113 - Online Escape Room Taxonomy with Brett Kuehner

With all the online escape rooms available, a number of lists have been created to collate them all. However, soon there were a lot of lists to keep track of. So Manda and Errol talk to Brett Kuehner about the meta list of lists he compiled. You can find the list on his website:

With a meta list of online escape rooms and also escape room design links.

We also talk about the taxonomy developed by Dan Egnor to categorize the different types of online escape rooms.

Online Escape Room Taxonomy

  • In-person escape room - as we know them (however you define that)

  • Live remote escape room - tell a GM what to do, they play an escape room-like setup for you (eg. Ready Mayor One, YouEscape, Seven Dwarves)

  • Live simulated escape room - tell a GM what to do, they pretend they're playing an escape room-like setup and tell you what would happen (eg. Escape This Podcast)

  • Escape room-style video game - video game that emphasizes puzzles, collaboration, discovery, and other escape room like elements (eg. Tick Tock)

  • Escape room-style tabletop game - board/card/paper game that emphasizes puzzles, collaboration, discovery, etc. (eg. Unlock!, Exit)

  • Online puzzle hunt - puzzles hosted online, without other escape room trappings (eg. most of puzzlehuntcalendar.com)

  • Puzzle book - puzzles in a book, without other escape room trappings (eg. Journal 29)


Games Discussed in the Podcast


Phone or Videoconference Immersive shows Discussed in Podcast

Posted on April 17, 2020 .

110 - Cryptex Hunt 2020: Behind the Scenes

Mike learns about this year’s Cryptex Hunt! Manda and Mike question Errol about what it’s like writing a novel, writing a puzzle hunt, and dealing with server issues.

Yes, people this year have to read a novel.

Yes, people this year have to read a novel.

Posted on February 21, 2020 .