What’s the neatest souvenir you’ve gotten from an experience? Back in 2019, I posted a summary of some of the neatest trophies I’ve gotten, and honestly, the list hasn’t changed that much since then. I’m still a big fan of putting neat stickers on my laptop, but my bookshelf isn’t filling with interesting trophies. There is one newer innovation that gets me excited though- videos from the experience itself!
My first encounter with this type of reward was about two years ago. The game master snags photos and video clips of the team at key points during the game. Afterward, players get to see the results, and if they really want, can purchase a USB drive with the images on it.
It was always fun to see, but it was never quite worth it to me to buy the images. Barring the capture of an incredible “aha!” moment I want to remember forever, or something embarrassing / hilarious, I can’t imagine making multiple return trips to the same video / image. I’m sure some teams out there would love the memento, especially those celebrating an anniversary, birthday, or accomplishment.
More recently, I experienced another twist on the digital memento, and this one was a home run for me. Just Escape in La Grange, IL captures players’ reactions at a particularly shocking moment in a spooky game. In many cases, the player caught by surprise may scream, and as I commented earlier, hilarious memory = prized treasure.
Even better, Just Escape shares a link with the video for easy download or sharing on social media. What an awesome way to get the word out there!
I’m not the most reactive person when it comes to jump scares, but that makes the video fun in its own way. And it’s also fun being able to watch myself focus on the task at hand and immediately move past a startling moment. But for groups where someone legitimately gets nailed by the jump scare, this would be a phenomenal “show everyone!” moment.
I hope I get more souvenirs like the one above- my laptop has long since run out of real estate for new stickers, so having something else neat to show off is greatly welcome! Kudos to Just Escape for innovating, experimenting, and delivering something totally unique that adds to an already great escape room experience.
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