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  • Masquerade with Asher Young (s12e4)

    Masquerade with Asher Young (s12e4)
    Oct 20 2026
    "Everything is in service to the audience" You slip behind your mask and step into a world of decadence and mystery. As you're led through a lavish world inspired by The Phantom of the Opera, Broadway stars are singing their hearts out mere feet away, and iconic scenes unfold all around you. This is Masquerade. Masquerade is a blockbuster immersive theater production in New York City that filled the vacuum left behind by Sleep No More and Life & Trust. As David Spira notes in his review of Masquerade, "The actors were incredible... the show staff curated the experience for every audience member... and it was an impressive feat of logistics." Executive Producer and Creative Director of Masquerade Asher Young joins us on REPOD to chat about this fresh approach to a Broadway classic. Asher takes us behind the scenes of this enormous production, from transforming Lee's Art Shop, an iconic building in NYC, to designing around audience flow. I appreciated Asher's view on the importance of audience care, especially the discussion about the show's staff. Masquerade has "butlers" who ensure that everyone in the audience has a good view, even repositioning audience members for the best sightlines. Episode Sponsors We are immensely grateful to our sponsors this season: Buzzshot Bookings, Ubisoft VR Escape Games, Immersif, and Patreon supporters like you. We truly appreciate your support of our mission to promote and improve the immersive gaming community. Buzzshot Buzzshot is proud to announce their new "all-in-one" Booking System designed from the ground up for one type of business, escape rooms. Offering: Easy to use booking UI with no fees or hidden charges.Customer waiver captureBranded Team PhotosPlayer MessagingReview ManagmentAutomationsCustomer SurveysBroadcast Emails 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. FREE Trial Account with full features* including SMS messaging, and 'Buzzshot Bookings' trial upon request. Visit buzzshot.com/repod to learn more about this exclusive offer. Ubisoft VR Escape Games Harness the power of VR Escape games to maximize your venue's potential. Deliver blockbuster adventures and impossible experiences, all brought to life in Ubisoft's most popular worlds, including Assassin's Creed, Prince of Persia, and more. Location based games optimized for entertainment venuesExclusively available only in escape room venues, VR arcades, and theme parks.Games can accommodate anywhere from 2-8 playersNo start up fees; you only pay when players play Special Offer for REPOD Listeners: REPOD listeners get an extended free trial for an entire month of royalty-free operation. To hear more and claim your free offer, send a message via their contact page and be sure to use our code REPODxUBI26. Enter the code into the "description" field on the contact form. Immersif Business Consulting Are you looking to unlock more revenue and streamline efficiency? Sam Wai is helping creatives and suppliers in the immersive industry earn more with specialist accounting and mentorship. Offering: Business Mentoring and Consulting: Growth focusedStrategic PlanningActionable Advice Performance Intelligence Reports: Analysis of your game booking performanceLearn how to optimize your marketingCustomize your business based on player habits and booking preferences Special Offer for REPOD Listeners: REPOD listeners get a free one hour Business Mentoring Call. This is a focused one-to-one session to help you work through a challenge, make a difficult decision or bring more structure to your next stage of growth. We’ll explore what’s holding the business back, weigh up your options, and agree on practical next steps. You’ll leave with clearer thinking, renewed confidence and a written summary to keep you moving forward. Book through immersif.co/REPOD or email Sam hello@immersif.co and be sure to mention REPOD to claim your free business consultation. Support Us On Patreon Today Love escape rooms as much as we do? At Room Escape Artist, we’ve been analyzing, reviewing, and exploring the world of immersive games since 2014. We help players find the best experiences, and push the industry forward with well-researched, rational, and reasonably humorous escape room and immersive gaming content and events. By becoming a Patreon supporter, you're not just backing a blog — you're fueling a mission to make the escape room and immersive gaming community stronger, more thoughtful, and more connected. Access exclusive Patreon content such as: The Bonus AftershowThe Spoilers ClubEarly access to escape room Tour tickets and REA articles. Your Patreon support goes toward our mission: paying our contributors, funding our infrastructure, and supporting deep research and industry advocacy. Our Other Podcast PG's Playhouse If you love ...
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    1 Std. und 1 Min.
  • Japan's Puzzle Scene with Tokohal (s12e3)

