S6E11 - The Art of Game Flow with Summer Herrick of Locurio

"Poor game flow is one of the biggest downfalls to any escape room."

In Season 6, episode 11, we chat with Summer Herrick, co-founder of the iconic escape room company Locurio in Seattle, Washington. In 2020, Locurio had the distinction of being the sole company to win in all three TERPECA categories: Top Room, Top Online Room, and Top Company. Locurio’s games, The Vanishing Act and The Storykeeper are fan favorites in the escape room scene, and with good reason.

Summer talks about Locurio's design process and breaks down the art of game flow—what it means and how to achieve it. With a background in acting and theater, Summer loves creating characters that add to the magic of feeling completely immersed in a world. Summer is also very active in the puzzle hunt community and brings her puzzle crafting skills to Locurio's escape rooms.

I especially loved hearing Summer talk about how to create great game flow and fill a game with character. At over 800 games played, Summer is a true escape room enthusiast. With such a wealth of experience, it’s no wonder that Locurio creates such renowned games that resonate with the escape room community.

 

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