Sorry if you get this edition of the newsletter twice. We had a problem with sending it earlier this week and heard that for most people it ended up in the spam folder. |
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Well, December is finally upon us - which means this is the final Escape Industry News issue of the year!
...And what a year it's been!
This year we've: • Published 12 issues
• Covering over 300 unique news stories from the escape room industry.
• Reported on over 500 new escape room openings around the world.
• Listened to at least 168 hours of podcasts (but who's counting?)
• Attended 4 escape room industry events worldwide
• And last but not least, over 100 of you have solved at least half the puzzles we've set.
Of all the lovely emails we receive from you folks, my very favourite this year was:
"The newsletter is one of the highlights of my inbox each month, thank you to you and the team for this little 'escape' :)"
So, thank you all, wherever you're reading from, for all the support this year.
But, enough about us. Onto the news! Keeping up the tradition, December hasn't given us any major new stories - but there are more than a few award ceremonies to watch out for this month. If you've spotted something we've missed, feel free to reply to this email and let us know so we can include it in January's issue.
Until then, enjoy the festive holidays, and we'll see you next year, Puzzle People! 👋
Mairi
Editor of Escape Industry News
P.S. If a friend has forwarded you this email, please consider subscribing!
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TERPECA 2023 Livestream this weekend After a successful nomination and voting stage, the team behind the TERPECAs is now tabulating the results to conclude the winner. From their Facebook page:
"Please join us when we announce the results *live* via internet broadcast on Saturday, December 16 at 1pm PST / 4pm EST / 9pm GMT / 10pm CET / 11pm EET / 8 am Sunday AEDT!" |
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Nominations now open for the inaugural Thinky Awards! Whilst not quite about escape rooms... We're pretty excited about anything that brings more attention and representation to puzzle games in every format. Thinky Games are calling for nominations for 'the best' puzzle game in various categories that launched this year. Check out the nomination page (and be sure to nominate your favourites) this year. |
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📆 Upcoming Dates for your Diary |
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🇺🇸 • 60 Minute Missions has opened a new room, Critics Choice, in Greensburg, PA.
• Aberdeen Escape Rooms has opened a new room, Cookies and Cocoa, in Aberdeen, SD.
• Amazing Escapes has opened a new room, Out of Time A Perilous Paradox in Boise, ID. • Back in Time Escape Rooms has opened a new room tied in with Disney's "The Naughty Nine", in Manhattan Beach, CA.
• Breakout Waikiki has announced a new room, Obama's Mission Manoa is opening soon, but no specific date yet, in Honolulu, HI.
• Break the Code has opened a new room, Can You Save Christmas?, in Lake City, FL.
• Capital Escape Games has opened a new room, Morgue: Christmas with the Coroner, in Jefferson City, MO.
• Coastal Escape Room has opened a new room, Christmas Escape Clause, in Surfside Beach, SC. • Conquer the Clock has opened a new room, The Night Before Christmas, in Monaca, PA. • Cracked It Escape Rooms has opened a new room, Project Sky Lab, in Midway Park, NC. • Escape Room Cleveland has opened a new room, Area 51, in North Olmstead, OH.
• Escape Room Entertainment has opened a new room, Snowed Inn, in Melbourne, FL.
• Escapopolis has opened a new room, The Treehouse, and also their Christmas room, Saving Santa’s Workshop in Lansdale, PA. • Grand Escape Room has opened a new room, Destination: Home for Christmas in Billings, MT. • Hidden Gems has opened a new room, Sprinkleton’s Revenge, in Mechanicsville, VA. • Ingenious Escape Rooms has opened a new site in Bakersfield, CA.
• Oh Key Escapes has opened a new room, Sabotaging Santa, in Blackfoot, ID.
• Puzzlescape has opened a new room, License to Chill, in Hudson, MA.
• Red Door Escape has opened a new room, The Gift (Christmas Edition) in Rancho Cordova, CA.
• Room to Escape is running a Christmas 30-minute room, Santa's Workshop, in Fort Wayne, IN. 🇨🇦 • Dream Escape has opened a new room, The Hivemind, in Toronto, ON. • Omventure has announced a new room, Wild West Showdown, in Toronto, ON.
• Trapped has opened a new location in Waterloo, ON.
• Trivia Escape Rooms has opened a new room, Swiftie Escape in Toronto, ON. 🇬🇧 This year there are over 100 Christmas games opened in the UK... It's too much to list for one email update, so if you're interested, we recommend checking out Escape the Review's roundup. We've listed only the new permanent rooms 👇
• Breakout Manchester has opened a new room, Murder on the Dancefloor, in Manchester.