    Japan's Puzzle Scene with Tokohal (s12e3)
    Oct 13 2026
    "You need both frustration and happiness together to make a great game." Escape rooms may have originated in Japan, but the format has since spread around the world, evolving in fascinating ways along the way. Cultural preferences, design traditions, and local puzzle communities have all shaped what an escape room looks and feels like from country to country. Japanese puzzle designer and immersive experience creator Tokohal (pronounced Tokoharu) joins us on REPOD to take us inside the Japanese escape room and puzzle scene, sharing insights into its unique puzzle culture. Much of Japanese escape room and puzzle culture is designed around earning a hard-won victory. The idea is that struggling, getting stuck, and ultimately figuring something out makes the win all the sweeter. In Japan, they have a concept called ō-nazo, a style of puzzle that draws on elements introduced throughout an experience, bringing them together in a satisfying final reveal. Clever players who have been paying attention can make connections and experience hirameki, a Japanese term meaning "flash of inspiration." Many games build towards these hirameki endings, which can feel almost like a magic trick. Tokohal specializes in designing for the ō-nazo moment. He has created many escape room-style experiences for Japanese variety game shows featuring celebrities. He has also worked on immersive experiences for Alice in Borderlands and Memory Contamination Exhibition. I really enjoyed hearing Tokohal discuss the emotional journey of solvers. He talks about how feeling that initial anger and frustration can lead to greater joy and happiness, making the solve more rewarding. I will also be adopting the term "angry drink" from now on when having that post-game debrief with my teammates. Tokohal believes so strongly in this feeling of pride and joy from solving puzzles that he built this mechanic into his fashion line TOKIQIL. Every item of clothing in the line has a puzzle embedded in it, and you can only purchase the item after you've solved the puzzle. Talk about earning that reward! Thank you to REA writer Matthew Stein who first met Tokohal on his three month trip exploring Japan's extensive puzzle culture. If you're interested in exploring more, I recommend checking out The Brilliance of Japanese Puzzle Culture. Planning a trip to Japan? Don't miss Reviews of English-friendly Japanese escape rooms, and we also have Tips on playing Japanese escape rooms as a foreigner. Episode Sponsors We are immensely grateful to our sponsors this season: Buzzshot Bookings, Ubisoft VR Escape Games, Immersif, and Patreon supporters like you. We truly appreciate your support of our mission to promote and improve the immersive gaming community. Buzzshot Buzzshot is proud to announce their new "all-in-one" Booking System designed from the ground up for one type of business, escape rooms. Offering: Easy to use booking UI with no fees or hidden charges.Customer waiver captureBranded Team PhotosPlayer MessagingReview ManagmentAutomationsCustomer SurveysBroadcast Emails 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. FREE Trial Account with full features* including SMS messaging, and 'Buzzshot Bookings' trial upon request. Visit buzzshot.com/repod to learn more about this exclusive offer. Ubisoft VR Escape Games Harness the power of VR Escape games to maximize your venue's potential. Deliver blockbuster adventures and impossible experiences, all brought to life in Ubisoft's most popular worlds, including Assassin's Creed, Prince of Persia, and more. Location based games optimized for entertainment venuesExclusively available only in escape room venues, VR arcades, and theme parks.Games can accommodate anywhere from 2-8 playersNo start up fees; you only pay when players play Special Offer for REPOD Listeners: REPOD listeners get an extended free trial for an entire month of royalty-free operation. To hear more and claim your free offer, send a message via their contact page and be sure to use our code REPODxUBI26. Enter the code into the "description" field on the contact form. Immersif Business Consulting Are you looking to unlock more revenue and streamline efficiency? Sam Wai is helping creatives and suppliers in the immersive industry earn more with specialist accounting and mentorship. Offering: Business Mentoring and Consulting: Growth focusedStrategic PlanningActionable Advice Performance Intelligence Reports: Analysis of your game booking performanceLearn how to optimize your marketingCustomize your business based on player habits and booking preferences Special Offer for REPOD Listeners: REPOD listeners get a free one hour Business Mentoring Call. This is a focused one-to-one session to help you work through a challenge, make a difficult decision or bring more structure to your next...
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    1 Std. und 9 Min.
  • Brett Kuehner: That Guy With The Puzzles (s12e2)

