World Escape Room Championship | ER Champ 🏆

Today we’re taking a closer look at the story behind ER Champ 2026. Meet a few of the characters you may come across during the qualifiers - some inspired by old legends, others created for this year’s adventure. Your path starts here 🍃

From the first edition in 2017 to thousands of players around the world – ER Champ keeps growing. Swipe through the numbers and take a look at the journey so far. The 10th edition is coming 👀

Meet the Program Team! Today, we’re excited to introduce the third and final group behind this year’s puzzles: Team Gamma 2026! 🔹 Bamse - a lifelong puzzle lover whose journey started with scouting, codes, and challenges. With experience as a Game Master and even creating puzzles in Minecraft, he brings a playful and inventive approach to puzzle design. 🔹 Jelena - returning for another year on the Program Team, Jelena combines her experience in both real-life and online escape rooms with creativity and curiosity. She’s passionate about puzzles and excited to keep growing as a puzzle creator. 🔹 Gai - a professional game designer with over 300 escape rooms to his name, including award-winning projects. From museums to TV shows, his experience spans across industries – and now he brings that expertise to ER Champ. 🔹 Vergina - joining from Greece, Vergina has been immersed in the world of escape rooms since 2014. Designer, player, and Game Master - she lives and breathes immersive experiences and is always chasing that magical “aha!” moment. And with that… you’ve officially met everyone behind this year’s puzzles! Team Alpha, Team Beta, and Team Gamma have completed their work - and now it’s time for the next phase: bringing the ER Champ 2026 Qualifications to life. Stay tuned 👀

Meet the Program Team! The Program Team - the creative force behind this year’s puzzles - is made up of several groups, and today we’re excited to introduce the second one: Team Beta 2026! 🔹 Marta - back for another year of designing thrilling online escape room challenges! A returning member since 2024, Marta brings experience, creativity, and just the right amount of mystery (no, you can’t bribe her for puzzle secrets 😉). 🔹 Paulina - part of ER Champ since the very beginning, first as a tester and judge, and now as a puzzle creator. A true puzzle enthusiast with nearly 400 escape rooms under her belt, she also competes in international puzzle championships. 🔹 Agnieszka - a longtime fan of puzzles, escape rooms, and cryptic challenges, now joining the Program Team for the first time. With a creative background in art and design, she adds a fresh perspective to this year’s puzzles. Together, they’re crafting clever, creative, and surprising challenges to make this year’s ER Champ an unforgettable experience. Stay tuned - next week, we’ll introduce Team Gamma!

Meet the Program Team! The Program Team - the minds behind this year’s puzzles - is made up of several groups, and today we’re excited to introduce the first one: Team Alpha 2026! 🔹 Brian - a true puzzle enthusiast who has solved over 700 escape rooms worldwide, including an incredible challenge of completing one in each of the 50 US states in a single year. A longtime member of the ER Champ Program Team since 2022, Brian brings years of experience and a deep understanding of what makes puzzles truly engaging. 🔹 Shreepal - a software engineer with a passion for music, dancing, and puzzles. Together with his wife, he explores escape rooms around the world. This is his first time creating puzzles for ER Champ, and he’s excited to take on this new challenge! 🔹 Iris - a creative spirit who loves puzzles, escape rooms, and a wide range of artistic hobbies like dancing, crafting, and baking. This year, she’s adding puzzle design to her ever-growing list of talents. 🔹 John - an award-winning puzzle and immersive event designer with experience ranging from global corporations to private events. After years as a player, he now joins the Program Team to help create unforgettable experiences - and maybe hide a few secrets along the way. Together, they’re working to craft puzzles that will challenge, surprise, and immerse you in this year’s ER Champ journey. Stay tuned - next week, we’ll introduce Team Beta! 🫡

Open an escape room faster than you think. Whether you want to expand your offer, start a new escape room business, or attract more players - ER Champ Rooms help you do it with a premium, internationally recognized experience. Skip the risky learning phase and start with a championship-level room. 👉 more info bio

Open Your Escape Room Business This Year! 🏆

ER Champ 2026 is closer than you think 🏆 We’re entering a very special chapter - the 10th World Escape Room Championship. Here’s what’s locked in: ⚙️ Stress Test: May 30, 2026, 16:00 UTC 🏅 Qualifications: June 20, 2026, 16:00 UTC This anniversary edition draws inspiration from Slavic legends - stories full of magic, strange creatures, and ancient beliefs. From forest paths to forgotten wells, Milena and Sambor will guide players through a world where myth and puzzles intertwine. Games are in the making, finals preparations have begun, and one thing is certain: this edition will be remembered. More info in the link in bio!

