Behind the Scenes: Episode 3

OUR BOLDEST MOVE YET

Episode 2 was safe to create. It was linear. It was, by most customer’s reviews… easier. We wanted a very different take than Episode 1 and we got it. 

But as a creator, Episode 2 wasn’t entirely satisfying for me (Eric). I always want to push the limits and I was dreaming of something risky. I had a vision: what if we could send Escape Mailers an entire room in the mail?

Perhaps it’s because we’re “Mobile Escape” and “we bring the escape room to you” but I was latched onto this idea of a room in an envelope. 

And I’ll admit it, getting fixated can be both a virtue and a vice. Episode 3 is without a doubt our most polarizing episode we’ve ever made. 

I met a family in the park near my house who just so happened to be subscribers, and it’s their favourite episode. But we’ve also got a handful of 2 and 3-star reviews as well.

So what’s up with Episode 3? Why is it so polarizing?

Well there’s two reasons as far as I can tell:

1. Mistakes we made

First, let’s see where we went wrong. One of the mistakes we made was failing to let people know that outside knowledge is required for this episode. Traditionally in escape rooms, you have everything you need in the room. But one of our clues mentioned a chess move, and not everyone knows chess.

Second, we failed to consider that - due to envelope size and weight restrictions - the assembled “room” and “items” wouldn’t be as easily manipulated as we would have liked. The finished product feels flimsy to some. And when you’re used to playing board games, the regular paper stock isn’t as impressive.

Third, while this isn’t a mistake per se, we’ve made improvements to the puzzle flow. Some players were getting hung up on two critical factors that limit your ability to solve anything: the grid system and the numbering system. Without those two key components, the puzzle is inaccessible. So the intro letter has since been revised to include easier warm-up puzzles to find the grid and numbering systems.

I should also mention at this point that since we’ve brought on international partners in Germany and the Netherlands, they’ve asked good questions about the game construction and made suggestions as well. And not just to this episode but to all episodes. Huge thanks to Peter especially for his critical puzzling eye!

2. Choices we made

Some of the issues with Episode 3 are, however, not mistakes we’ve made but simply fundamental creative choices that we can’t go back from.

Since our company has spent thousands of hours working with kids to create escape rooms style puzzles out of simple materials, there’s a lot of hands-on work involved: cutting, taping, etc. For us it’s second-nature to work with our hands. Plus we make all our own escape rooms by hand and we taught ourselves how to do it all: carpentry, electrical, finishing, etc.

So we were in for quite a surprise to find that many people do NOT like to work with their hands. It took us months to learn this. The discovery actually came through an Instagram poll where 50% of people said they would rather not cut and assemble a paper gear system.

This realization was hard for me. Why? Because I believe there is an intrinsic value associated with knowing yourself, trusting yourself, and being able to create something good with your hands; to be able to manipulate simple tools and work with simple materials to create something beautiful! It’s actually a type of intelligence that I wish more people had the joy of experiencing. But if I’m honest, if it weren’t for my work, I’m not sure how much I would be wired this way!

Part of the workshop cleaned and cleared and ready to become a makeshift mailroom!

Alas, for Season 1, we learned a valuable lesson, and we’ve backed off. Perhaps we’ll release games in the future that are clearly created for this style of discovery!

STORYLINE

Episode 3 was meant to give you a tantalizing taste of the treasure and an introduction to the Joro people that would also conclude the season (foreshadowing!). Our hope was that the time spent investing in the artwork and numbering system of the Joro would be revisited months later.

Additionally, we’ve since learned that Escape Mailers love seeing JJ, so we shot an intro and outro video of JJ at the temple and included that in the digital portal.

The most important part of this episode from a storyline perspective is that it sends JJ (and Cuz!) away from the treasure to find a secret object - a key - which will become the core focus of the better part of the season. All the excitement surrounding the key also makes for a very compelling item in Episode 12 (no spoilers!)

If you haven’t caught on by now, there’s a strong National Treasure vibe going on here. (Not ashamed to admit it!)

PUZZLE COMPONENTS

The puzzle consists of a large game board (some assembly required, and circular totems (again, requiring assembly). There’s a postcard, and an intro letter too.

The components themselves, as we’ve mentioned, are a hang-up for some people. I think, as a company, we’ve learned to respect the limits of the envelope. The size and weight limits can feel so restrictive to us! We’re much more strict about our expectations regarding the function of the finished product now.

Additionally, we’re getting excited about a product that isn’t restricted by the limits of an envelope!

WE LOVE HEARING FROM YOU

There’s mixed reviews on Episode 3, so don’t be shy to tell us what you think! We’re going to keep trying to “push the envelope” while at the same time respecting is restrictions and playing inside the boundaries :)

Thanks again for going on this journey with us!