For a decade, Portland Escape Rooms has created 5-star interactive experiences that immerse guests into engaging stories where they must puzzle their way through and become the hero. Our game moderators are the keys to creating these experiences for our guests.
About the Owners
When escape rooms gained popularity in the 2010s, puzzle enthusiasts Nick and Steven wanted to create their own experiences where guests could feel curious, challenged, and heroic. In 2015, they launched Portland Escape Rooms, one of the first escape room companies in Portland, OR. For over a decade, they’ve curated escape rooms that are playful and thrilling, but they find the most rewarding part is collaborating with and mentoring the game moderators who make these experiences possible every day.
The Team Behind Portland Escape Rooms
Zack | Operations Manager
With a background in technical theater and set building, Zack is no stranger to creating immersive spaces that tell a story. When they aren’t watching guests feel the thrill of cracking a tough puzzle, they’re creating even more captivating worlds in their writing and Dungeons & Dragons campaigns. They bring humor and memorable characters to the escape rooms they lead, arguably influenced by their favorite book series, Dungeon Crawler Carl, and the game The Bard’s Tale. Their favorite escape room is American Revolution for its theming that transports guests to the 1770s.
Mays | Build Goblin & Moderator
Mays moved from California to Portland in 2020, when she stumbled upon moderating escape rooms by chance. Though with hobbies in TTRPGs, reading, and writing, it was only a matter of time. Now, she is our resident build goblin, or rather, one of the most instrumental people in building, installing, and maintaining the full range of puzzles at Portland Escape Rooms. With one of her favorite movies being Treasure Planet (2002), it's no wonder her favorite room is Steampunk Airship for its unique puzzles and perfect challenge for group collaboration.
Mikael | Admin Moderator
After playing his first escape room in Durango, Colorado, Mikael fell in love with the concept and became a moderator at that same location. When he’s not creating unique experiences for each group at Portland Escape Rooms—like giving an extra hint to whoever can write “yee-haw” 12 times the fastest—he’s likely playing Dungeons & Dragons and Blood on the Clocktower or giving his cat, Agatha Van Helsing, the attention she deserves. His favorite escape room is Fortune Teller for its immersive design and the clever puzzles, including the room’s animal book which Mikael designed.
Toby | Admin Moderator
Growing up in Portland, Toby’s parents took him to escape rooms where he could engage with his love of puzzles. The idea of becoming a moderator at Portland Escape Rooms to lead the experiences he loved was a perfect fit. Toby is fond of ’80s nostalgia and video games, so naturally, his favorite room is Arcade, along with its logic puzzle to help a Starcraft rocket take flight. When he’s not helping guests solve puzzles, you’ll find him at a Waterparks concert, a Dan and Phil meet and greet, or solving the Monday crossword.
Rayn | Admin Moderator
Rayn loves the clever references and thoughtful theming in escape rooms. Since joining Portland Escape Rooms, seeing guests light up in epiphany moments after thinking through difficult challenges has made Rayn appreciate puzzles even more. Their favorite room is Snakebite Saloon, as guests often role-play with the Western theme and playfully engage with each puzzle. Like many other puzzlers, they love Dungeons & Dragons, video games, and crafty hobbies like drawing and bookbinding.
Tuesday | Admin Moderator
For two years, Tuesday strives to create unique and unforgettable escape room experiences for guests. They bring a Dan and Phil-like energy, imbuing humor and joy into each event. As a film student at PSU, they have a love for crafting—and consuming—cinematic stories. Games like Baldur’s Gate III and Hollow Knight also inspire their love for puzzles, storytelling, and gaming. American Revolution is one of their favorite rooms because the moment the door opens they feel they’ve traveled back in time.
Callidora | Game Moderator
For Callidora, the most interesting thing about running escape rooms is seeing how people’s minds work to solve the problems and puzzles within the room. Her favorite part is hearing the screams of joy when they lean on teamwork and find the solution. Kidnapper’s Revenge is Callidora’s favorite with its clever puzzles and immersive theme. Besides escape rooms, she loves the gym, sports, and painting.
Lily | Game Moderator
With their favorite game genre being puzzles and team-based challenges, moderating escape games sounded so fun for Lily. They love seeing guests attempt to solve a puzzle incorrectly in the same way they tried solving it one the first try. While they love fantasy RPGs like Dungeons & Dragons and Final Fantasy, their favorite room is the Western-themed Snakebite Saloon for its immersive aesthetic.
Max | Game Moderator
Max loves the challenge of a good escape room. When he’s not moderating a room, he’s painting miniatures, reading, playing TTRPGs, or diving into video games—especially Armored Core 6. His favorite room to run is Steampunk Airship for its immersive theme that makes you really feel like you are on an adventure and the memorable guest interactions that follow.
Seb | Game Moderator
With a theater background, Seb loves the immersive role-playing potential of escape rooms. When they aren’t bringing a Shakespearean-level performance to moderating, he could be writing to add to his list of publications or jumping back into their favorite video game, OFF by Mortis Ghost. Their favorite room is American Revolution with its theming and historical approach to the escape game genre.
Ven | Game Moderator
Ven didn’t expect to run escape rooms as a job, but the experience has been a surprisingly perfect fit. Their love of TTRPGs, particularly Cyberpunk and Dungeons & Dragons, and programming video games is evident in their love for escape room design. Their favorite room to run is Snakebite Saloon because its environment encourages guests to get into character with accents, backstories, and physical engagement with the puzzles.
Abby | Game Moderator
Abby loves that she can make guests laugh and engage them in storytelling in every escape room she runs. One of her most memorable interactions was when a group of teens asked if their pet rock could join the room. If she’s not moderating rooms, she’s probably frolicking at the renaissance faire, rereading The Lord of the Rings, or writing short stories and poetry. With its truly magical feel in each puzzle, Game of Stones is one of her favorite rooms.
