An Operating System for Escape Rooms

What People Mean by "Escape Room OS"

An escape room OS is the idea of a central system that runs everything: hardware, logic, monitoring, and control. It's the "brain" of the room—the layer that coordinates all subsystems so the room behaves as one coherent game instead of a collection of separate devices.

ARC as the Functional Operating System

ARC is not an OS in the sense of Windows or Linux. It functions as the operating system of the room: it coordinates game state, automation logic, hardware communication, and operator interfaces. All of that runs locally on your hardware, so your room has a single, reliable control layer.

What an Escape Room OS Handles

• Game state — Tracking progress, timers, and which puzzles or phases are active.
• Automation logic — Event-driven flows that respond to sensors and conditions.
• Hardware communication — Talking to locks, lights, sensors, and other devices.
• Monitoring and control — Giving operators visibility and the ability to intervene.
• Operator interfaces — Screens and controls for staff to run and reset games.

Why Thinking in Terms of an OS Matters

Treating the room as a system—not just a set of props—leads to better stability, scalability, and maintainability. When one platform owns state, logic, and hardware, you can grow and debug without chasing scattered scripts and controllers.

How ARC Differs from Tools and Controllers

One-off controllers, ad-hoc scripts, and single-purpose tools can work in isolation. ARC is a cohesive platform: one place for your escape room's logic, hardware, and operations. That cohesion is what makes it function as an escape room OS.

Who Benefits from an Escape Room OS

Builders, owners planning growth, multi-room venues, and anyone running technically complex rooms benefit from a single system that coordinates everything. ARC is built for those use cases.