This month's top stories include RECON Remote 25 tickets, Game On Conference Wrap, the Cerebral Puzzle Showcase, and more. ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ‌  ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ‌:  ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏

Doesn't look right in your email client? View this email on the web here

Greetings Escape Industry News readers,

I have used the pun "we may have escaped another month" every single May Escape Industry Newsletter, but this time... I may not. No, instead lets keep the focus to the important things happening in the escape room world this month!

RECON Remote 25 makes it's return online, with tickets going on sale. Meanwhile in the UK we wrap up on the Game On Escape Room Conference. Over in the video game world, you may be excited to learn the Cerebral Puzzle Showcase is returning later this month - with a whole escape room section in it's selection. Just in time for heavy hitters Escape Simulator to release the demo for their upcoming sequel.

There's a lot to be excited for!

As always, we thank our sponsors for this issue of the newsleter, and if you'd like to chat about sponsorship (or any thoughts for that matter), feel free to reply to this email and say hi.

Until next time! 👋

Mairi Nolan
Editor of Escape Industry News

P.S. If a friend has forwarded you this email, please consider subscribing!

 

🕹️ Sponsored By

Questy

We've all been there when good weather hits and all of a sudden booking hits rock bottom.

Create immersive outdoor experiences, without writing a single line of code! Questy is a no-code game-building platform, empowering your escape room to expand your offerings beyond your four walls.

💰 Generate passive income with self-running games
🎯 Keep customers engaged with new games
📍 Gamify any location

Ready to launch your next interactive experience?
Book a demo and
 start creating with Questy today!

Learn More

🧩 Trending Now

Ticket for RECON Remote 25 are on sale

RECON returns for 2025 and will take place online between August 17-18th. Tickets are now on sale, and Room Escape Artist have posted an informative article on what to expect and a little behind the scenes this year.

Learn More

LockMe Publishes Interview with Gai Bosco

In their latest post, Lock Me interview a number of notable escape room owners and designers - beginning Gai Bosco, who is an enthusiast and gamification expert, who has designed more than 250 commercial escape rooms. He has also created experiences for organizations, education, museums, etc. And has created escape rooms for TV shows and large special events.

Learn More

Thats a wrap on Game On 2025

We're particularly excited about this one because we got to attend (*cheers in UK-escape room events*). You'll probably also have noticed a couple of sponsored slots from Game On in the build-up. Well, the conference went off without a hitch - excellent talks, great vendors, and some really fun games to play too. This isn't "news" so much as a "hey this is a cool thing that happened and I hope it returns for 2026."

Learn More

REPOD Returns for Season 9

To kick off the new season, David Spira and Peih-gee Law chat to James Douberley, the designer of the 2025 MIT Mystery Hunt titled “The Case of the Shadow Diamond.” This season has lots of exciting episodes planned, you won't want to miss it.

Learn More

🧾 In Other News

• The Escape Rooms in Education Showcase takes place... Later this week!
• Activate is partnering with Mexico's largest escape room company, Enigma Rooms to
expand into Latin America.
•
Underwater museum and escape rooms planned for quarry in Wales, as reported by Blooloop.
• NPH is running a
murder mystery weekend for $10,000 a ticket. Information is a little tricky to find, but here's a sneak peek.
• I'm several months late so this isn't "news" but it's still interesting - Artur Petrzak posted a
40 minute video behind the scenes at Mystery Express in Poland, which details the process of creating props and works in progress. It's worth a watch!
• Room Escape Artist are hosting an
Asia-Pacific virtual meetup for escape room owners, designers, and creatives.
• A recent article from WSJ is about
The Property Brothers and their love for escape rooms. Unfortunately it's locked behind a paywall.
• Society of Curiosities recently wrote a
great article on cancelling games in the industry.
Midnight Madness have announced their upcoming event with a tes tpuzzle as 13th September in London, UK. Midnight Madness is a very unique concept, and if you have the opportunity to try it out, take it.

Not quite an escape room but we think you'll be interested in...

• If you like video games, then the
Cerebral Puzzle Showcase will be taking place later this month, May 29th - June 5th, and will have a dedicated escape room category.
• Tribeca has announced the
2025 immersive program for the festival, taking place June 4th - 15th.
• Challenge Arcades has posted their
update for May.
• I recently
wrote an article for Thinky Games about Rusty Lake's 10th anniversary and upcoming game.
• The upcoming Escape Simulator 2 has also
revealed their demo.

 

📆 Upcoming Dates for your Diary

May 15th - 16th
Escape Rooms in Education Showcase
Online

May 29th - June 5th
The Cerebral Puzzle Showcase
Online (Steam)

June 28th
ER Champ Qualifiers
Online

August 17th - 18th
RECON Remote 25
Online

October 19th - 20th
ER Champ Finale
Sofia, Bulgaria

 

🔑 Recent Doors Unlocked

🇺🇸

CA

EDscapade Games has opened a new room, LockDown, in San Jose.
First Empire Party House and Escape Rooms has opened a new room, Transylvania Hotel in Santa Rosa.
Lore Speakeasy and Escape Room will open The Mission this month in San Francisco (here's an article about it's quest for building permits)
Lunar Light is a new VR-immersive-escape room experience open in Santa Monica.
Paso Robles Bakery and Escape Room is now live, with bookings being taken in June.
The Grape Escape has opened a new room, Coven, in Napa.

MI

Escape Room Novi has opened Blackwater Harbor: Echoes of the Deep in Novi.

MO

Adventures of Intrigue has added an Arcade Arena to their venue in St Louis.

NY

Escape the Room has opened a Quizboxing experience in New York.
Ryco's Escape has announced their new room, Titanic, should be open in a few weeks in Westbury.

