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Reality Escape Pod – Escape Rooms & Immersive Games — Games
Reality Escape Pod – Escape Rooms & Immersive Games

A Room Escape Artist Production

In a world gone digital, doing things in person is strangely revolutionary.

Reality Escape Pod is an interview podcast diving deep with people who make the world’s best immersive games and experiences: ARGs, puzzle hunts, tabletop games, theme parks, and of course, escape rooms. Our aim is to bring together different segments of the gaming world to share ideas between them.

Hosts David Spira & Peih-Gee Law explore immersive gaming from all angles with a unique blend of curiosity, joy, and a deep appreciation of craft. Each episode explores the guest’s philosophy, design approach, and humanity.

About the hosts:

David Spira is an experience designer, co-founder of RoomEscapeArtist.com and Reality Escape Convention. He is the escape room industry’s most prolific leader. In 2014 he applied his professional skills as a digital experience designer to the burgeoning industry of escape rooms, and more than a decade later he has built a community for its creators and consumers.

Peih-Gee Law is most well known for being a fan favorite contestant on the reality show Survivor, where she played first in Survivor China in 2007, and again in a returning All-Star season Survivor Second Chance. In 2025, she launched PG’s Playhouse, a fun podcast with brainteasers, puzzles, and trivia. She is also on the official story team for Neotropolis, an annual 5 day immersive cyberpunk festival, where she creates narrative driven gameplay and experiences for thousands of attendees.

Copyright: © Copyright 2021 Room Escape Artist

Latest Episodes:

S3E2 - Pushing Boundaries Safely: Johanna Koljonen & Nordic Larp Feb 21, 2022

Show notes

In Season 3, episode 2, we chat with Johanna Koljonen, the co-founder of Participation Design Agency. She is an experience designer specializing in Nordic larp and an expert in designing for safe and enthusiastic participation. Johanna has helped create some incredibly compelling and intense Nordic larps, including Vampire the Masquerade, Inside Hamlet, and House of Craving.

Johanna puts careful thought into every aspect of her experiences, encapsulated in her concept that “everything is a designable surface.” Nordic larp encourages consent-based play, and Johanna discusses how to introduce systems that will allow participants to push boundaries safely. She gives concrete examples of how to encourage participation in very emotionally intense events, noting that “you have to feel safe to be brave.”

The way Johanna discusses immersive experiences was eye-opening and illuminating. If you design immersive theater, escape rooms, larps or immersive experiences of any kind, you will find this episode absolutely invaluable. David notes that meeting Johanna completely changed the way he thinks about experience design, and I think you’ll agree after listening to this episode.

The Mailbag: Please give us some feedback?

We're doing a Mailbag episode where we answer your questions, share your stories, and learn from you fine folks. There are a few ways to take part:

Take our survey
Leave a voicemail
Send an email
Send us some snail mail

Here's how to do each:

Take A Short Survey

Share your feedback anonymously through this survey.

Leave A Voicemail

If you’d like to be on the podcast, please submit a voice recording by calling the Room Escape Artist not-so-hotline that always goes straight to voicemail (551-227-7273), and record your thoughts and feels about REPOD straight into the voicemail.

Your message should be:

Short, no longer than 30 seconds - it will help to jot down your ideas before recording
Recorded with as little background noise as possible (recording in a closet, or under a comforter could help)
Start with your name and where you are from

Send an Email

Hit us up at: contact@roomescapeartist.com

Send a Letter

Room Escape Artist
PO Box 683
Nutley, NJ 07110

Episode Sponsors

Thank you to our sponsors:

Morty - A free app for discovering, planning, tracking, and reviewing your escape rooms and other immersive social outings.
Virtual Escape Games - Specializes in virtual team building adventures for teams anywhere around the globe, 24/7.

Reality Escape Convention - RECON

Our escape room and immersive gaming convention, will be an incredible event for creators and consumers of the games we love. We hope to see you in Boston. Learn More about RECON.

Production Credits

Hosted by David Spira & Peih-Gee Law

Produced by Lisa Spira

Edited by Steve Ewing of Stand Inside Media

Music by Ryan Elder

Logo by Janine Pracht

S3E1 - Art Meets Gameplay at Immersia Escape Games Feb 15, 2022

Show notes

To kick off Season 3, we chat with Maxime and Roxane Filion of Immersia Escape Games. Their escape games truly impressed us on our recent trip to Montreal. In this episode they talk about their immersive approach to game design, their diverse gaming influences, and how they measure success. Maxime and Roxane are also passionate about their creations and about this industry. Moreover, they have a shared vision of what escape games can be, and they are striving to build that future.

