners get an extended 21-day free trial plus 20% off your first 3 months, with no set-up fees or hidden charges. Visit buzzshot.com/repod to learn more about this exclusive offer.
COGS
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.
Special Offer for REPOD Listeners:
REPOD listeners can get the COGS Starter Set for only $130 + free shipping to the USA. This bundle is usually valued at $257. You can learn more and purchase your Starter Set at cogs.show. Use code REPOD at checkout.
Production Credits
Hosted by David Spira & Peih-Gee Law
Produced by Theresa Piazza
Supported by Lisa Spira & Richard Burns
Edited by Steve Ewing of Stand Inside Media
Music by Ryan Elder
Logo by Janine Pracht
Monday Oct 09, 2023
Monday Oct 09, 2023
We're sharing a little bit of our Patreon exclusive Bonus show from S6E1 with Christian and Zach of Doors of Divergence.
Here's a snippet of Christian and Zach talking about their expectations of what their audience would love and what actually kept people coming back for replays. David talks about his past covering live music events and compares doors of divergence to jazz music. They also talk about creating on the fly, magical memories for their guests.
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 50 bonus after shows.
Thank you for supporting our work.
Monday Oct 02, 2023
Monday Oct 02, 2023
What if you entered an escape room where the choices are real and every decision you make causes ripples down the line of your adventure? Replayability is one of the hottest topics in the escape room world, and right now, no company showcases it better than Doors of Divergence in New York City. In Season 6, Episode 1 of REPOD, we chat with Christian Vernon and Zac MacKrell, the creators behind Doors of Divergence. They spill the secrets of their success, including their secret weapon when it comes to their immersive actors.
They describe their games Heresy: 1898 and Madness: 1917 as "escape room meets immersive theater meets choose-your-own-adventure novel." We learn about how the branching narratives work in their shows. They talk about being surprised at the popularity of their achievement system "Chivo." Christian and Zac tell us how they got their start in the immersive worlds of themed restaurants and extreme zombie paintball. We also learn about their philosophy when it comes to onboarding and the magic circle.
It's clear that these two creators have a wildly ambitious approach to designing their escape rooms in ways that empower their audience. Sadly, they have lost their venue and will have to shut down operations while they hunt for a new home. Doors will remain open through October 20, 2023, and I highly recommend you experience their special brand of madness while you can.
Episode Sponsors
Thank you to our sponsors Morty, Buzzshot, and COGS:
Morty
Morty is a free app for discovering, planning, tracking, and reviewing your escape rooms and other immersive social outings.
Morty News:
- Morty now features haunt attractions
- Morty for Android is here
Special Badge for REPOD listeners:
You can learn more at morty.app/REPOD to sign up and get a special badge for our listeners (works for existing users also).
Buzzshot
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.
Special Offer for REPOD Listeners:
REPOD listeners get an extended 21-day free trial plus 20% off your first 3 months, with no set-up fees or hidden charges. Visit buzzshot.com/repod to learn more about this exclusive offer.
COGS
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.
Special Offer for REPOD Listeners:
REPOD listeners can get the COGS Starter Set for only $130 + free shipping to the USA. This bundle is usually valued at $257. You can learn more and purchase your Starter Set at cogs.show. Use code REPOD at checkout.
Production Credits
Hosted by David Spira & Peih-Gee Law
Produced by Theresa Piazza
Supported by Lisa Spira & Richard Burns
Edited by Steve Ewing of Stand Inside Media
Music by Ryan Elder
Logo by Janine Pracht
Monday Sep 18, 2023
Monday Sep 18, 2023
We brought together escape room industry professionals and enthusiasts from all around the world for a 2-day virtual event in August. If you're still coming down off the high of RECON Remote 23, we've got you covered. In this pre-season special release, we break down all the happenings at RECON, with a special behind-the-scenes look from Brendan Lutz, Room Escape Artist's CTO, and the Head of Technology for RECON.
We kick things off by reflecting on mistakes make in previous events and how it helped craft the program for this year's RECON. We touch on the different talks, from the financial talk to decoding the social media marketing puzzle. Puzzle design enthusiasts won't be disappointed either, with deep dives into the creative process. Along the way, we share the challenges faced in ticket sales and staffing predictions, offering a glimpse into what the future might hold.
This year's event was further testimony to David and Lisa's dedication to building a kind and thoughtful community in the escape room industry. Stay tuned until the end to witness Peih-Gee's annual quest to make David shed a tear on-air.
Show Notes
Episode Sponsor
Thank you to our sponsor:
Morty
Morty is a free app for discovering, planning, tracking, and reviewing your escape rooms and other immersive social outings.
Special Badge for REPOD listeners:
You can learn more at MortyApp.com/REPOD to sign up and get a special badge for our listeners (works for existing users also).
Music Credits
Our music was created by Ryan Elder.
Production Credits
Spoilers Club is produced by Lisa Spira and edited by Peih-Gee Law.
Thursday Sep 14, 2023
Thursday Sep 14, 2023
The floor is cold and hard against our face as we groggily awaken to Pigjaw looming over us... and the only way to survive is to saw(lve) his riddles.
Hey Riddle Riddle is an uproariously funny podcast featuring improvisers Adal Rifai, Erin Keif, and John Patrick Coan solving every riddle, puzzle, brain-teaser, and head-scratcher known to humanity. Some riddles are almost impossible, some are absolutely improbable, and some simply have not aged well. And if you don't like riddles, don't worry! This podcast is barely about them!
