On October 20, 2025, Sofia became the center of the global escape scene, hosting the finals of ER Champ 2025 (Escape Room Championship) - the largest international competition for escape rooms. The finals were held at The Purgatory, and we at Inner Voice were lucky enough not only to attend, but also to be part of the team behind the scenes.
At the Heart of the World Escape Championship
ER Champ is an annual competition that brings together the best escape teams from around the world to face difficult and innovative rooms created specifically for the event. This year, 12 teams, the best in the online qualifiers earlier in the year, arrived in Sofia for the grand finale. For the first year, the organizers of ER Champ from Lockme (Poland) challenged the teams not only with a series of riddles and puzzles, but with entire real escape rooms created in collaboration with My cuda robimy (We create miracles, Poland).
Within 30 minutes of qualifying time, each team had to go through a series of complex puzzles and mechanisms in each of the two rooms specially created for the final. Few managed to get out of the first room on time, but this only proved how high the bar is set at the world championship. The winners were the team Dziękuj Krystianowi, że do drużyny Cię przyjął from Poland. Los Kotitos (Switzerland) came in second, just 19 seconds behind the champions in the total time for both rooms. Comment est votre blanquette (France) completed the top three, while last year’s winners, 6 Keys (USA), finished fourth.
Another novelty in this year’s championship was the conference, which welcomed both escape enthusiasts and many owners and creators from the escape room industry. The conference was divided into three parts - Inspiration, TERPECA (Top Escape Rooms Project Enthusiasts’ Choice Award), and Escape Room Development.
Here's What We Learned from the Conference
Bartosz Idzikowski talked about the history of ER Champ, from its beginning as an internal Polish league, through the world championship it has become today, to its vision and plans for the future. Nataša Potočnik, a pioneer in interactive entertainment and president of the Slovenian Escape Room Association, shared the journey of Enigmarium and the various projects they are implementing. To conclude the first panel, Jakub Witosławski from Lockme gave practical PR advice based on their experience in promoting escape rooms around the world.
The second module was dedicated to TERPECA, a prestigious award for the best escape rooms worldwide, as rated by enthusiasts. Koparanis Verone and Vasilis Dalitsikas from Greece talked about the escape scene in our southern neighbor, how to create better rooms, and what happens when players’ expectations clash with reality. Jan Gheyle concluded the panel with a unique guide to creating rooms worthy of the TERPECA award.
The last panel at the conference focused on the technologies and processes behind a well-functioning escape room. Ivan Vladimirov from Keyhowl revealed how we can optimize and improve the player experience with small technological steps. Zoltan Papp closed the panel and the conference with a story about the processes, documents, practices, structures, and roles that allow him to take a break instead of “putting out fires” in his own business every day.
Our Contribution - from Setting up the Rooms to Registering Participants
The Inner Voice team was part of the organization of the championship in Sofia, not just as observers, but as real participants in the preparation and logistics of the event.
Yana took on the role of Host, welcoming participants, teams, and guests at registration. She was the first person every finalist and guest met, and she was ready to answer any questions.
"Seeing so many passionate people from all over the world come to Sofia because of their love for games was truly inspiring. The atmosphere was unforgettable!" - Yana
Emo took on a much more behind-the-scenes, but even more responsible role, called Fitter. This meant that he literally became part of the My cuda robimy(We create miracles) team, helping to build, connect, and test the rooms themselves before the finals. In the days leading up to the event, Emo worked side by side with the team from Poland to ensure that everything was precisely built, safe, and ready for the big day.
This year’s championship rooms used the Wonder wallz modular system, which allows for quick assembly and disassembly of ready-made panels, as well as completely hidden cabling and electronics.
"We unloaded more than 60 wall modules, as well as numerous props and decorations for the two final rooms. Since I was the only Fitter from Bulgaria, I quickly found myself acting as a translator between the local porters and the Polish team, coordinating where each element went so that it was as close as possible to its final position." - Emo
After unloading, it was time for the panels to form the two rooms. The language barrier did not hinder the work at all, and it proceeded at full speed. While most of the team worked on the more complex first room, Emo, Adam, and Anya began assembling the second one.
"There is no such thing as a language barrier when there is work to be done, and our languages are not that different," Emo says. "You quickly figure out what a wkrętarka and kombinerki are, and I'm sure that by the end of the day Adam had learned винтоверт (screwdriver) because that's how he greeted me at the start of the second day of construction. I am proud that I was able to quickly get into their rhythm and be a full-fledged part of their team."
This is not the first time we have worked with Poles. In 2024, together with Departament Gier, we were part of Street Games Festival Interspaces in Tartu, Estonia.
By the end of Saturday, both rooms were ready for technical inspection, and the second day was focused on decorating and finishing the spaces to welcome the 12 enthusiastic teams on Monday. Sunday was also the day when the rooms “came to life” with cameras and lighting from the tutek live video team, ready to capture every moment in the upcoming championship, broadcasting the games live with commentary from the studio, as well as each room separately, for the best viewing experience.
Emo was also part of the first groups to test the finished rooms. Together with part of the video team, he ventured into the first room, continuing the story of the online qualifiers and the mysterious Dalloway estate. With a team of strangers and a few clues, the first room was completed in just over 45 minutes. Already warmed up and with a new team, Emo left the second room in 27 minutes, just on the edge of the qualifying time (if we imagine that he was playing in the final, this would have put them in 13th place). More important than the time was the fact that they managed to find a small mistake in the game that had been missed in previous tests, which was fixed for the finalists.
"Responsibility means trust to me, so I was flattered that hours after our first meeting, the Polish team started asking me for my opinion on various issues, and in the evening they entrusted me with assembling the demonstration area on my own," - Emo concludes.
Trust that Means a lot
Being a volunteer at such an event is an honor, but gaining the trust of the team was a huge recognition of our professionalism. The team literally accepted us as part of their family - we asked questions, solved problems on the spot, communicated with the participants, and even had fun while building together with them.
Thanks to the co-organizers from the Bulgarian side - Funky Monkeys, our favorite team Fury and the Association of Bulgarian Escape Rooms - Sofia was able to host such a large-scale international event and leave its mark on the global escape community.
The rooms from the championship continue their life as the newest addition to the Funky Monkeys experience - ready for all enthusiasts and fans of escape experiences.
Inner Voice - Part of the Big International Escape Family
Our participation was more than just another volunteer opportunity - it was another chance to get a taste of world-class escape design and organization. We saw how rooms for champions are created, how mechanisms are thought out, and how the dynamics of an event with dozens of international participants are managed.
"Being part of the ER Champ team is like entering a next-level game - everything is detail, pace, and passion. Everyone gives their best to ensure a smooth and memorable championship. And being part of it was an incredible experience,"said Yana.
Professionalism, Community, and Passion for Games
ER Champ 2025 was proof that the escape room community is alive, inspiring, and curious. For us at Inner Voice, it wasn’t just an event - it was a lesson in professionalism, new friendships, and another step toward our mission to develop gaming culture in Bulgaria and beyond.
We would like to thank Bartosz Idzikowski from Lockme and Nadezhda ‘Hera’ Danabasheva from Fury for their trust and for giving us the opportunity to be part of this experience. We will see you again - perhaps at the next finals in Poland!
Photo credits: tutek live