Episode Sponsors

Thank you to our sponsors:

Morty - A free app for discovering, planning, tracking, and reviewing your escape rooms and other immersive social outings.
Virtual Escape Games - Specializes in virtual team building adventures for teams anywhere around the globe, 24/7.

Reality Escape Convention - RECON

Our escape room and immersive gaming convention, will be an incredible event for creators and consumers of the games we love. We hope to see you in Boston. Learn More about RECON.

Production Credits

Hosted by David Spira & Peih-Gee Law

Produced by Lisa Spira

Edited by Steve Ewing of Stand Inside Media

Music by Ryan Elder

Logo by Janine Pracht

Surprise Bonus Episode from Season 1, Episode 4 Oct 05, 2021

Show notes

Bonus Content?

After each episode, hosts Peih-Gee and David record another show, just for Patreon backers ($5/ month and up). Sometimes the guests stick around for the aftershow.

Where the main episode is a heavily edited and produced experience, the bonus content is a freeform conversation.

Guests

This sneak peek is the REPOD S1E4 Patreon Bonus Content, recorded with Anne and Chris Lukeman from CU Adventures in Time & Space.

You can find REPOD S1E4 with guests Anne and Chris here.

Patreon

Kindly consider backing us on Patreon.

See you in Season 3.

S2E8 - The Cinematic Delusions of Jon Braver Sep 27, 2021

Show notes

In season 2, episode 8, we chat with Jon Braver, creator of Delusion. Delusion is an interactive horror theatre experience where monsters might crawl on the ceiling, creatures could be flying through the air, and at any moment you could be pulled aside for your own personal storyline. Jon describes Delusion as a cinematic moving play with a rich, linear storyline where the audience gets to be the main character in a horror movie.

Jon started creating immersive horror experiences as a teen in his parents’ house. When he began doing stunt work for movies, he naturally incorporated stunts and special effects into his productions. While Delusion is well known for its stunts and effects, Jon has always emphasized his dedication to the story.

It was so interesting to dig into Jon’s multi-faceted background to see how all his different skill sets culminated in the incredible experience of Delusion. After chatting with him, it was clear how committed he was to cinematic, immersive storytelling with an adrenaline-laden plot. He had so many amazing stories. We loved getting a glimpse into the cinematic delusions of Jon Braver. It’s a climactic finale to season 2.

Episode Sponsors

Thank you to our sponsors:

SEO ORB - Marketing and SEO optimization created specifically for escape rooms by an enthusiast.
Telescape by Buzzshot - Virtual escape room game creation and interface software. Bring increased functionality to your virtual escape rooms.
Escape from Mibo Island by Sherlocked - Virtual escape room played on a uniquely immersive web-based platform. First-person point of view avatar using your own webcam video that is ideal for anyone from families to corporate events. Try out Mibo Island for 20% off with the code MARVINRULES.

Production Credits

Hosted by David Spira & Peih-Gee Law

Produced by Lisa Spira

Edited by Steve Ewing of Stand Inside Media

Music by Ryan Elder

Logo by Janine Pracht

S2E7 - The Puzzletales of Rita Orlov, creator of The Light in the Mist Sep 21, 2021

Show notes

In Season 2, episode 7, we chat with Rita Orlov, the designer of industry-favorite, indie narrative puzzle games. Rita made a huge splash in the puzzle community with the launch of The Tale of Ord — an epic tabletop escape game with narrative depth and puzzle density. She followed that with The Emerald Flame and The Light in the Mist, a tarot card puzzletale.

Rita not only designs her games, she also self-produces, funding all of them via Kickstarter. She talks to us about some of the difficulties of being an indie game creator and her inspiration behind The Light in the Mist. Rita was also one of the featured speakers at RECON ‘21, talking about her granular hint systems for tabletop games.

My biggest takeaway from chatting with Rita was the depth of her vision. There is a grandeur to her games which leaves you fully immersed in a realistic narrative. Rita is a masterful artist, skillfully weaving all the different threads of the puzzles, themes, and the storyline together into a gorgeous and lush tapestry, a “puzzletale” if you will. We hope this episode inspires you.

Episode Sponsors

Thank you to our sponsors:

SEO ORB - Marketing and SEO optimization created specifically for escape rooms by an enthusiast.
Telescape by Buzzshot - Virtual escape room game creation and interface software. Bring increased functionality to your virtual escape rooms.
Escape from Mibo Island by Sherlocked - Virtual escape room played on a uniquely immersive web-based platform. First-person point of view avatar using your own webcam video that is ideal for anyone from families to corporate events. Try out Mibo Island for 20% off with the code MARVINRULES.

