Meet Bryan Sloan | Escape Game Designer and Owner

We had the good fortune of connecting with Bryan Sloan and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Bryan, can you tell us more about your background and the role it’s played in shaping who you are today?
I come from a very fun and very large family. I’m one of 7 kiddos and now that we are all married with families of our own, it gets more fun every year. My parents instilled a strong work ethic in all of us. While my father worked at a large university, we also grew up on a ranch with 100 head of cattle, so we were used to hard work as well as wearing multiple hats. Now that I’m married with 3 kiddos of my own, my wife and I try to instill those same values in them. Being an entrepreneur means I have to juggle multiple roles all at once, and I’ve gotten pretty good at it. I enjoy the thrill of figuring it out on my own and being my own boss. I wouldn’t trade that for anything.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
Being a creative isn’t always easy because you don’t always know where the path is going to go. As a small business owner and entrepreneur, the floor is always moving. I create escape games, so that means I am creating an experience for a group of people. I have to figure out what the final feeling should be for them, and then work backwards to create the journey. I use everything around me, so I might find a common household item and figure out how to use that in the escape game. I have to add additional wrinkles into a game to make it a worthwhile experience. If the game is too easy, then what’s the point? If it’s too difficult, it becomes too tedious, so there has to be a happy middle ground where the theme of the experience resonates within the puzzles I’m creating. If I create a secret spy mission, then why are these types of puzzles there? Would these materials authentically fit into the game? How do I keep the players inside the game instead of reminding them that they are playing a game? It’s like watching a movie. You want to forget you are watching something from the outside. You want to feel like you’re really there, and that’s the challenge I have to overcome.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
Well it might be cliche but I’m really excited about the predator exhibit at the Fort Worth Zoo. Who doesn’t like animals? Near Southside Fort Worth has some great treasures and restaurants to see and visit. Also if you don’t go eat at Heim BBQ then you haven’t eaten right. Another good spot for after dinner is Thompson’s Bookstore, and they don’t even sell books.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
My wife and kids are my biggest fans, and I am theirs. They are all very intelligent, creative, and fun to be around. I hope I can learn lessons from all of them to create experiences that other will continue to enjoy.

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Image Credits
Blue Ops Mission