Manda and Errol get together again to talk to Nick Moran, best known for creating Time Run and the BBC’s Sherlock Escape Room The Game Is Now. There is a lot of talk about escape rooms, but probably more talk about how we have no analytics.
115 - Manpans Rants About Online Escape Rooms
In this short episode, Manpans has rants! So she rants, and the rest of the Divas interrupt her. It was amazing!
114 - Game Design with PostCurious
Manda and Errol talk with Rita Orlov of Post Curious about her latest Kickstarter The Emerald Flame! Listen in as we chat about game design, take home games, narrative puzzle adventures, and other topics Errol tangents on.
113 - Online Escape Room Taxonomy with Brett Kuehner
With all the online escape rooms available, a number of lists have been created to collate them all. However, soon there were a lot of lists to keep track of. So Manda and Errol talk to Brett Kuehner about the meta list of lists he compiled. You can find the list on his website:
With a meta list of online escape rooms and also escape room design links.
We also talk about the taxonomy developed by Dan Egnor to categorize the different types of online escape rooms.
Online Escape Room Taxonomy
In-person escape room - as we know them (however you define that)
Live remote escape room - tell a GM what to do, they play an escape room-like setup for you (eg. Ready Mayor One, YouEscape, Seven Dwarves)
Live simulated escape room - tell a GM what to do, they pretend they're playing an escape room-like setup and tell you what would happen (eg. Escape This Podcast)
Escape room-style video game - video game that emphasizes puzzles, collaboration, discovery, and other escape room like elements (eg. Tick Tock)
Escape room-style tabletop game - board/card/paper game that emphasizes puzzles, collaboration, discovery, etc. (eg. Unlock!, Exit)
Online puzzle hunt - puzzles hosted online, without other escape room trappings (eg. most of puzzlehuntcalendar.com)
Puzzle book - puzzles in a book, without other escape room trappings (eg. Journal 29)
Games Discussed in the Podcast
YouEscape (live-remote escapeish with digital aspects and distributed team over Hangouts) - Review from Room Escape Artist.
Rock Ave - live remote with team over Hangouts. Created Ready Mayor One.
Escape.Anywhere - live remote with team over Hangouts
The Palace of Destiny - online puzzle hunt
trap't - online escapeish puzzle hunt
Puzzled Pint - downloadable/printable puzzle hunt style puzzle
Tick Tock - two-player escape room-style video game
Alone Together - two-player escape room-style video game
The Room VR - Escape room-style video game
Phone or Videoconference Immersive shows Discussed in Podcast
Candlehouse Collective - Under the Bed was one project
Cluebox - mechanical puzzle box
112 - The Isolation Episode with Room Escape Artist
Manda and Errol meet up with Lisa and David Spira Room Escape Artist who are in self-isolation after returning from Europe.
111 - Discussing Escape Room Puzzle Tropes
Ruby, Manda, and Mike get together and discuss 101 Best Escape Room Puzzle Ideas as published by Now Escape in 2016. It’s four years later, how do these puzzle ideas stack up now?
110 - Cryptex Hunt 2020: Behind the Scenes
Mike learns about this year’s Cryptex Hunt! Manda and Mike question Errol about what it’s like writing a novel, writing a puzzle hunt, and dealing with server issues.
Yes, people this year have to read a novel.
109 - Would This Mechanic Work in an Escape Room?
The Divas are all here! And in this episode, we discuss different mechanics and practices that may or may not work in a room. For example, saboteur mechanics, multiple paths, and other topics. Errol’s also pretty loopy.
108 - 2019 Escape Room Enthusiast Survey with Lee-Fay Low
Huzzah! We talk to Lee-Fay Low, an Associate Professor at the University of Sydney and an avid enthusiast of escape rooms, about the 2019 Escape Room Enthusiast Survey! Listen in on her insights and what it was like putting together a survey translated into 14 different languages.
107 - Top Escape Rooms with Rich Bragg
The 2019 Top Escape Rooms Project Enthusiasts’ Choice Awards was released! This year, 50 top English speaking escape rooms have been identified.
In this episode, Manpans and Errol talk with Rich Bragg (co-founder of ClueKeeper and a Guiness Record holder for most escape rooms done in 24 hours), to discuss TERPECA, or the “Braggs” as we like to call them.
106 - Room Escape Artist and the Escape Room Industry
Wow! We discussed so many things with Lisa and David Spira of Room Escape Artist. And we have a parody song by Benito Suppa of Durham Escape Rooms! Huzzah! Something to get you into the holiday spirit.
Listen in as we discuss so many things:
06:20 - A new convention, the Reality Escape Convention.
19: 50 - Escape rooms on TV, the Create the Escape pilot episode.
24:33 - On CBS Sunday Morning TV!
27:22 - Being on the media and representing the escape room world
33:24 - Escape Rooms then and now
37:19 - When do you choose to give feedback?
53:34 - What's your kryptonite?
55:16 - Golden Lock Awards
58:23 - Escape room injuries
1:00:36 - 5 Years Later
1:02:00 - Montreal Tour
1:04:26 - Escape Enthusiast Meetups
105 - The Privilege of Escape with Risa Puno
The Divas are all here! Huzzah! And they had a lot of fun chatting to Risa Puno about her escape room art installation called The Privilege of Escape put on by Creative Time. Listen in as Risa tries really hard not to give spoilers to her game, and then tells them all. You have been warned. :D
104 - Club Drosselmeyer, Four Years Later!
