Meet Eric Johnson of 21 Keys Escapes

Today we’d like to introduce you to Eric Johnson.

Hi Eric, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
My wife and are are avid escape room fans and wanted to start building out own. In 2021, we join forces we some friends that has started 21 Keys Escapes back in 2018. In 2024, my wife and I bought 100% of the business and have been running it ever since. We design and build all of our own rooms. Puzzles, room build and design, and all the tech required to run the rooms is made by us.

Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
There are always bumps in the roads. Builds can end up taking longer than expected. The economy fluctuates which cause us to us unpredictable sales. Keeping up with hiring and training staff can be a challenge. It is sometimes hard to build to our vision and we have to make constant adjustments as we go.

We’ve been impressed with 21 Keys Escapes, but for folks who might not be as familiar, what can you share with them about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
We strive to build unique immersive escape rooms for our customers. Everything is home built, we don’t buy rooms or designed from other so you get a truly unique room that you have never seen anywhere else. I have a back ground in software development. I have worked with designers and publishers to create board games, I am an avid woodworker and I know how to build websites and do graphic design. I understand 3D modeling and printing and well as design for laser engraving. In additional, I have done a lot of work with micro controllers and raspberry PIs. All of my work experience and hobbies combine to give me everything I need to build and design these immersive experiences.

Are there any apps, books, podcasts, blogs or other resources you think our readers should check out?
Lot’s of different resources on the internet. One I do look at a lot is Playful Technologies, I you tube channel dedicated to escapes room prop and electronics design.

Pricing:

• $30-$36 per person depending on group size

Contact Info:

• Website: https://21KeysEscapes.com
• Instagram: https://instagram.com/21KeysEscapeRooms
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/21KeysEscapes