Production Credits

Hosted by David Spira & Peih-Gee Law

Produced by Lisa Spira

Edited by Steve Ewing of Stand Inside Media

Music by Ryan Elder

Logo by Janine Pracht

S2E6 - Puppets, Haunts, & Pranks—Brian Corbitt, Creator of Miss Jezebel Sep 14, 2021

Show notes

In Season 2, episode 6, we got to chat with Brian Corbitt, the creative mind behind the raunchy and hilarious Miss Jezebel—an actor-driven experience that’s a mix between immersive theatre and an escape room. Two of Brian’s games have won Golden Lock Awards from Room Escape Artist, and it was also voted in the top three best online escape rooms in the 2020 TERPECAs – the Top Escape Rooms Project Enthusiasts’ Choice Awards.

Brian’s games all have a quirky signature style to them, including the use of puppets, humor, interesting mechanics, and deeply immersive interactions. Brian worked in the haunt industry for over a decade as a scare actor and set designer, and it’s easy to see the influence the haunt industry has on his games.

One of the things that struck me was how so many of his ideas all started off as April Fool’s day pranks. Many of Brian’s best games came about because he wanted to create something to entertain his friends, make ’em laugh, and maybe troll them a bit. Brian’s passion for creating something brilliant, funny, and a tad twisted is apparent in his games and this interview. It was a blast diving into his carnival funhouse brain.

Episode Sponsors

Thank you to our sponsors:

SEO ORB - Marketing and SEO optimization created specifically for escape rooms by an enthusiast.
Telescape by Buzzshot - Virtual escape room game creation and interface software. Bring increased functionality to your virtual escape rooms.
Escape from Mibo Island by Sherlocked - Virtual escape room played on a uniquely immersive web-based platform. First-person point of view avatar using your own webcam video that is ideal for anyone from families to corporate events. Try out Mibo Island for 20% off with the code MARVINRULES.

Production Credits

Hosted by David Spira & Peih-Gee Law

Produced by Lisa Spira

Edited by Steve Ewing of Stand Inside Media

Music by Ryan Elder

Logo by Janine Pracht

S2E5 - RECON Rising: A Look Behind the Scenes at the Reality Escape Convention Aug 17, 2021

Show notes

In season 2, episode 5, we take a deep dive into the inner workings of RECON, our escape room convention. In 2020, Room Escape Artist was poised to launch their first escape room convention. They quickly pivoted to a virtual convention when it became apparent that they wouldn't be able to host an in-person event due to quarantine. Within three months, they put together an unforgettable experience for the escape room community.

They had even bigger aspirations for this year's RECON, with new infrastructure and the all-new Play Pass, which lets you play a variety of games, including a few which are exclusive to RECON.

We'll chat with different members of the RECON team, including James Cobalt—Jack of All Trades, Cara Mandel—The Games Curator, Theresa Wagner—The Games Executioner, Lee-Fay Low—The Volunteer Coordinator, Brendan Lutz—The “Hand” of RECON (Tech Wizard), Lisa Spira—RECON Puppetmaster, Theresa Piazza—Official Catch-All Task Master, Cindi Saiewitz—Speaker Wrangler, and Michael Augustine (Auggie/Okapi Kid)—ARG Master.

This was a fascinating look behind the scenes of running a virtual convention and seeing how all the moving parts fit together. As Brendan said, there was truly an invigorating start-up energy surrounding RECON. It was incredible to feel like we were all part of something greater. There is something really special about these talented enthusiasts and creators who want to help build an amazing community for the escape room industry.

Episode Sponsors

Thank you to our sponsors:

SEO ORB - Marketing and SEO optimization created specifically for escape rooms by an enthusiast.
Telescape by Buzzshot - Virtual escape room game creation and interface software. Bring increased functionality to your virtual escape rooms.
Escape from Mibo Island by Sherlocked - Virtual escape room played on a uniquely immersive web-based platform. First-person point of view avatar using your own webcam video that is ideal for anyone from families to corporate events. Try out Mibo Island for 20% off with the code MARVINRULES.

Production Credits

Hosted by David Spira & Peih-Gee Law

Produced by Lisa Spira

Edited by Steve Ewing of Stand Inside Media

Music by Ryan Elder

Logo by Janine Pracht

S2E4 - The King of Smash - Ken Hoang on Competitive Gaming Jul 06, 2021

Show notes

In season 2, episode 4, we discuss possible futures for competitive escape room playing with the King of Smash, Ken Hoang.

Ken was the world champion of Super Smash Bros. Melee for five years and helped create much of the high level competitive gameplay. Ken was also an extremely strategic player on Survivor: Gabon.