OK

The Sanctuary has opened a new room, The Lakehouse in Oklahoma City.

TN

The Escape Game has opened a new room, Legend of the Yeti in Nashville.

🇬🇧/🇮🇪

Channel Islands/ Isle of Man

Exit Strategy has announced a new room, Cosmo's Chocolate Factory on the Isle of Man.
MTG Escapes has opened a new room, Butcher's Basement, in Guernsey.

East of England

Cluetopia has opened a new room, The Invitation, in Braintree.
Cryptic Escape has opened a new room, Dragons Dungeon in Norwich.
Cryptx has opened a new room, Love's Labour Found, in Cambridge.
Funky Snake Escape has opened a new business with two rooms in Leighton Buzzard.
Oliver Cromwell's House are running a pop-up escape room, Operation Underlord, in Ely.
Suffolk Escape Room have opened a new room, The Birthday Pay-Up in Saxmundham.
The National Horseracing Museum has opened a new room, Accumulated, in Newmarket.

Midlands

Alderford Escape Islands has opened three new rooms in Whitchurch.
Chesterfield Escape Rooms has opened a new room, Deep Trouble, in Chesterfield.
Escape Leicester has opened two new rooms in Leicester.
Top Escape Rooms has opened a new room, Casino Heist, in Worcester.

North England

Compendium have opened a new room, Turd Raiders and the Lost Golden Plunger in Bury.
Escape Newcastle have opened a new room, Escape to Victory, in Newcastle.
Evadare is a new company that have opened with two rooms in Edenfield.
Hollym Escape Rooms have opened a new room, Reaching Valhalla in Withernsea.
Street Hunt have opened a new game in Manchester.

Scotland

Escape Glasgow have opened a new room, Time Crystals, in Glasgow.
Nomad Escape have opened with three new rooms in Glasgow.
The Crief Hydro Mansion has opened a new room in Perthshire.
The Vault has opened a new room, Saw, in Aberdeen.

South England

ClueCapers have opened a new game, The Crusader's Collectible in Winchester.
Escape Hunt have opened a new branch with 4 rooms in Canterbury.
Escapism Plymouth is opening a new room, Oceanic Panic in Plymouth.
House of Frankenstein has put tickets on sale for Parasomnia, their Halloween after-dark challenge event.
Room Lockdown has opened a new room, Twisted, in Hornchurch.

Wales

Houdini's has opened a new branch with three rooms in Cardiff.
Xscape Rooms has opened a new room, The Attic, in Bangor.

🇦🇺/🇳🇿

Mission Room Escape will be opening their new room, The Unplayed Melody soon in Sydney, Australia.

A shout out to the resources & individuals who were a huge help this month: Escape the Review (UK), Rich Bragg (USA).

 

🔊 Listen

Last month in Podcasts, Radio & Live Shows

Escape This Podcast
"A show that’s a mix of escape room puzzles and tabletop role-playing."

• Podcast This Escape - Spaghetti Sabotage April 2
•
In The Dog House ft. Elan Lee and Amanda Harris April 9
•
Podcast This Escape - In The Dog House April 16
•
Water You Solving? ft. Robin Ward and Jeremy Johnston April 23
•
Podcast This Escape - Water You Solving? April 30

Reality Escape Podcast
"Your hosts David Spira & Peih-Gee Law explore immersive gaming from all angles."

• An Insane Interaction in China's Tomb Raider (ft. Rich Bragg & Dan Egnor) April 9
•
MIT Mystery Hunt - James Douberley, Benevolent Dictator of Death & Mayhem April 14
•  
Empirically Impossible: Neil Patrick Harris & Jonathan Bayme, Box Two April 21
•
Mama Bazooka: Finding Your Muse April 28

The Infinite Escape Room
"The puzzling podcast where a gaggle of geographically diverse chums come together, have a drink - and work together to solve a home made escape room of the ears.​"

• Spaghetti Sabotage! feat. Eloise Corvo April 6
•
Stone's Throw Mysteries: Pop's Bar with Eloise Corvo April 13
•
Puzzle Creators React: Brooklyn Nine-Nine April 20
•
Ozman Richard's House of Death Games: Just a Minute... April 27

The Cager Express: Escape Break
"Welcome to the Cager Express: Home to Southern California's favorite Escape Room Podcast: Escape Break featuring Ezekiel Cager Ky and Beth Divel: . Sit down with us as we recap fun rooms, interviews and bizarre topics!"

• Escape Break: A Whole Lot of Rooms April 3

Aurelius Whitlock's Murder Museum
"Join Marcus and Nathan as we play through murder mysteries of our own devising, playing curator, murderer, and detective. Listen along as we unravel the Museum's many secrets... What mysteries will you be able to solve?"

• Route to Misery Pt. 1 (ft. Mairi Nolan) April 3
•
Route to Misery Pt. 2 (ft. Mairi Nolan) April 15
•
Nathan, don't listen to this episode April 28

The following podcasts didn't release a new episode this month, but you should definitely check them out anyway:

  • Reality Escape Podcast
  • The Escapuzzled Podcast
 

🔎 May's Puzzle

As a cohost of the TIER podcast, I often write little riddles and puzzles which contain obscure easter eggs relevant to very few people and places. In a recent solstice-themed recording, I wrote this word/language riddle. See if you can solve it:

Begin the riddle with Avery's name
Remove five, and four remain.
Next find the ash then split it in half
Of the two, take the end, discard it last
Shuffle the three left behind
What remains is the sunshine to find.

Solved it? Let us know!


Escape Industry News is brought to you by

 

Enjoyed reading

Escape Industry News?

Spread the word!

facebook link

Our mailing address is:
94 Maresfield Road, Brighton, BN2 5ER, GB

Unsubscribe