Escape Rooms
Establishing Escape Cube in Tehran, Iran, in 2017 marked the genesis of a journey that has flourished into a network of 4 branches throughout the city. Throughout this expedition, I have spearheaded the creation of 8 distinct escape rooms, each woven with its own captivating narrative, intricate puzzles, and immersive mechanics.
GIZMONDO
an immersive escape room experience that blurs the lines between documentary storytelling and interactive intrigue, plunging you into a meticulously crafted narrative inspired by true events
| October 2021
GIZMONDO
Game Theme
Inspired by an actual event and a 2006 fraud case in Los Angeles, USA, this escape room plunges participants into the shoes of Los Angeles police officers responding to a perplexing car accident. The incident involves a Ferrari Enzo hurtling into a traffic light at a staggering 320 km/h, causing the car to fragment into two parts. Remarkably, the occupants emerge from the wreckage unharmed. As the game narrative unfolds, the enigma deepens, leading players on a convoluted path that unravels a deceitful plot orchestrated by a fraudulent Swedish gang.
Game Specifications
Central to the escape room's allure is its foundation in rigorous research, drawing extensively from authentic artifacts, secondary resources, and enlightening documentaries. This rich tapestry of knowledge converges to create an experience that transcends the passive nature of documentaries and podcasts, forging an engagement that is both immersive and memorable. An interactive interrogation phase stands as a distinctive feature, empowering players to shape the narrative through their inquiries. The puzzle evolves around the finesse with which participants navigate this crucial exchange, skillfully extracting cooperation or confessions from the suspects. A unique twist unfolds as the game development involves close collaboration with theater actors, ensuring a faithful replication of the original characters' behaviors and dialogues, thereby seamlessly merging reality with the captivating realm of the escape room.
| June 2020
OCEAN’S SIX
Game Theme
Based on the Ocean’s Eleven Movie Series. Thrill and humor are all in the same place. Live your heist and enjoy just like Mr. Ocean and his team did. In this scenario, players are a group of gifted professional thieves with a target. A clever collector who will do anything not to lose any of his assets, especially the most precious one, a 90 carats diamond worth about 25 million dollars. So be wise and act smart.
Game Specifications
The zenith of excitement in this game design emanates from the infusion of Ocean's movie series elements: humor, meticulous robbery planning, and the emergence of unexpected comedic challenges during the heist. However, the pinnacle of thrill arises from a cunning twist—the players' relentless pursuit of the password to unlock the diamond container shimmering conspicuously in the room's center. Unbeknownst to them, this diamond is ingeniously a decoy. A subtle, indispensable clue guides them to the authentic diamond concealed within a secure and hidden vault. As a result, numerous participants conclude the game clutching a diamond, though regrettably not the genuine one. This narrative homage aligns seamlessly with the ethos of the Ocean's movie series, delivering players an experience of clever intrigue and unforeseen plot twists.
Adding to the intrigue, the game ingeniously aligns with the essence of Ocean's movies: players are immersed in a planning phase, not real-time action. Mistakes result in simulated alarms and mission failure, echoing the heist-planning spirit. Upon failure, the narrator's voice sparks a brainstorming conversation among heist planners, dissecting the failed attempt and searching for a better strategy. This innovative touch transforms setbacks into engrossing challenges, emulating the intricacies of a heist. Errors prompt a step backward, allowing players to fine-tune strategies and unearth fresh avenues.
LOS SANTOS
| June 2019
Game Theme
Drawing inspiration from the Homeland movie series, this escape room narrative unfolds against the backdrop of an impending US presidential election and the looming threat of ISIS. The CIA, poised for action, is set on safeguarding Election Day. In this immersive scenario, participants step into the roles of CIA agents entrusted with the critical mission of ensuring the nation's safety. The challenge lies in deciphering the enigmatic puzzle of the looming threat by following a trail of clues tied to three individuals.
Game Specifications
Distinguishing itself from conventional escape rooms, this innovative design centers around a central main room that symbolizes a city map beneath the players' feet, completely devoid of any physical locks. Players are ingeniously grouped into three teams, each tracing the enigmatic paths of three distinct individuals through meticulously designed clues that unfold across the virtual cityscape. The central challenge lies in achieving separation not through physical barriers, but by seamlessly immersing players into diverse cityscapes through masterful manipulation of the game environment and ambience, leading to an intriguing achievement: players perceiving each new location as an entirely fresh room.
