S5E5: Putting the Fun in Fungi - Joel Head from Headlock Escape Rooms

In Season 5, episode 5, we chat with Joel Head from Headlock Escape Rooms. Joel and Janae Head are the creators of The Keeper & the Fungus Among Us—a Golden Lock Award-winning virtual escape room. Picture this: a puppet musical escape room adventure infused with awesome dark fantasy vibes. Imagine if The Labrynth married Rocky Horror Picture Show and they birthed a deliciously villainous mushroom. Throw in a sprinkling of humor, original music by Joel, and absurdly charming sets by Janae. They’ve definitely put the “fun” in fungi. Joel talks to us about the origins of the game and some of his game inspirations. He gives us a behind-the-scenes look at the intricacies of running The Keeper & the Fungus Among Us, revealing that not only is he puppeteering, he is also handling the software, the set changes, and gamemastering. Talk about a one-man-band! We hear about his musical influences like funk band Vulfpeck and Tim Curry’s Dr. Frank-n-furter. Joel also shares his creation process when designing soundscapes for his virtual escape room. The Keeper & the Fungus Among Us is one of the best games to emerge from the pandemic, and after chatting with Joel, it’s easy to see why. This game is a hilarious, rollicking romp through a puzzley, puppet-filled world. It’s remarkable how immersive a virtual game can feel. Headlock Escape Rooms is hard at work on the prequel, The Rise of the Fungi, which should be available later this year. We can’t wait to play it.   Full with Show Notes Timestamps Episode Sponsors Thank you to our sponsors:  Morty Morty is a free app for discovering, planning, tracking, and reviewing your escape rooms and other immersive social outings. Special Badge for REPOD listeners: You can learn more at MortyApp.com/REPOD to sign up and get a special badge for our listeners (works for existing users also). Resova Resova is your all-inclusive software for bookings, made specifically for escape rooms, offering robust booking management, waiver management, integrated point of sales systems, and follow-up emails. Resova is the ultimate online reservation software designed to elevate the guest experience, increase game master efficiencies, drive sales, and improve operations. Special Offer for REPOD Listeners: Sign up with our link at Get.resova.com/rea and receive up to $100 with a Google Ads gift card. Reality Escape Convention - RECON Escape room conventions should be as fun, collaborative, and immersive as the games we celebrate. RECON is our very own escape room and immersive gaming convention. Whether you’re an owner, creator, player, or you’re escape room curious, you are invited learn, connect, and play with our wonderful community. RECON Remote 23 will take place August 19 – 20, 2023, online. RECON 24 will be in person. Get your RECON 23 ticket at now. Music Credits  Our music was created by Ryan Elder. Production Credits REPOD is produced by Lisa Spira and edited by Steve Ewing of Stand Inside Media.