    Brett Kuehner: That Guy With The Puzzles (s12e2)
    Oct 6 2026
    "Maker of Unusual Things" "If you've ever met him, he has probably handed you an unusual puzzle or curious object out of his Mary Poppins bag of puzzles." Brett Kuehner is THAT guy with the puzzles. Simply look for the large gathering of people all playing with what's collectively known as "cool stuff." You'll find Brett smack dab in the middle, dispensing puzzles and curios like Johnny Appleseed sowing his apples. Besides being a puzzle pusher, Brett is a curator, connector, and general fount of knowledge. He started his website thatguywiththepuzzles.com after amassing a huge collection of escape room and puzzle design resources that he wanted to share with his community. This links to a massive google doc with 20 pages of links to articles about technology, audio and lighting design, immersion and storytelling, and general puzzle and escape room design. Brett is a collector of the first order, and it isn't limited to design articles. As you can see from these "shelfies," his mechanical puzzle collection is also vast and varied. But what makes Brett's collection particularly special is how readily he shares it. His collections aren't just meant to sit on a pedestal. They're an invitation to explore, play, learn, and connect with other people who love puzzles. In today's episode, Brett chats with us about what drives his fascination with puzzles, teaching escape room design, and his philosophy when it comes to the larger puzzling community. I especially loved hearing about designing for emotions in puzzles and thinking about what we want players to feel when they're solving a puzzle. Also, Brett has the coolest parents. That Guy With the Puzzles is a fixture at most REA events. If you ever see a man with a large sack of puzzles and a twinkle in his eye, be sure to come up and say hi. You never know what inspiration you'll walk away with. Episode Sponsors We are immensely grateful to our sponsors this season: Buzzshot Bookings, Ubisoft VR Escape Games, Immersif, and Patreon supporters like you. We truly appreciate your support of our mission to promote and improve the immersive gaming community. Buzzshot Buzzshot is proud to announce their new "all-in-one" Booking System designed from the ground up for one type of business, escape rooms. Offering: Easy to use booking UI with no fees or hidden charges.Customer waiver captureBranded Team PhotosPlayer MessagingReview ManagmentAutomationsCustomer SurveysBroadcast Emails 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. FREE Trial Account with full features* including SMS messaging, and 'Buzzshot Bookings' trial upon request. Visit buzzshot.com/repod to learn more about this exclusive offer. Ubisoft VR Escape Games Harness the power of VR Escape games to maximize your venue's potential. Deliver blockbuster adventures and impossible experiences, all brought to life in Ubisoft's most popular worlds, including Assassin's Creed, Prince of Persia, and more. Location based games optimized for entertainment venuesExclusively available only in escape room venues, VR arcades, and theme parks.Games can accommodate anywhere from 2-8 playersNo start up fees; you only pay when players play Special Offer for REPOD Listeners: REPOD listeners get an extended free trial for an entire month of royalty-free operation. To hear more and claim your free offer, send a message via their contact page and be sure to use our code REPODxUBI26. Enter the code into the "description" field on the contact form. Immersif Business Consulting Are you looking to unlock more revenue and streamline efficiency? Sam Wai is helping creatives and suppliers in the immersive industry earn more with specialist accounting and mentorship. Offering: Business Mentoring and Consulting: Growth focusedStrategic PlanningActionable Advice Performance Intelligence Reports: Analysis of your game booking performanceLearn how to optimize your marketingCustomize your business based on player habits and booking preferences Special Offer for REPOD Listeners: REPOD listeners get a free one hour Business Mentoring Call. This is a focused one-to-one session to help you work through a challenge, make a difficult decision or bring more structure to your next stage of growth. We’ll explore what’s holding the business back, weigh up your options, and agree on practical next steps. You’ll leave with clearer thinking, renewed confidence and a written summary to keep you moving forward. Book through immersif.co/REPOD or email Sam hello@immersif.co and be sure to mention REPOD to claim your free business consultation. Support Us On Patreon Today Love escape rooms as much as we do? At Room Escape Artist, we’ve been analyzing, reviewing, and exploring the world of immersive games since 2014. We help players find the best experiences, and push the ...
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    1 Std. und 1 Min.
  • REPOD Live! with DarkPark's Gijs Geers (s12e1)