A distinctive hallmark of this game is its manipulation of time. Conventional minutes are replaced by dates, yet the players remain uncertain about their temporal limits. The initial goal is to decipher the precise date of the impending terrorist threat, empowering players to allocate their remaining time wisely up to the ultimate deadline.
Adding another layer of intrigue, players are not compelled to decipher every puzzle, track each clue, or explore every city corner. Mimicking the real-life challenges faced by agents, the game requires shrewd selection of the correct leads to follow and identification of valuable paths, much like sifting through the noise in an investigation. Therefore, even if players manage to solve every clue, true victory is attained only upon piecing together the case using the evidence uncovered—a nod to the authentic challenges of investigative work.
MY NAME IS SIDNEY
| March 2019
1st Place in Best Environmental Design
Issued by National Razgosha Escape Room Festival Awards
Game Theme
A new take on Silent Hill's madness in a suburban house, but this time there is a survivor. All the family members were slaughtered ruthlessly except a little girl who does not wish to talk. In this scenario, participants are playing as a group of psychologists trying to discover the mystery behind the family and the house—the secret that can cost them their own lives!
Game Specifications
Set within a compact area of less than 55 square meters, this room ingeniously transports players into a sprawling duplex house with an unsettling basement, leveraging ambiance and design to create the illusion. This scenario serves as a sequel to the preceding game, "Dead End," yet can be played independently. The narrative weaves subtle connections, adding intrigue for those who've experienced both games; an instance being the dollhouse mirroring the layout of the house from "Dead End."
Introducing an innovative touch, this game embarks on a pioneering venture by projecting the image of the girl within her room onto a wall behind her table. Players engage with her directly, sharing in her revelations and physically examining evidence on her table, contributing to a heightened sense of realism and immersion.
Furthermore, a unique success resonates in the transformation of an age-old, cheerful Iranian childhood song, "Tab Tab Abbasi," into a haunting melody that the girl sings during the game. This juxtaposition of innocence and terror adds an evocative layer to the gameplay, further enhancing the immersive experience.
DEAD END
| October 2018
1st Place in Best Escape Room
1st Place in Best Environmental Design
1st Place in Best Scenario
Issued by National Razgosha Escape Room Festival Awards
Game Theme
Embarking on a realistic remaster of the renowned horror video game, Silent Hill, P.T. edition, this immersive experience revives a game demo exclusively released for PS4 by Kojima. The harrowing narrative delves into the tale of a man consumed by darkness, transforming into a merciless murderer who tragically ends the lives of his pregnant wife and two children—a heinous crime not isolated within the eerie realm of Silent Hill. Players are tasked with navigating the crime scene, delving into clues to unravel the shrouded truth.
Game Specifications
The heart of this remaster's challenge lay in replicating the perplexing loop from the original game—where players attempt to leave the house from the basement only to find themselves back at its first-floor entrance. While console coding handled this seamlessly, translating it into a physical escape room context posed a daunting task. Positioned at the entrance is a coat rack; upon reentry, players subtly recognize the setting through their coats hanging on the wall.
The design faithfully echoes the original game, honoring Kojima-san's distinct vision. Players venture into the house across multiple nights, each imbued with unique atmospheres, incidents, and decorations. An additional hurdle revolved around crafting an immersive experience that refreshes the atmosphere for players. In every successive night, our objective was to transform the ambiance profoundly. We achieved this through a harmonious blend of lighting, soundscapes, delicate movements, and unfolding events. This approach, while keeping the game area constant, reignites players' excitement and curiosity, propelling them forward. This art of simulation breathes new life into familiar surroundings, creating a richer and more engaging experience.
Infusing escape room elements into the mix, a riveting twist emerges: players may encounter potential failure midway. This introduction injects heightened tension and suspense. The remaster stays faithful to Kojima's eerie atmosphere while seamlessly weaving escape room dynamics, delivering the best of both worlds.