In this podcast crossover, REPOD co-host Peih-Gee Law makes a guest appearance to help solve some puzzles while trying to escape the dastardly clutches of PigJaw. We play a few brainteasers, a word game created by Peih-Gee, and a very fun game finding appropriate names for different professions.
Special thanks to Hey Riddle Riddle for sharing this episode with our listeners. Adal, Erin and JPC are hilarious and talented, occasionally both at the same time. Make sure to check out their podcast for your weekly dose of sketch comedy and riddles.
Monday Sep 04, 2023
Monday Sep 04, 2023
Have you wanted to go behind the scenes at your favorite escape rooms? With the Spoilers Club, our patron-exclusive series, we take a deep dive with the creators of iconic escape rooms for an indulgent recap plus creator commentary. This content is normally safeguarded by Patreon access to avoid accidental spoilers leaking into the pubic, but we were lucky to cover an amazing escape room that is no longer running, and we're sharing it with everyone.
Time Machine from Not Another Escape Room is a local fan favorite amongst SoCal escape room enthusiasts, and for good reason. Creators Davey Eaves and Bora Olcken managed a magician's trick of sending players through the same door over and over again, only to emerge into completely new and different rooms.
In this podcast, Davey and Bora break down how they managed to bend time and space through origami-like manipulation of their sets, what excites them about designing escape rooms, and why they want to create games that are, indeed, not just another escape room. Take a listen to go inside their unique and different approach to escape room mechanics.
If you enjoyed this podcast, you can browse the other escape rooms we've covered in our Spoilers Club. To get access to these podcasts, support Room Escape Artist on Patreon.
Episode Sponsor
Thank you to our sponsor:
Morty
Morty is a free app for discovering, planning, tracking, and reviewing your escape rooms and other immersive social outings.
Special Badge for REPOD listeners:
You can learn more at MortyApp.com/REPOD to sign up and get a special badge for our listeners (works for existing users also).
Music Credits
Our music was created by Ryan Elder.
Production Credits
Spoilers Club is produced by Lisa Spira and edited by Peih-Gee Law.
Monday Aug 28, 2023
Monday Aug 28, 2023
What does it take to compete on the reality show Survivor? What's the backstory on these contestants? Learn more about REPOD co-host Peih-Gee Law and what makes her tick in this special RHAP crossover episode.
Road to Reality is a limited edition series hosted by Kellyn Bechtold (@theKellynB) from Survivor Ghost Island. Listen in while she interviews former Survivor contestants about their real life and how being on reality television has had a major impact on their life trajectories. Every reality contestant has been on a story-worthy journey to land on television and yet the edit turns them into a hero or a villain or maybe something in between, but it is always just one dimension.
In this podcast crossover, Kellyn interviews REPOD co-host Peih-Gee Law about her life previous to appearing on Survivor: China and Survivor: Second Chances. In this episode, we talk about how she feels about her more well rounded edit, seeing life through rose colored glasses, how she’s moved from being a lone wolf to a creator of communities, getting lucky, and being in control of your own life experience. Stay until the end to hear her Five Keys for guaranteeing a happier life.
Special thanks to Rob Has a Podcast for sharing this episode with our listeners, and thank you to Kellyn for being a great interviewer and drawing out some introspective and vulnerable conversations.
Monday Aug 14, 2023
Monday Aug 14, 2023
It’s the dog days of August, and nothing screams summer more than theme parks, fried chicken, Star Wars, and ice cream... except for episode guest Mark Larson, but you'll have to listen to the end for that story. In this special release of a patron-exclusive bonus episode from S5E11, Peih-Gee and David discuss their recent trips to Disneyland’s Galaxy’s Edge and Knott’s Berry Farm’s Ghost Town Alive. We’re joined by editor Steve Ewing and game designer Mark, who chats about his involvement with DASH: Different Area, Same Hunt, a global puzzle hunt. Mark also created the ridiculously fun Shop of Theseus game exclusively for RECON23. (Tickets are still available for this limited edition event.)
We start with fried chicken ice cream. Then Peih-Gee gives a short history of how Knott’s Berry Farm grew from a roadside stand selling berries and fried chicken dinners to a massive theme park. She also discusses Ghost Town Alive, Knott’s Berry Farm’s interactive Western-themed experience, and the gang regales you with the hilarious story of Peih-Gee’s unhinged rise to Mayor Law in Calico.
Mark Larson explains how DASH works, and we talk about some other approachable puzzle hunts. David raves about the ride Rise of the Resistance at Disneyland’s Galaxy’s Edge and talks about snagging some of the last tickets for the Galactic Starcruiser. He also discloses that his wife Lisa had never watched any of the Star Wars movies and breaks down her live reactions to watching them for the first time. We close out with a chat about the now-discontinued Battlestar Galactica board game.
Show Notes & Timestamps
Episode Sponsors
Thank you to our sponsors:
Morty
Morty is a free app for discovering, planning, tracking, and reviewing your escape rooms and other immersive social outings.
Special Badge for REPOD listeners:
You can learn more at MortyApp.com/REPOD to sign up and get a special badge for our listeners (works for existing users also).
Reality Escape Convention - RECON
Escape room conventions should be as fun, collaborative, and immersive as the games we celebrate.
RECON is our very own escape room and immersive gaming convention. Whether you’re an owner, creator, player, or you’re escape room curious, you are invited learn, connect, and play with our wonderful community.
RECON Remote 23 will take place August 19 – 20, 2023, online.
RECON 24 will be in person.
Get your RECON 23 ticket at now.
Music Credits
Our music was created by Ryan Elder.
Production Credits
Bonus REPOD is produced by Lisa Spira and edited by Peih-Gee Law.