S6E7: The Analytics of Fun: Great Escape Room Design with Marie Huber & Nico Cesar of Red Fox Escapes

“That is some crazy market research.” In season 6, episode 7 of REPOD, we chat with the brilliant Marie Huber and Nico César, owners of Red Fox Escapes in Cambridge, MA. Red Fox Escapes is known for constructing elegant and complex puzzles with gorgeous, detailed sets. As David notes in the episode, “There are a few hallmarks of Red Fox games… your approach to puzzles… and the abundance of detail in your games.”

As a former business analyst, Marie has a metrics-based approach to both how she runs the business and her design process. She even ran a workshop at RECON Boston called “Upping Your Game: Beyond the Basics of Game Design.” Nico comes from a software background. He talks about how his approach to tech in escape rooms is different from the norm, which tends to be hardware focused.

Marie and Nico have spent a lot of time analyzing what makes for great gameplay and a memorable escape room experience. I especially enjoyed hearing all their stories about how to add a special touch to props in an escape room and their hacks for figuring out the headcounts at local escape rooms. This is a masterclass in how to approach escape room design with intentionality and thoughtfulness.

 

Timestamps & Full Show Notes

 

Episode Sponsors

Thank you to our sponsors Morty, Buzzshot, and COGS: 

Morty

Morty is a free app for discovering, planning, tracking, and reviewing your escape rooms and other immersive social outings. 

Morty News:

• Morty now features haunt attractions
• Morty for Android is here

Special Badge for REPOD listeners:

You can learn more at morty.app/REPOD to sign up and get a special badge for our listeners (works for existing users also).

 

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.

 

COGS

COGS by Clockwork Dog is an easy to use software/ hardware platform for running interactive events, including escape rooms, and other immersive experiences. They have plug & play hardware that seamlessly integrates with their software so you can create a show with lighting and sound cues without having to write a single line of code. Map all kinds of inputs to outputs by building up simple logic steps which determine what you want to happen and when.

Special Offer for REPOD Listeners:

REPOD listeners can get the COGS Starter Set for only $130 + free shipping to the USA. This bundle is usually valued at $257. You can learn more and purchase your Starter Set at cogs.show. Use code REPOD at checkout.

 

Production Credits

Hosted by David Spira & Peih-Gee Law

Produced by Theresa Piazza

Supported by Lisa Spira & Richard Burns

Edited by Steve Ewing of Stand Inside Media 

Music by Ryan Elder

Logo by Janine Pracht