Escape Room Awards in Barcelona, Changes to ER Champ, and the Golden Lock Awards return! ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌
Escape Industry News
Well Howdy, Escape Room Industry! 👋

... And a very happy April to you all!

It looks like spring has finally sprung! Well, at least where we are at Escape Industry HQ in the Northern Hemisphere. Although it's beginning to warm up, those April showers are an excellent excuse to stay indoors and play new escape rooms.

We're not the only ones with the same idea! In fact, this month we've seen a record number of new rooms opening around the world. From new rooms, to new 'news', and an updated 'dates for your diary', it's a bumper update for April. As always we hope you enjoy this issue of the Escape Industry Newsletter, and if you have any thoughts or feedback to share you can always hit reply.

But before we sign off, on a final, funny note, since the recent clocks changed in various regions in the world, mornings have begun to feel a little more like this lately...
No matter what lies ahead for you this month, always remember to set your directional locks to 'onwards and upwards' and have a fantastic time!

Until next time,

Mairi 
Editor of Escape Industry News

🧩 Trending Now


 

ER Champ Returns for 2023... Offline!

In an exciting move, ER Champ has announced that it's grand finale 2023 will take place in person, in Poland. Whilst the date of the finale has yet to be announced, other important dates for your diary include:


June 3 - online stress test, hours. 16 UTC
June 24 - eliminations online, at. 16 UTC
READ MORE


 

The Escape Room Awards Have Announced Nominees

The Escape Room Awards are a Spanish-language escape room award ceremony taking places in person in Auditori Mediapro en la Avda Diagonal 177 de Barcelona, on the 24th April. This year sees a fantastic line-up, with a number of international rooms. Read more directly on their website.

READ MORE


 

Golden Lock Awards Set a Livestream Date This Month, April 29th 2023

Also in 'awards' news... The annual Golden Lock Awards is a livestream awards ceremony hosted by the Room Escape Artist team calling attention to and celebrating the best escape rooms in the world. This year, they add a new category: Events, to the roster. The Livestream will be available on Saturday 29th April at 9pm Eastern.

READ MORE


 

🧾 In Other News


 

📆 Upcoming Dates for your Diary


April 17th
Los Angeles Escape Room Meetup
Los Angeles, USA

April 23rd
Escape Room Awards Gala
Barcelona, Spain

April 24th - May 1st
Steam Puzzle Fest
Online Event

April 29th
The Golden Lock Awards
Online Event

May 1st
Cryptex Hunt
Online Event

June 2 - 4th
The Next Stage Summit 2023
Los Angeles, USA

June 24th
ER Champ Eliminations
Online Event

August 19th - 20th
RECON Remote 23
Online Event


 

🔑 Recent Doors Unlocked 


🇺🇸
🇨🇦
  • Question has announced a new room, Abyss, coming soon to Montreal, QC.
  • Mystery Mansion Regina has relocated and opened a new room, Collected, in Regina, SK.
  • Retro Oasis has opened a new room called The King's Hoard in Okotoks, AB.
  • Topp Escape Adventures is a new site with one room that has opened in Regina, SK. Of note, Topp Escape is Regina's 1st Indigenous Women owned escape room.
  • Unlocked Adventures has opened a new room, superHEIST in Kanata, ON.

🇬🇧
🇦🇺/🇳🇿
📩 Have we missed an opening near you? Reply to this email and let us know!

A shout out to the resources & individuals who are a huge help when compiling this list each month:
Escape the Review (UK) Morty App (Global), Matt Lui (CA), ERA Mag (Australia)

    🔊 Listen


    Last month in Podcasts, Radio & Live Show

    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 This Podcast
    "A show that’s a mix of escape room puzzles and tabletop role-playing."
     
    Puzzling Company
    "On this podcast, Zach and Jared every week cover a new at home puzzle / escape room style game and discuss all things about it!​"
     
    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."
    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.​"
    Shows & Livestreams
     
    These podcasts may not have released new episodes this month, but are well worth checking out:
     
    • Future of Storytelling - How to Design an Escape Room
      • Escape rooms give audiences the opportunity to use their minds and bodies in an exciting, participatory experience. Victor van Doorn and his company Sherlocked are taking that offering to the next level by integrating deep storytelling into their rooms for an altogether more immersive experience. Hear Victor talk about how to design with an eye towards narrative and flow on today’s episode of the FoST podcast.
    • Cipherdelic Pod
      • "Have you ever wondered who oils the cogs of the constantly evolving escape room industry? Think no more. In each episode we speak to a guest from the interactive experience industry to offer you, our listener, a peak behind the curtain."
    • Enigmailed Puzzlecast
      • Thoughts perspectives and unpacking of ideas from the man behind Enigmailed Puzzles.
    • 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."

    🔎 April's Puzzle
     

    The first word in this riddle,
    Is a painful bee's defence.
    The second swaps two to one
    A fiancé's great expense.
    The third stays home not outside,
    Taking two to leave the rest.
    Finally, keep the first half of that.
    You'll find the fool in what's left.
     
    Tweet us your answer @escapeindustry



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