MMMatthew Mercado
Selected work

05 / PHYSICAL SYSTEMS

Hardware & Puzzle Engineering

End-to-end room and puzzle systems for award-winning escape room experiences - each room designed from scratch, with custom electronics and software translating layered physical actions into responsive media and environmental effects.

Role
Puzzle Engineer & Hardware Developer
Timeline
2020 - Present
State
Shipped

Inside the build

The decisions behind the experience.

01

Original Room & Puzzle Design

Each room starts as an original experience, from the player journey and environmental storytelling to the sequence of physical interactions and final solution. Proven components can be reused where they make sense, but every puzzle is adapted and integrated into a unique solution for its room.

02

Physical-to-Digital Interactions

Raspberry Pi systems connect complex physical interactions to digital media. They can evaluate a sequence of sensor-driven actions and activate video, audio, lighting, or other effects at precisely the right moment in the experience.

03

Custom Electronics

Arduino circuits, PLC logic, sensors, electromagnets, servos, and lighting controls turn the room design into a working physical system. Hardware and software are developed together so each interaction feels immediate and invisible to the player.

04

Built for Live Operation

The finished systems are designed for repeatable resets, practical maintenance, and operator control during a live game. Serviceable components and intentional recovery paths help protect the guest experience without flattening the puzzle into a generic template.

Tools and systems

ArduinoRaspberry PiC++PythonPLCs
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