What Is Escape Room Show Control?
Escape room show control is the system that coordinates everything players see, hear, touch, and trigger. It connects puzzle state, props, lighting, sound, video, effects, timers, hints, and operator actions so the experience responds as one complete show. ARC gives owners and game masters that control from one platform.
Bring Your Existing Hardware Together
Many show control products are built around their own hardware ecosystem. ARC works with the hardware already in your rooms and is also developing optional first-party controllers. ARC Command is planned for fall 2026, with ARC Drive and ARC Probe to follow. Existing controllers, sensors, relays, lighting, props, and media tools will remain part of the ARC ecosystem.
What ARC Can Control
- Puzzles and props
React to sensors, buttons, RFID, locks, relays, motors, custom controllers, and puzzle state.
- Lighting and effects
Coordinate DMX, QLC+, smart lighting, fog, practical effects, and scene changes with the game.
- Audio and video
Play media, control displays, and exchange cues with tools such as QLab through OSC.
- Game flow and automation
Use objectives, variables, scenes, timers, and When / If / Do automations to run responsive experiences.
- Operator control and resets
Give staff live status, manual overrides, hints, quick actions, and repeatable reset workflows.
Show Control Without Rebuilding Your Rooms
ARC supports established protocols and devices including MQTT, Modbus and PLCs, DMX, OSC, Zigbee, Z-Wave, Shelly, Arduino, ESP32, Raspberry Pi, and Node-RED. That flexibility lets ARC become the control layer across mixed hardware instead of forcing every room onto one vendor's devices.
More Than Show Control
Show control runs the experience. ARC also supports the operation around it: multi-room oversight, staff workflows, diagnostics, displays, room readiness, resets, and system-wide automation. Owners get one platform for the show and the day-to-day work required to run it.
A Show Control System Built for Escape Rooms
ARC combines professional show control with escape-room-specific game logic and operations. Start with the hardware you own, connect each room at your pace, and bring the entire business together without giving up the tools and devices that already work.