Breakout Escape Rooms Pivot their Business in Response to Lockdown Measures

29/06/2020, Kuala Lumpur – Superdough, the company behind Breakout Escape Rooms and Hauntu Horror House, launched a live online escape game where fans can play an escape room game remotely with the aid of live cameras, in response to MCO measures in Malaysia and abroad. With their company revenue dropping 90% due to being out of operation throughout the MCO period, the company explored different ways to reach customers. The online Escape Room was designed and programmed by a dedicated team and marks a pivot away from their conventional brick and mortar operations amidst these uncertain times. 

The director of Breakout, Johnny Ong, notes “We are the first in Asia to launch a live escape room that can be accessed online. Our vision was to bring the immersive quality of the escape room experience into the homes of our customers. If this successfully takes off, we will be the first company in Asia to conduct an escape room remotely. As most family entertainment businesses are not allowed to reopen and even if we did reopen, we foresee a significant drop in customers, we decided to innovate and this is the result. Our live escape room is a new option for people who want to be entertained at home and to connect with friends from all over the world through an activity like this.” 

Their online escape rooms will bring immersive scenarios to their customers at home, with unique storylines that players can choose from, whether it is solving a mystery or completing a mission. Known for their creatively themed escape rooms, Superdough is confident they have delivered a well-crafted gaming experience that will challenge even their most loyal fanbase. 

Aside from this live escape room, Superdough has had to find ways to generate an income stream in order to collect enough revenue to keep their staff in the past 3 months. Some of the ways they have adapted are to create and market a personalised puzzle gift box as well as keep their customers engaged with weekly live horror storytelling and puzzles during the #stayhome or #dudukrumah period. While their puzzles like their Puzzle-Raya challenge and the personalised gift box have been a hit with customers, these measures are unlikely to be sustainable in the long run. 

“We have contacted other escape games in the area such as Escape Rooms Time Square and Mission Q. Most have lost their revenue by almost 100% due to the MCO.” says Ka Wai, Head of Marketing. “However, rather than sit back and do nothing, we are trying our best to adapt to new products such as the personalised gift box. We are very excited because we have sold about 100 boxes within 1-month time” 

Until things return to normal, Superdough expects to continue with digitising their business and their existing business operating with new SOP procedures. 

According to Kelly, Superdough’s Business Development Director, cost-cutting measures have been put in place such as negotiating rental waivers with their landlords. While the situation could get worse financially, Kelly stresses “We are committed to paying our full-time employees and any reduction in allowances are, we hope, a temporary measure. Fortunately, our employees have been very understanding of the company’s situation and are working together to go through this difficult time.”