    REPOD Live! with DarkPark's Gijs Geers (s12e1)
    Sep 29 2026
    This is also the first time we've released a podcast in full video. So even if you're typically an audio podcast listener, we highly recommend you watch the full video on Youtube (click the link above). Let us know if you enjoyed our live show, and if you'd like to attend one in the future. "Don't override your players' experience with your version of the story." Emotional, hilarious, and... sexy?! Our very first REPOD Live Show was full of unexpected turns involving McDonald's drive thrus, a romance that blossomed amidst the most terrifying experience I've ever played, and some truly memorable moments. Oh, and it also had more references to sex than we've ever had on twelve seasons of this show. I guess that's what happens when you're recording live. We’ve been wanting to take Reality Escape Pod live for a long time. What better place to finally do it than at RECON, our own escape room convention? For this experiment, we needed the right guest. Gijs Geers of DarkPark Escape Rooms in the Netherlands was perfect for this live show. Gijs is an escape room creator, owner, and former magician who has experienced plenty of the industry’s highs and lows. What I appreciated most, though, was how candid Gijs was willing to be. He wasn't banging the drum of his self-importance. He got real with us. At times, he even became emotional, particularly when talking about the excitement and anxiety the TERPECAs bring. It made for a surprisingly personal conversation, especially considering it was all happening live on the RECON stage. Full Show Notes Episode Sponsors We are immensely grateful to our sponsors this season: Buzzshot Bookings, Ubisoft VR Escape Games, Immersif, and Patreon supporters like you. We truly appreciate your support of our mission to promote and improve the immersive gaming community. Buzzshot Buzzshot is proud to announce their new "all-in-one" Booking System designed from the ground up for one type of business, escape rooms. Offering: Easy to use booking UI with no fees or hidden charges.Customer waiver captureBranded Team PhotosPlayer MessagingReview ManagmentAutomationsCustomer SurveysBroadcast Emails 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. FREE Trial Account with full features* including SMS messaging, and 'Buzzshot Bookings' trial upon request. Visit buzzshot.com/repod to learn more about this exclusive offer. Ubisoft VR Escape Games Harness the power of VR Escape games to maximize your venue's potential. Deliver blockbuster adventures and impossible experiences, all brought to life in Ubisoft's most popular worlds, including Assassin's Creed, Prince of Persia, and more. Location based games optimized for entertainment venuesExclusively available only in escape room venues, VR arcades, and theme parks.Games can accommodate anywhere from 2-8 playersNo start up fees; you only pay when players play Special Offer for REPOD Listeners: REPOD listeners get an extended free trial for an entire month of royalty-free operation. To hear more and claim your free offer, send a message via their contact page and be sure to use our code REPODxUBI26. Enter the code into the "description" field on the contact form. Immersif Business Consulting Are you looking to unlock more revenue and streamline efficiency? Sam Wai is helping creatives and suppliers in the immersive industry earn more with specialist accounting and mentorship. Offering: Business Mentoring and Consulting: Growth focusedStrategic PlanningActionable Advice Performance Intelligence Reports: Analysis of your game booking performanceLearn how to optimize your marketingCustomize your business based on player habits and booking preferences Special Offer for REPOD Listeners: REPOD listeners get a free one hour Business Mentoring Call. This is a focused one-to-one session to help you work through a challenge, make a difficult decision or bring more structure to your next stage of growth. We’ll explore what’s holding the business back, weigh up your options, and agree on practical next steps. You’ll leave with clearer thinking, renewed confidence and a written summary to keep you moving forward. Book through immersif.co/REPOD or email Sam hello@immersif.co and be sure to mention REPOD to claim your free business consultation. Support Us On Patreon Today Love escape rooms as much as we do? At Room Escape Artist, we’ve been analyzing, reviewing, and exploring the world of immersive games since 2014. We help players find the best experiences, and push the industry forward with well-researched, rational, and reasonably humorous escape room and immersive gaming content and events. By becoming a Patreon supporter, you're not just backing a blog — you're fueling a mission to make the escape room and immersive gaming community stronger, more thoughtful, and more ...
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    1 Std. und 18 Min.
  • Bonus Room Escape Divas

    Bonus Room Escape Divas
    Sep 15 2026

    In this unhinged bonus episode, David and Peih-Gee were joined by REPOD episode guests Errol and Manda. Together they laughed their way through conversations covering stories from the Cryptex Hunt to David's memory of playing his first escape room with Errol. They also talked about a variety of topics including voice acting and interesting things that people say to content creators. Also, we finally learn whether Errol achieved the abs that he threatened to develop.