BEHIND THE BARS
| July 2018
Game Theme
At the onset of World War II, a Berlin cell became the final resting place for four prisoners, each hailing from a different nation, each carrying a unique past. Their demise, under mysterious circumstances, was far more harrowing than mere death. Even as the war rages on, players find themselves incarcerated in this very cell, now alongside new prisoners from the allied nations. The objective? To escape. But beyond the tangible confines of the cell, a sinister curse lurks, making any hope of survival bleak.
Game Specifications
In our debut game, we masterfully interwove real-world references and easter eggs within the puzzle challenges. Players were tasked with dialing "116191," Hitler's Berlin phone number, and historic dates like the dropping of the Fat Man and Little Boy Atomic Bombs were ingeniously embedded into the gameplay. Advanced electronic and mechanical techniques were deployed to deliver startling horror elements, like a levitating phone handset that crashes to the ground or books being violently hurled from shelves.
In this enhanced iteration, the stakes are even higher. Players are segregated into two cells, each containing vital clues necessary for the puzzles located in the other cell. This dynamic not only tests players' ability to solve puzzles but also hones their collaborative and communication skills, crucial for success under the high-pressure environment.
Further adding to the atmosphere is the game's horror and thriller ambiance. Players are kept on their toes, always expecting a scare at any moment—akin to the suspense experienced while watching a horror movie. Our challenge was to lull players into a false sense of security, to catch them off guard and deliver a scare when they least expected it. To achieve this, we designed a gameplay dynamic where each player must enter solitary confinement multiple times, exchanging required escape tools between two cells, and becoming intimately familiar with its confines.
At the midpoint of the game, players are tasked with drugging a model jail guard and placing him inside this cell. By the end of the game, it is revealed that a crucial key is hidden in the guard's pocket. Under the illusion of familiarity and with the added urgency of a ticking clock, players may feel confident when they re-enter the cell to retrieve the key. However, upon doing so, they are met with a horrifying surprise—the jail guard's corpse is now hanging just behind the door. This meticulously timed shock serves as the game's climactic moment, leveraging the players' own sense of security against them for maximum impact.
BLOW YOUR CANDLES
| June 2017
1st Place in Most Creative Escape Room
Issued by National Razgosha Escape Room Festival Awards
Game Theme
Drawing inspiration from the classic Sherlock Holmes novels and films, players take on the role of a private detective hired to crack a murder case in Turin, Italy. The intrigue unfolds in a family home on the night of the daughter's birthday, where her stepfather is found dead under mysterious circumstances. Four suspects await interrogation, and a house brimming with clues beckons exploration. Players must sift through motives, alibis, and evidence to unmask the murderer while amassing enough substantiated proof to back their conclusion.
Game Specifications
The game's most compelling feature lies in its intricately woven narrative. Each suspect has a compelling motive to want the victim dead, but their testimonies are fraught with deceit. The constant in this complex equation is the crime itself. Players must meticulously analyze the contradictions between the suspect interrogations and the physical evidence found throughout the house. This will lead them to identify the principal inconsistency that eventually points to the actual murderer.
A unique twist is the inclusion of red herring puzzles, designed to present false evidence and divert attention. Players are not required to solve all puzzles to reach the game's conclusion, adding a layer of complexity and a test of discernment.
The pinnacle of the game's experience arrives in its final moments. A heated debate ensues among players as they grapple with the weighty decision of pinpointing the murderer and identifying the weapon used, all backed by fingerprint evidence. The climax serves as a test of logical reasoning, attention to detail, and teamwork, encapsulating the game's overarching challenges in one suspense-filled moment.
MOVIE NIGHT
| March 2017
Game Theme
Based on an actual tragic terrorist attack in the Aurora cinema, in Colorado, 2012. The premiere of The Dark Night Rises, a masterpiece of Christopher Nolan. In this scenario, players will play the role of US citizens in the cinema lobby next to the hall where the shooting happens. They will try to escape, and meanwhile, they will figure out the motive of a terrorist attack.
Game Specifications
This game is my first experience in Escape room design. The goal was to choose a different theme instead of the trend those days and make an intelligent operational escape room. In this game, the only fully automated parts were the doors, the music, the bomb, and the time display, But that was the first step taken to build something similar to BMS for escape rooms.
Since the game scene was designed as a cinema hall, all the puzzles were about movies and the cinema industry, particularly the Batman movie series.
One of the goals since the beginning was to improve players' general information in each game. The targeted information in this scenario was the film industry.