• Deadlock have opened a new room, Candyland, in Maplethorpe. • Escapade HQ has opened a new room, Jester, in Belfast.
• Houdini's has opened a new site with three games in Worcester, and a new site in Sheffield.
• Kingston Escape Rooms have opened a new room, Sausage Surprise, in Kingston Upon Thames.
• Knockout Escape Rooms has opened a new room, Dirty Money, in Reading.
• Lockdown Ormskirk has opened a new room, Valhalla, in Ormskirk.
• Northumberland Escape Rooms has opened a new room, The Stolen Magic, in Morpeth.
• North Yorkshire Water Park has opened a new room, in Scarborough.
• Rhonda Escape Rooms has opened a new room, The Last of Them, in Rhondda.
• Room Lockdown has opened a new room, The Rock, in Hornchurch.
• The Donnington Manor Hotel has opened four escape rooms in Sevenoaks.
• The Escape Game Carmarthen has opened a new room, Redacted, in Carmarthen.
🇦🇺/🇳🇿
• Escape Room Albury has opened a new room, Christmas Calamity, in Albury, NSW, Australia. • Escape This has opened a new room, Asylum, in Perth, WA, Australia. • Fox in a Box will be opening it's brand new site this month in Fremantle, Perth, WA, Australia.
• Lost Reality has opened four new rooms in Victoria Park, WA, Australia. • Times Up has opened a new Christmas room in Bunbury WA, Australia.
📩 Have we missed an opening near you? Reply to this email and let us know!
A shout out to the resources & individuals who were a huge help this month:
Escape the Review (UK), Morty App (USA)
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Last month in Podcasts, Radio & Live Shows
Cager Express: Escape Break
"Escape Break featuring Beth Divel and Tatiyana Abarro: Southern California's premier escape room podcast show. We recap fun rooms, interviews and bizarre topics!" • Escape Break: Who Got Snubbed? Nov 21 • Escape Break: Deja Rooms Nov 8 Escape This Podcast
"A show that’s a mix of escape room puzzles and tabletop role-playing." • Podcast This Escape - Quitting in Style Nov 28
• Quitting in Style ft. Rita Orlov and Lauren Bello Nov 22 • Podcast This Escape - Costume Party Nov 15 • Costume Party ft. Dani Siller Nov 8 Live from the CodeBar
Live from the CodeBar is a twice-monthly podcast about Armchair Treasure Hunts, codes, ciphers, puzzles, Escape Rooms as well as ARG's and puzzle subscription boxes. • The Scarlet Envelope. Nov 24
• Tales From the Adventurers Journal, Japan Edition. Nov 17 Reality Escape Pod
"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." • Bonus After-Show Teaser: Advent of Code Nov 30
• Advent of Code: 25 Days of Programming Puzzles with Creator Eric Wastl Nov 28
• Bonus After-Show Teaser: Eric Berlin Nov 23
• Eric Berlin Puzzle Snacks Nov 23
• Bonus After-Show Teaser: Red Fox Nov 16
• The Analytics of Fun: Great Escape Room Design with Marie Huber & • Nico Cesar of Red Fox Escapes Nov 14
• Bonus After-Show Teaser: Club Drosselmeyer Nov 9
• Nutcracker in Swing Time - Kellian & Brian Pletcher, Creators of Club Drosselmeyer Nov 7
• Bonus After-Show Teaser: Halloween Spooktacular Nov 4 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." • Oh the Humanity! - With Ctrl+Alt+Esc Nov 27 • Arson Around at the Time Warp Club Nov 19 • Let’s Do The Time Loop Again Nov 12
• A Bloody Mess at the Axe and Head Nov 4
These podcasts may not have released new episodes this month, but are well worth checking out:
• Locked in a Podcast ”Locked In a Podcast” is an escape room themed podcast from the team at The Panic Room. Alex & co will take listeners on an exciting journey through the world of escape rooms.
• Life is an Escape Room "The Life Is An Escape Room Podcast explores how the skills you gain playing escape rooms with intention will make you more successful in all aspects of your life."
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In the spirit of the holidays, we're continuing our trend of swapping the puzzle for the cheesiest festive joke instead.
What do you call a reindeer who can't see?
(highlight to reveal) No Eye Deer Tweet us your cheesiest jokes at @escapeindustry |
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