ER Champ 2025

ER Champ 2025

ER Champ 2025 features an engaging story culminating with a live final event in Sofia, Bulgaria. Form a team now and start training for the competition, as the qualification stage will be held in June. Below you will find all the most important information about this year's edition.

Don't forget to sign up for our newsletter to stay up to date. Also, join our discord server to meet players from around the world.

Story this year

Every year ER Champ has a unique intriguing story and narrative. You will get acquainted with it during the stress test, and then get to know the main part of it during the qualification stage. Everything will be wrapped up in the grand final and the story will reach its conclusion. This year our story is entitled "Boo-tiful Adventure at Dalloway Manor".

Welcome to Dalloway Manor, where mischievous ghosts outshine any hint of terror! Journalist Howard Craft and photographer Lily Jones set out to debunk the legends of the haunted manor.

But once inside, they find themselves trapped by playful, nosy spirits who love pranks more than scares. To escape, they must solve the manor’s mysteries and uncover its secrets.

Will Lily and Howard outwit the ghosts and find their way out? Or will they become permanent residents of Dalloway Manor?

Grand final in Bulgaria

ER Champ is a world-wide championship. It’s important for us that the finals of the competition are held in a different country every year. After Poland and Czechia, the time has come for Bulgaria.

We’d like to invite you to Sofia, October 20, to our venue called The Purgatory. We are preparing many attractions you can attend during the final event. More details can be found below.

Schedule

Online games

Howard Craft and Lily Jones enter an abandoned manor where strange things happen, and players must help them explore the rooms and find a way to stop the ghostly curse.

Welcome to Dalloway Manor!

Welcome to Dalloway Manor!

Qualifications

Welcome to Dalloway Manor, where horror meets absurdity, and ghosts prefer wit over scares! Howard Craft, a journalist for the local newspaper, and his friend Lily Jones, an ambitious young photographer, have heard plenty of spooky stories about the abandoned Dalloway Manor. People say its walls hold too many secrets and that anyone who enters may never leave. Dismissing these as silly myths, the two set off to explore the ruins. Maybe they’re just curious, or maybe they’re amateur ghost hunters hoping to catch proof of spirits on camera. But as soon as they step inside, the door slams shut behind them. Instead of terrifying ghosts, they find mischievous spirits who love pranks more than hauntings. To escape, Lily and Howard must solve the manor’s mystery—before they, too, become ghosts!

Show the game
Before the Booo...

Before the Booo...

Stress test

An abandoned manor. Whispers of ghosts. And two curious souls who dare to enter: Howard Craft, a local journalist, and Lily Jones, a young photographer. Welcome to the Booootiful Adventure at Dalloway Manor. This is where it all begins.

Show the game

Live final

The ER CHAMP 2025 finals will be held on October 20 in Sofia, Bulgaria. The top 10 teams selected in the qualifiers will compete against each other in unique rooms built specifically for this occasion. Also, for the first time ever, we will hold a mini-conference for escape room owners during the event. All of that will happen at a venue called The Purgatory.

For finalists

During the finals, each of the 10 teams will compete in two rooms specially built for the occasion. In addition, on the day before the finals, there will be a special event during which you will be invited to practice in the ER Champ rooms from previous years in the headquarters of the Funky Monkeys company.

Prepared for the finalists are:

  • waiting room with attractions
  • full catering during the competition
  • afterparty with attractions
  • networking with the escape room community
  • special pre-event

FOR ESCAPE ROOM OWNERS

We invite you to a mini-conference for owners of escape rooms where we will present a case study of the construction of the best rooms in the world.

You can expect:

  • interesting speeches and panels
  • networking with the escape room community
  • presentations of interesting products
  • afterparty with attractions

FOR AUDIENCE

You are invited to participate in watching the competition together and network with the escape room community - other enthusiasts, owners, our staff, and of course the finalists themselves. During the event there will be an opportunity to play the final rooms of ER Champ yourself.

