JULY 28TH, 2026
#007: Building the HARDEST set piece (or... trying to!)
Question of the Month:
“We've heard about the Ruins Altar a lot in this series... I would LOVE to see Jol follow the entire build process, start to finish, of one of these (or any other game piece) to see everything/every person that goes into them! (bonus points is Jol is able to help build it 👀)”
Submitted by Aiden A.
Bad news first:
I did NOT get to assist in any capacity, except for a little bit of moral support and cheerleading. I'm not very handy, and these processes are quite fine-tuned, so I stayed on my side of the camera. But what I lack in bonus points can be made up for with the rest of this edition!
Thanks for writing in!
Timeline Check:
This month I learned that our production timeline is TIGHT and efficient. (Go us!) Except… when you’re trying to film a process, that timeline is quite pesky to work around, so here are the pieces I’ve managed to capture for y’all!
Not captured: Our Carpentry team cutting out the wooden elements and building the three main body pieces.
Follow the journey:
Beautification
Paint
Our first stop, but nowhere near the beginning of this process, is our paint team! They receive the raw, wooden components and are tasked with turning them into beautiful, stone creations.
Texture comes first, to achieve the raised, stonelike feeling. Then comes an even coat of black paint to cover all raw wood. Then a few layers of colored, realistic-looking paint to achieve a lighter, dusty brown stone look.
Finally, to seal the deal, two coats of matte clear paint are applied. Triple-checking that all surfaces that are visible are painted and ready, this altar is ready for scenic!
BONUS QUESTION:
“How long does it take to make a entirely new escape room start to finish?”
Submitted by Alyssa Z.
Short answer: Around 10 months
Long answer: We typically will take as long as it takes to create the best version of a new game! Typically, our process is contained to about 10 months from conception to first launch. However, sometimes a game is created much quicker (Our collaboration with Only Murders in the Building) or a bit longer (Cosmic Crisis).