    Want to listen to the rest of the episode? Support us on Patreon.

    When you support Room Escape Artist on Patreon at $15 per month (or above), you get access to the Spoilers Club, our exclusive podcast where hosts David Spira and Peih-Gee Law chat in depth with creators about iconic escape rooms... spoilers and all!

    https://www.patreon.com/roomescapeartist
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    1 Std. und 2 Min.
  • Key Moments of Season 11

    Key Moments of Season 11
    Aug 7 2026

    At the end of every season, Editor Steve Ewing assembles an episode built from his favorite moments from each episode.

    Whether you have listened to the all of the episodes or just want to get a taste of Season 11, we hope that you enjoy this trip through the past 12 episodes of Reality Escape Pod.

    Full Show Notes

    Episode Sponsors

    We are immensely grateful to our sponsors this season: REA Patreon Backers, PG's Playhouse, Buzzshot, and the Reality Escape Convention. We truly appreciate your support of our mission to promote and improve the immersive gaming community.

    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.

    Support Us On Patreon Today

    Love escape rooms as much as we do? At Room Escape Artist, we’ve been analyzing, reviewing, and exploring the world of immersive games since 2014. We help players find the best experiences, and push the industry forward with well-researched, rational, and reasonably humorous escape room and immersive gaming content and events.

    By becoming a Patreon supporter, you're not just backing a blog — you're fueling a mission to make the escape room and immersive gaming community stronger, more thoughtful, and more connected.

    Access exclusive Patreon content such as:

    • The Bonus Aftershow
    • The Spoilers Club
    • Early access to escape room Tour tickets and REA articles.

    Your Patreon support goes toward our mission: paying our contributors, funding our infrastructure, and supporting deep research and industry advocacy.

    PG's Playhouse

    If you love wordplay, puzzles, and trivia, this is the podcast for you! PG's Playhouse recreates a fun game night, all in a short, 30-minute format. Of course, what’s game night without making new friends? We bring on different guests for the different episodes.

    Each episode features a puzzle packed with wordplay and trivia, a short chat with the guest, and a segment exploring an interesting topic. I hope you’ll take a listen and play along with us at PG’s Playhouse.

    Reality Escape Convention

    Our convention, RECON, will be in Laval, Quebec Canada on August 16th & 17th, 2026.

    RECON offers a curated collection of talks and experiences exploring the business and art of escape room and immersive game creation. All are welcome at this event that is crafted around professionals and aspiring professionals.

    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
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    1 Std. und 3 Min.
  • Lance of Longinus Spoilers Club Nick Moran

    Lance of Longinus Spoilers Club Nick Moran
    Aug 4 2026

    In this episode, David and Peih-Gee were joined by Nick Moran to talk about his first escape room, the iconic Lance of Longinus by Time Run. This game opened in 2014 and made a truly modern escape room masterpiece back in the days of padlocks and unhinged puzzle design. David, Nick, and Peih-Gee explore the flow of the game as well as its context, influence, and demise. Be warned... the last few minutes get mildly racy.

    Want to listen to the rest of the episode? Support us on Patreon.

    When you support Room Escape Artist on Patreon at $15 per month (or above), you get access to the Spoilers Club, our exclusive podcast where hosts David Spira and Peih-Gee Law chat in depth with creators about iconic escape rooms... spoilers and all!

    https://www.patreon.com/roomescapeartist
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    1 Std. und 3 Min.
  • David as Saw's Jigsaw on Good Morning From Hell

    David as Saw's Jigsaw on Good Morning From Hell
    Jul 21 2026

    This one is not safe for work.

    David made his improv comedy debut earlier this year on Good Morning From Hell, playing the roll of Jigsaw.

    He spent a whole weekend preparing, and absolutely wrecked his voice for this one, and loved every second of the experience. Check out Good Morning From Hell, it's a hilarious show.

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    25 Min.