Smash Melee was originally designed as a party game, not for competitive play. However, by exploiting glitches and mechanics that were built into the system, whether intentional or not, Ken was able to develop an expressive and unique style within Smash Melee, and become a top competitive player. This same strategy of exploitation has caused much of the recent evolution in Survivor.

With this perspective, we discuss whether there is room for competitive play in escape rooms, and what that evolution could look like. Episode 4 is a bit of a smashup mashup, but it was fascinating to look at escape rooms through a competitive lens.

Episode Sponsors

Thank you to our sponsors:

SEO ORB - Marketing and SEO optimization created specifically for escape rooms by an enthusiast.
Telescape by Buzzshot - Virtual escape room game creation and interface software. Bring increased functionality to your virtual escape rooms.
Escape from Mibo Island by Sherlocked - Virtual escape room played on a uniquely immersive web-based platform. First-person point of view avatar using your own webcam video that is ideal for anyone from families to corporate events. Try out Mibo Island for 20% off with the code MARVINRULES.

Production Credits

Hosted by David Spira & Peih-Gee Law

Produced by Lisa Spira

Edited by Steve Ewing of Stand Inside Media

Music by Ryan Elder

Logo by Janine Pracht

S2E3: Creative Alchemy: Sarah Zhang & The Pursuit of the Assassin Artist Jun 28, 2021

Show notes

In season 2, episode 3, we chat with Sarah Zhang from Omescape Escape Rooms in the California Bay Area. Sarah is one of the creators of the award-winning, online escape room game, Pursuit of the Assassin Artist, which was voted the #1 online escape room in the 2020 TERPECAs – the Top Escape Rooms Project Enthusiasts’ Choice Awards. It was also a winner at our own 2020 Golden Lock Awards.

2020 was a difficult year for most escape room companies. Many operators adapted their games for virtual play, allowing players to experience the games through a digital interface. Omescape elevated the online escape room, creating an experience that took advantage of the virtual format by introducing a time-loop mechanic.

Sarah walks us through their creative design process, citing many games that excited and inspired her. She talks openly about borrowing concepts from her favorite games. Through some magical alchemy, she has managed to distill various aspects and mechanics into what is far and away one of the strongest games to emerge from the virtual escape room scene. Sarah was incredibly humble and such a sweetheart. It was an absolute delight having her on our podcast.

Episode Sponsors

Thank you to our sponsors:

SEO ORB - Marketing and SEO optimization created specifically for escape rooms by an enthusiast.
Telescape by Buzzshot - Virtual escape room game creation and interface software. Bring increased functionality to your virtual escape rooms.
Escape from Mibo Island by Sherlocked - Virtual escape room played on a uniquely immersive web-based platform. First-person point of view avatar using your own webcam video that is ideal for anyone from families to corporate events. Try out Mibo Island for 20% off with the code MARVINRULES.

Production Credits

Hosted by David Spira & Peih-Gee Law

Produced by Lisa Spira

Edited by Steve Ewing of Stand Inside Media

Music by Ryan Elder

Logo by Janine Pracht

S2E2: Nick Moran: Reinventing Escape Games with Innovative Structures Jun 22, 2021

Show notes

In season 2, episode 2, we have a lovely chat with Nick Moran, who was creative director for Time Run, one of the most influential escape room companies. He has created ambitious games with innovative formats, and he’s now focused his creative genius on designing Spectre and Vox, a gorgeously crafted tabletop gaming experience with interactive storytelling.

Nick’s background as a narrative-focused writer becomes apparent when he starts talking about the structure of a game. It was fascinating to hear how he approaches structure from a narrative viewpoint, for example, by considering the “status” of the player in an escape room and the importance the player’s status has on immersion. Additionally, Nick approaches game design from a business viewpoint, taking into consideration how to maximize player throughput and increase productivity.

It’s rare to find a designer as talented as Nick, who creates not only with an eye for brilliant gameplay and immersive narrative, but also towards optimizing the business model. Nick is charming, hilarious and very opinionated. We think you’ll really enjoy this episode.

Episode Sponsors

Thank you to our sponsors:

SEO ORB - Marketing and SEO optimization created specifically for escape rooms by an enthusiast.
Telescape by Buzzshot - Virtual escape room game creation and interface software. Bring increased functionality to your virtual escape rooms.
Escape from Mibo Island by Sherlocked - Virtual escape room played on a uniquely immersive web-based platform. First-person point of view avatar using your own webcam video that is ideal for anyone from families to corporate events. Try out Mibo Island for 20% off with the code MARVINRULES.

Production Credits

Hosted by David Spira & Peih-Gee Law

Produced by Lisa Spira

Edited by Steve Ewing of Stand Inside Media

Music by Ryan Elder

Logo by Janine Pracht

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