From the first competition in Wrocław to a global championship. Explore ten defining moments in ER Champ’s history.

In 2017, the first competition under the name Poland Escape took place in Wrocław. Nine years later, we are preparing for the tenth edition of a championship that has brought together puzzle enthusiasts from across the globe. Along the way, its name, format, Finals locations, and the way fans follow the competition have all evolved.

Ahead of our anniversary Finals, join us for a journey through ten moments that shaped ER Champ. From an escape game inside a car and calls to a real customer helpline to international Finals and livestreams that take viewers inside the championship rooms.

2017: An Idea Becomes a Championship

The idea for the competition came from Bartosz Idzikowski and Jakub Caban, Lockme co-founders and dedicated puzzle enthusiasts. Their interests span both physical escape rooms and tabletop games: they are also the creators behind the Escape Tales and SideQuest series. ER Champ became another way to share that passion.

The first edition, still known as Poland Escape, took place alongside the WroEscape conference. It attracted 537 teams and 1,767 participants. The road to victory led through online qualifications, a regional stage in five Polish cities, and the Finals in Wrocław.

There was no shortage of unusual ideas, even then. One of the semifinal games took place inside a car provided by Traficar. The decisive showdown was held in Asylum, created by Exit19. The enthusiastic response gave the organizers every reason to start planning future editions.

2018: The Online Game Draws Players In

The first edition’s qualifications took the form of an online puzzle game inspired by Notpron. A year later, participants were tackling a point-and-click game. A total of 892 teams entered the championship, with the fastest progressing to stages played in physical escape rooms.

This edition also gave us one of the most unusual anecdotes in the competition’s history. Some players took a task involving event partner chronpesel.pl a little too literally. Instead of looking for the solution entirely on screen, they started calling the company’s actual customer helpline.

According to championship legend, the person answering the calls was very friendly, but she did not reveal any game codes. For a moment, the boundary between the puzzle and the real world proved thinner than its creators had expected.

2019: Puzzles Cross Borders

In 2019, the competition opened up to more participants from outside Poland. Becoming the Polish Open Escape Room Championships and offering games in multiple languages allowed players to join for whom Polish had previously been a barrier.

International interest soon became much more than a number in the statistics. One Japanese team made it through the online qualifications and then flew to Poland to compete in the next stage in Poznań.

It was a meaningful moment: a shared passion for puzzles could inspire players to travel halfway around the world. A competition organized in Poland was beginning to bring together a community extending far beyond its borders.

2020: A New Name and a Global Online Competition

The pandemic forced a change of plans. In 2020, both the qualifications and the Finals took place online. That same year, Poland Escape became ER Champ, and the competition became the World Escape Room Championship.

The online format made it possible to take part without travelling. The top 100 teams advanced to the Finals, and, for the first time, all three podium places went to teams from outside Poland: La Compagnie Keyhole from Canada, Riddler Sukiyaki from Japan, and United Discord from the United States.

Even the main prize was adapted to the circumstances. The winners embarked on a virtual escape room trip around the world, playing live-camera games on different continents. Although a traditional journey was not possible, they could still discover the ideas of creators in faraway places.

2022: Meeting Players on Camera

For three editions, the competition took place entirely online. During that time, both the games and the ways of connecting with participants continued to develop. In 2022, a new element arrived: YouTube livestreams hosted by Olga and Paweł ahead of the qualifications and Finals.

These were pre-game broadcasts rather than coverage of teams competing in physical rooms. Nevertheless, they brought direct contact with the organizers and a shared sense of anticipation to the online competition.

The 2022 edition marked the end of the championship’s fully online period. The following year would bring the finalists together in one place again.

2023: The Return to Physical Rooms

After three years of online competition, the Finals returned to an in-person format. Ten teams travelled to Hydropolis in Wrocław, where two twenty-minute scenarios awaited them.

The return also brought a new scale of live coverage. An audience cheered on the competitors at the venue, while a livestream allowed fans around the world to follow their progress. Online qualifications and physical Finals came together in an event that viewers could also experience from home.

Japan’s Riddler Sukiyaki claimed victory, followed by Les Wyrds from France and 6 Keys from the United States. For many participants, however, the championship was only part of their visit. International teams stayed longer to explore more Polish escape rooms. The Finals were both a reunion and the beginning of further adventures together.

2024: The Finals Leave Poland for the First Time

The next step took us to Prague, Czech Republic. In 2024, the ER Champ Finals were held outside Poland for the first time, at Fun Arena. Ten teams representing the United States, Taiwan, Canada, France, and Poland competed for the title.

6 Keys took first place, followed by United Discord and Les Wyrds. Yet the location itself mattered beyond the results: the championship was becoming an event that travelled between countries.

After years of welcoming the world to Poland, it was time to meet the international community beyond its borders.

2024: Getting to Know the People Behind the Team Names

ER Champ also continued to develop between competition stages. New website features allowed players and teams to expand their profiles with photos, descriptions, and links to their websites and social media.

The option to browse other teams was introduced too. A name on the leaderboard could now lead to a team’s story, its members, and their shared interests.

It was a quieter change than moving the Finals to another country, but an important one for the community. It offered a way to get to know the people who shared your passion - and who might become your opponents in the next edition.

2025: Viewers Get a Choice

The Sofia Finals introduced new ways to watch the competition. A player on the ER Champ website allowed viewers to switch between the main broadcast and feeds from individual rooms. Fans could decide for themselves which part of the action to focus on.

The broadcast also arrived on Twitch. Meanwhile, the filming setup changed: cameras positioned inside the rooms, on the walls, and overhead captured the competitors’ actions without camera operators being present in the playing space.

These developments served two groups at once. Fans gained more perspectives, while players gained more freedom to move as they solved the puzzles. The emotions of an escape room were becoming increasingly accessible to those watching on the other side of a screen.

2026: Returning to Where It All Began

The tenth edition brings us back to Wrocław. This time, Slavic myths provide the setting for our adventure, while the anniversary celebrations bring together the championship Finals and Conference & Expo.

On November 12–13, escape room professionals will gather at Concordia Design. The following day, November 14, the ER Champ Finals will take place at Leśnica Castle. We are returning to the city of the first edition, bringing with us the experience of global competition, international Finals, and broadcasts watched by fans around the world.

Much has changed since this story began. What remains is the curiosity about what will happen when a team encounters an unfamiliar puzzle - and who will be the first to say, “I have an idea!”

We will write the next chapter together this November. If you would like to experience it with us in Wrocław, explore the Finals information and tickets.