We have Green Door Labs back! And four years later, we see how Club Drosselmeyer has grown! Listen in as Manda and Errol talk to Kellian and Brian Pletcher about their puzzle, theatrical, escape room, Nutcracker Suite, musical, dance show!
103 - Escape Room Marketing
Manda and Errol are joined by Melissa Eapen of Improbable Escapes! She did a talk at the Escape Summit called “How proper marketing can result in higher sales for your escape room”, and she brings some of that wisdom to this podcast! Also, you can hear about Manda’s dating life! Huzzah!
About Melissa Eapen: Melissa Eapen’s professional and personal journey is a great example of what happens when you merge the power of creativity, the love for business and the thirst for adventure into one. An established business owner, international traveler, passionate adventurer and inspired writer, Melissa is always on the lookout for ways she can continue to inspire, empower and encourage others. Melissa has won awards for marketing Improbable Escapes, and works with various travel organizations to market their destinations.
102 - Meeting with Escape This Podcast
Manda and Errol met with Bill and Dani of Escape This Podcast! They are doing a tour of escape rooms in North America, and the divas were so happy to meet up with them in real life.
And they sing! I’m so happy they sing!
In this episode’s parody, we do the Confrontation song from Les Mis!
ERROL:
So Bill, we're trapped
We're tied up in these chains
But over there
I see the answer plain
BILL:
Before you say another word, Errol
Before we try answers in vain again
Listen to me! We should try to think things through
This problem needs some time and discerning eyes
There is none but me who can set us free
As I've explained, this phrase is all we need
If we can discern, the secret word
Just need to discern
ERROL:
I just think you're mad!
There's the solution plain and clear
Many times I have explained
It's all from that clue.
ERROL TOGETHER WITH BILL:
Many times I have explained
Many times I have explained
Try 24601
I've told you what I saw!
You'll see I'm right!
Enter it - 24601!
That's the only thing we've found
What is left, but nothing, now?
Can't you see we're wasting time
Soon there'll be a price to pay
Every chance we have to win
will be gone. We'll lose this way!
You see nothing, it's unfair!
We'll be stuck inside this jail
I am trapped in here with you
This is why I hate split rooms
BILL TOGETHER WITH ERROL:
Believe of it, what you will
There is an answer, but it's not from you
You know nothing, here's advice.
Why won't you help out instead?
You know nothing of this word
You would sooner see us dead
But not before I see this room is won!
Quit ignoring me, I swear
How will we escape these bars?
And the hours not up yet!
Our game is not yet done!
You know nothing, it's unfair!
There's a clue but who knows where
Seems I am alone in here
It's why I hate split rooms
101 - Teach an Escape Room Class
Manda and Errol talk to Brett Kuehner and Justin Seventko who taught a high school class how to create and build an escape room. There should be more escape room classes in education! And also, here is the document of Escape Room Design Resources mentioned in the podcast.
And we are bringing back parody songs! We’ll see how long that will hold up. This episode’s song was sung by Rachel Arpin, who also sang in the last episode!
It’s a parody of Natalie Imbruglia’s song Torn.
Worn
Well, we could see it had a nice decor
but did they know, were they aware
Of game design before
Cuz all of that was just ignored
Were they aware? Did they "ask why"?
Explanations felt so dry
And what's going on
For all their locks were worn
That was such a waste
This is how I feel. The room was kinda lame
And the puzzles were a bore
nothing was maintained
The wires weren't concealed
The rooms decayed and I can see that all the locks are worn
What did I just play?
All the locks are worn
Would you have guessed there weren't enough flashlights
We couldn't see what was there
and nothing did go right
we really hate this game and now
I don't care, we're so stuck
and it seems we missed so much
we want to put this code in
again this lock is worn
100 Episodes of Room Escape Divas
Huzzah! We hit a 100 episodes!
You can watch our shenanigans live, because the whole thing was streamed, and it includes a number of room escape parodies too!
However, if you’d rather listen instead, the podcast has a higher quality audio! Enjoy, and thanks for joining us for such a long time!
This pic was taken when we learned the “Anxious” had to answer all the puzzles. Ha ha ha! Love it.
Register for our 100th Episode!
Our 100th episode will be live on
September 21, at 1:00pm EST.
Mike, Manpans, and Errol have made some puzzles, and we are going to challenge each other to do them!
And because this is live, you can join in and solve puzzles with us! Well, Mike made a puzzle to troll Errol so you can join in and watch Errol and Manpans suffer.
Be sure to register ahead of time. Why? Because we will see if you can solve the puzzles before we can. It will be very exciting!
99 - How Escape Rooms Do Difficulty Wrong
Errol wrote another article called How Escape Rooms Do Difficulty Wrong. In this episode, the Divas discuss the article, the Escape Room Player Loop, and the upcoming 100th live episode where they want you to join in!
98 - Noah Nelson of No Proscenium
Manda is interviewing solo! And she got a chance to interview Noah Nelson, the founder and publisher of No Proscenium – the guide to everything immersive. No Proscenium is a newsletter, web site, and podcast of the immersive arts and entertainment industry.
If you have any interest in the immersive industry, they are the people to go to!
