The Mind Behind the Who Killed Ickey Treasure Hunt, John Bromels

Reality Escape Pod - Escape Rooms & Immersive Games

"We are so excited that a publishing company is using the medium of puzzles... to promote a book."

The only thing I like better than puzzles is winning money while solving puzzles. Who Killed Ickey? is an online treasure hunt taking place January 27, 2024 with prizes worth $50,000. In this special release sponsored episode, we sat down with the Who Killed Ickey? puzzle hunt designer John Bromels for the inside scoop on how this treasure hunt works .

John started off creating The Puzzle Crawl—for nerds who like to drink and drunks who like to think. He is also on the team that ran this year's MIT Mystery Hunt.... but don't worry. He told us that he designed The Who Killed Ickey? hunt to be accessible to puzzlers of all experience levels.

We’re really excited that a publishing company is using the medium of puzzle hunts to promote their new book. Good luck to all the puzzlers! The Who Killed Ickey? treasure hunt begins at 10 am Pacific Time on January 27, 2024 and ends at 4:30 pm Pacific Time. You can learn more at the Who Killed Ickey? website.

Timestamps & Full Show Notes

Episode Sponsors

Thank you to our sponsors Who Killed Ickey? and Morty, Buzzshot, and COGS by Clockwork Dog:

Who Killed Ickey?

Who Killed Ickey? is a madcap treasure hunt from Galbraith Literary Publishers taking place on January 27, 2024, with prizes totaling fifty thousand dollars. This hunt is designed by John Bromels, a member of the team running this year’s MIT Mystery Hunt.

Who Killed Ickey? Details:

• Grand prize of $25k to fastest team.
• Next 10 fastest teams win prizes with total value of $20k.
• There are mini puzzles every week, and solvers are entered into a drawing for $50. If you solved every single puzzle, you’re entered into a drawing for $5k.
• The entry fee is buying a copy of the book Who Killed Jerusalem, which will be needed to solve the puzzles. However, you won’t need to read the book to solve anything.
• Neither the book (which is set in 1977 San Francisco) nor the Hunt are related to recent global events in any way.
• The Who Killed Ickey? treasure hunt begins at 10 am pacific time on January 27, 2024 and ends at 4:30 pm pacific time.
• You can learn more at the Who Killed Ickey? website.

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

Edited by Steve Ewing of Stand Inside Media

Music by Ryan Elder

Logo by Janine Pracht