Да бъдем домакини на финала от Световното първенство по ескейп стаи @erchampcom 2025 за нас беше огромна чест, но и предизвикателство, което трябваше да покрие качество и стандарти на международно ниво. Както сподели организатора след събитие: “We haven’t had a smoother championship” - изречението, към което се стремим с всеки наш клиент. Благодарим ви за доверието, @lockmepl !

🎉 ER CHAMP 2025 is behind us! 🎉 It was an intense time full of puzzles, emotions, and great fun. The competition lasted until the very end - literally, as there were only 19 seconds between the first and second place! ⏱️ 🏆 1st place: Dziękuj Krystianowi, że do drużyny Cię przyjął [Poland] 🥈 2nd place: Los Kotitos [Switzerland] 🥉 3rd place: Comment est votre blanquette [France] Congratulations to all participants - both those on the podium and every team that took up the challenge. You’re the ones who make this event so special year after year. A huge thank you also to everyone who helped us organize this event and was a part of it - both at The Purgatory in Sofia and online by watching the competition stream! And now… it’s time to relive the memories!

The World Escape Room Championship 2025 has come to an end! As a team, we’d like to express our deepest gratitude to everyone who took part in this incredible event. Huge thanks go out to all participants, organizers, ambassadors, pre-legends, creators, and every single person who joined us - whether in person or from home, cheering us on from behind the screen. It’s thanks to all of you that we’re able to make events of this scale possible - growing bigger and stronger with each passing year. Once again, a massive THANK YOU to every escape room enthusiast who joined us for ER CHAMP 2025! 📷photos and videos: @tutek_media #ERCHAMP2025 #ERCHAMP #ESCAPEROOM #championship

Το Escape Room Championship 2025 στη Σόφια της Βουλγαρίας ήταν όλα όσα αγαπάμε: δημιουργία, ενέργεια, networking, γέλιο, και φυσικά… πάθος για το παιχνίδι! Μία διοργάνωση που συγκέντρωσε όλη την παγκόσμια κοινότητα των Escape Rooms σε ένα απίστευτο conference γεμάτο γνώση, έμπνευση και… παλιούς φίλους! Η @greatescapegr ήταν εκεί, εκπροσωπώντας την Ελλάδα με υπερηφάνεια 🇬🇷 Ανάμεσα σε Escape Room owners, creators & enthusiasts απ’ όλο τον κόσμο, ανταλλάξαμε ιδέες, γνωρίσαμε νέες τάσεις και χτίσαμε τις “επόμενες αποδράσεις” μας — όχι μόνο μέσα στα δωμάτια, αλλά και στη φαντασία. Και ναι… είχαμε και δύο Έλληνες ομιλητές που έλαμψαν στη σκηνή! @verone.gr & @lockhill_official 🔥 Οι στιγμές αυτές μας θυμίζουν πως δεν είμαστε απλά escape rooms — είμαστε μια κοινότητα που ζει για να δημιουργεί εμπειρίες που μένουν. 🎥 Δες τα highlights από ένα συνέδριο που μας άφησε γεμάτους ιδέες, έμπνευση και ευγνωμοσύνη. #GreatEscape #EscapeRoomChampionship2025 #SofiaBulgaria #EscapeRoomOwners #EscapeRoomCommunity #EscapeRoomConference #TeamBuilding #Networking #ProudlyGreek #ExperienceCreators What an honor to be part of the Escape Room Championship 2025 in Sofia, Bulgaria — the ultimate European gathering for Escape Room owners, designers, and enthusiasts. We were thrilled to see two incredible Greek speakers on stage, representing our country with creativity and passion 🇬🇷 From immersive design to innovation in storytelling, the event reminded us why we love this industry: because it’s not just about puzzles — it’s about people, stories, and impact. We reconnected with old friends, met brilliant minds from all over Europe, and shared ideas that will shape the next level of immersive experiences. Thank you to everyone who made the Escape Room Championship 2025 such a meaningful event. Until next time — keep escaping keep being GREAT