Good news for escape room fans—there’s an exciting new virtual product on the horizon that promises to bring all the thrills of traditional escape rooms into a virtual reality space. Enter RoomEscapeVR, a web-based platform where players can enjoy immersive VR escape rooms and even create their own unique experiences to share with a global community. To learn more about this innovative project, we caught up with Lewis Burtt-Smith, the visionary behind RoomEscapeVR.
Tell us a bit about yourself. Before creating RoomEscapeVR, what was your background? Have you always had a passion for video game development?
Lewis: I’m a 27-year-old web developer from England, though I’ve lived in Copenhagen since I was 19 for my studies. I’ve been a gamer my whole life, starting with Rayman and Tomb Raider on the PlayStation in the early 2000s. My favorite games of all time are The Elder Scrolls: Oblivion, Mount & Blade: Warband, and The Legend of Zelda: Majora’s Mask.
Before starting RoomEscapeVR, I worked as the CTO at MeetinVR, where we built virtual reality business meetings. It was during this time that I learned about both the strengths and limitations of virtual reality, particularly how powerful it is for connecting people and enriching their experiences.
So, what exactly is RoomEscapeVR, and what are you hoping to achieve with it?
Lewis: At launch, RoomEscapeVR is a multiplayer escape room that can be accessed through a web browser on your phone, desktop, or VR device. You simply select a level, and instantly, you’re hosting a server that your friends or others can join via a link. You’ll see their avatars and be able to communicate via microphone as you work together to solve puzzles and escape.
But that’s not all. RoomEscapeVR also includes an editor where users can create their own escape rooms. If you have experience with 3D modeling or programs like Blender, you’ll find it easy to dive in and design your own experiences. Our interaction manager is straightforward: choose an object and decide what happens when a player interacts with it. Should it trigger an animation, open a door, or activate a keypad? You can create interactions by dragging connectors between boxes, making it simple to design escape room mechanics without needing to code.
Having worked in a real escape room before, how do you think RoomEscapeVR compares to real-life escape rooms? Are you aiming to replicate that experience, or offer something new?
Lewis: That’s a great question. In today’s digital age, people are moving away from the “hyper-optimization” of gaming and life in general. What they really want are meaningful connections and experiences. RoomEscapeVR is focused on bringing people together for those kinds of rich, memorable moments—similar to real-life escape rooms but with greater accessibility.
Real-life escape rooms often require booking, traveling, and a big time commitment. They’re fantastic experiences, but RoomEscapeVR offers the convenience of having a library of escape rooms available on demand. Imagine sharing a link in your chat and diving into a quick escape room session while you wait for a game queue to start—it’s all about making escape rooms more accessible to people.
I was inspired to create this after visiting Bodaborg, an arcade-style escape room in Sweden. I wanted to make it possible for people like my friends and I, who live far apart, to enjoy that kind of experience together online.
You’ve mentioned that users can also create their own virtual escape rooms. What should potential creators know before getting started?
Lewis: For anyone interested in creating their own escape rooms at launch, all you need are your 3D models and a bit of creativity. In the future, I plan to add a drag-and-drop feature, similar to The Sims, where creators can use pre-built assets.
Will users be able to get creative with unconventional contraptions in their designs?
Lewis: Absolutely. Think of it like Minecraft’s redstone system—most people can figure out how to make a simple button-operated door, but there are also those brilliant minds who use it to build fully functional computers. The possibilities are vast, and I can’t wait to see what the community creates.
Are you also working on your own escape room for the platform? Can you share any details about that?
Lewis: Yes! Our first escape room, Prophecy of the Ancients (working title), is a classic tomb exploration where players will solve ancient mysteries to retrieve Egyptian gems. Of course, the tomb has its own surprises in store for you. This will be the first in a series, and we’ll also make it available for users to remix in the editor.
What’s next for RoomEscapeVR? Are there any exciting plans in the pipeline?
Lewis: Right now, the priority is getting feedback on the first room, which is why it’s free with a registered account. We want to know what works and what doesn’t so we can improve and release new escape rooms quickly.
Any final words for our readers?
Lewis: Happy puzzling! There’s a real opportunity here to shape the future of RoomEscapeVR, so don’t hesitate to reach out with ideas, bugs, or any content you’d like to see. Thanks for this opportunity to share the game!
For more information on RoomEscapeVR, be sure to visit the official website.