Prepared for you are:

  • competition audience area
  • afterparty with attractions
  • opportunity to play in the ER Champ rooms
  • limited merchandise of ER Champ

Conference - 20.10.2025

We'd like to cordially invite you to the first edition of our conference for the escape room industry, organized as part of the finals of the ER Champ 2025 escape room competition. The conference will be divided into 3 thematic parts whose main goal is to inspire you to create even better rooms and cooperate with other creators. The event will also feature a small exhibition zone at the venue. At the end of the day, we invite you to an afterparty where you can network with other escape room enthusiasts. The conference will be held in the Purgatory venue in Sofia on October 20th.

Part 1: Inspiration

Bartosz Idzikowski

ER Champ: Past, Present, and Future

Bartosz Idzikowski

Next year marks the 10th anniversary of ER Champ, providing an opportune moment to reflect on our journey and key learnings. This presentation will summarize our history, analyze our experiences, and unveil exciting plans for the future evolution of ER Champ.

About the Speaker:

Bartosz Idzikowski, co-founder of ER Champ and Lockme (an online escape room marketplace), is also a board game designer renowned for the Escape Tales and Side Quest series. As an avid escape room enthusiast with approximately 800 rooms played, Bartosz is dedicated to fostering connections within the escape room industry.

Nataša

To Be First or To Be the Best – Why Not Both at Once?

Nataša

A journey of fearless creativity, bold ideas, and reinvention in the escape room world.


What if innovation wasn’t about choosing between being first… or being the best?

What if the key was daring to try the impossible?

In this energizing, TEDx-style talk, Nataša Potočnik—founder of Enigmarium® and trailblazer of the escape room industry in Slovenia—shares bold, unconventional projects that challenged the status quo, broke new ground, and even melted a few igloos along the way.


From the first gamification of an actual castle (allowing six groups to play simultaneously), to transforming a national museum into an immersive experience (and winning Slovenia’s top museum award), to escape rooms in nature without electricity or gamemasters—where goats and cows became part of the story—and to Sensperience®, the best Slovenian game, a groundbreaking blindfolded adventure where you navigate the story, guided by sound, scent, and touch—Nataša proves that when creativity meets courage, the limits disappear.

But creativity alone is not enough.

It’s not just about creating something once—it’s about nurturing it, refreshing it, and continuously pushing boundaries to keep it alive and stay ahead.

And that is the secret to lasting success.

This is not promoting Enigmarium’s projects.

This is a call to action.

To never stop dreaming.

To never stop creating.

To never say: it’s impossible.

BIO

Nataša Potočnik is an experience designer, co-founder of Enigmarium®, and president of GIZ ER.SI, the Slovenian Escape Room Association. A pioneer in the immersive entertainment space, she has spearheaded internationally awarded projects, from snowy igloo escape games to nationally recognized museum exhibitions. With a passion for storytelling and bold innovation, she’s redefining what escape rooms—and creativity—can be.

TBA

TBA
Soon we will announce full talk details.

Part 2: Terpeca

Verone

Between Art and Business: Designing Games That Make You Forget You're Playing

Verone

How performance, passion, and bold ideas can turn a game into an unforgettable experience.


Bio:

Verone is the founder, designer, and creative mind behind Verone Live Action Escape Rooms, operating two venues in Greece with a total of three games. As one of the most talked about creators in the Greek escape room scene, his work constantly challenges the boundaries of traditional game design, favoring performance, emotion, and immersion over conventional puzzles.

His game Don't Take a Breathe was ranked #8 in the world in both 2022 and 2023 by the Top Escape Rooms Project (TERPECA), earning global recognition for its raw realism and intense actor-driven gameplay. He is also the creator of Cocaina and the provocative Fifty Shades of Pork.

Verone has been an escape room player for over 9 years and an in-room actor for 8 years, having played more than 500 escape rooms. For him, escape rooms are not just entertainment. They are an addiction.

As a designer, he has built 7 games in Greece and one in Germany, and has contributed to many others through story consultation, game flow, and special effects design.

Driven by passion, Verone creates experiences where players forget they are playing and fully live the moment. He constantly takes bold creative risks, pushing his audience to feel, fear, laugh, and question everything within the walls of his immersive worlds.

TBA

TBA
Soon we will announce full talk details.
TBA

TBA
Soon we will announce full talk details.

Part 3: Escape Room Development

Ivan Vladimirov

Escape the Chaos: How Software Powers the Next-Gen Escape Room

Ivan Vladimirov

This talk explores how modern software can transform escape room businesses—from seamless booking systems to powerful control panels and integrated social management. Discover how the right tools can streamline operations, enhance player experience, and give owners more time to focus on creativity and growth. Whether you're running one room or ten, it's time to bring your backend out of the dark.

Bio

I'm a developer with a deep technical background and experience working with some of the world’s biggest companies — but my true passion lies in escape rooms. I’m not just someone building tools for the industry from the outside. I’ve been an escape room owner, builder, consultant, actor, and an avid player with over 200 rooms across Europe under my belt. I’ve helped design rooms that were sold internationally and even had projects nominated for TERPECA. My mission is to create software that truly understands the heartbeat of this industry — because I live and breathe it.

Zoltan Papp

Go on Vacation! How to Build a Self-Running ER Team

Zoltan Papp

Many escape room owners are stuck in the daily grind, managing staff rotas, solving tech issues, replying to every single review, leaving little time for rest, let alone a proper holiday. This session explores how to break that cycle. With smart structures, clearly defined roles, and a healthy dose of trust, even small teams can become self-sufficient. Learn practical strategies to delegate with confidence, empower your staff, and build a business that can thrive without you being on-site 24/7. You can leave the country (and your inbox) for a week. Here's how.

Bio:

Zoli is the founder of Zolitopia, a consulting service for escape room owners, and the co-founder of clueQuest, the UK's longest running escape room. With over a decade of experience in the escape room industry, he has consulted numerous business owners across the globe on organizational structure, marketing strategies, and long-term business development. Zoli has also been a featured speaker at major industry events, including Game On, Transworld, ERIC, and Up the Game.

Tickets

Event area ticket - 20.10.2025

  • Access to the fan zone
  • Participation in competitions and games
  • Entry to the afterparty
39 EUR
Buy

Conference ticket - 20.10.2025

  • Participation in the conference
  • Catering during the conference
  • Access to the fan zone
  • Participation in competitions and games
  • Entry to the afterparty
119 EUR
Buy

ESCAPE ROOMS IN SOFIA

During your stay in the Bulgarian capital, we wholeheartedly recommend to play the local escape rooms. You can easily find them using the Lockme platform. On Lockme, you will also find information on how to travel around Sofia.

WHAT IS LOCKME

Lockme is a marketplace that allows you easily search for, review and book escape rooms. It also provides you with your own diary of visited rooms. You can now find escape rooms from various countries there, including Poland, Czech Republic, Germany, and of course Bulgaria. Browse and book escape rooms in a convenient way and get the best time slots. Lockme is also the main organizer and sponsor of ER Champ.

Useful links

A map of escape rooms in Sofia

ER Champ Newsletter

2025 program team

Ambassadors

Organizers

Partners

  • Organizer / Sponsor

    Lockme

    Lockme is a worldwide marketplace of escape rooms. Currently, it has a database of almost 4,000 escape rooms in 13 European countries and supports 7 languages. Under the Lockme brand, you will find other projects, including world-renowned escape room tabletop games from the Escape Tales series.

  • Co-organizer

    Funky Monkey
  • Co-organizer

    Aber
  • Technical partner

    My Cuda Robimy My Cuda Robimy
  • Meritorical partner

    Exit19
  • Technical partner

    Tutek Live Tutek Live
  • Technical partner

    The Purgatory The Purgatory
The Ghosts of Dalloway Manor
The Ghosts of Dalloway Manor

This year's ER Champ 2025 story revolves around the dark—though not truly scary—mansion known as Dalloway Manor. Who once lived here, and who lives here now? What are the ghosts' stories, and what exactly happened tha...

New feature in ER Champ games!
New feature in ER Champ games!

ER Champ is still growing. We develop our systems and games regularly to make them more engaging for our players. Check out the brand new feature!

Work updates
Work updates

This year's Championships are getting closer. This is an update of our work!

Boootiful Adventure at Dalloway Manor
Boootiful Adventure at Dalloway Manor

The ER Champ 2025 is set to captivate escape room enthusiasts with its unique blend of mystery, humor, and challenging puzzles. This year's narrative promises participants an unforgettable experience. Learn more about...

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