Immersive Gamebox

Provding expertise for a growing startup

6 min read

Project: Platform Development
Bespoke Software
VFX

Technologies: HTML5
AWS
Big Query
Unity
Motion Capture

An in-gallery educational game for the National History Museum of Utah, built with a wide cross-section of pre-occupied visitors in mind. With a rich, quirky style to capture the attention of passers-by, the controls are simple and the levels short, with a single touch to start.

The aim was to show what goes down the drain ends up in the stream, with correct disposal changing the stream from toxic to clean. The result was a ‘sticky’ game with long dwell times and bite-sized takeaway facts to encourage considered waste disposal.

A game's emphasis on fun may not initially seem to sit well with serious subjects, but fun means engaging, entertaining, challenging, memorable, playful and many more words. All perfectly sensible aspirations for a museum exhibit. Far from trivialising content, games engage an audience. Where commercial content often thrives on instant gratification, cultural organisations tend towards challenging, inspiring and provoking their audience.

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SCALING FROM STARTUP TO GLOBAL PRESENCE

Immersive Gamebox provides interactive game rooms that blend physical play with digital technology, creating unique multiplayer experiences. What started as a bold startup vision with a single venue has grown into a global operation with over 40 venues worldwide, entertaining millions of players.

Debug has partnered with Immersive Gamebox since their earliest days, providing the technical backbone that powers their entire operation. As they've grown from startup to scale-up, we've evolved alongside them - our systems adapting from rapid innovation cycles to robust, enterprise-grade infrastructure focused on efficiency, reliability and comprehensive analytics.

THE CHALLENGE
BUILDING SYSTEMS
THAT SCALE

THE TECHNICAL DEMANDS

Building entertainment technology that works seamlessly across continents isn't straightforward. Each venue needs to operate independently while remaining connected to a central system.

Software must handle real-time gameplay, customer bookings, payments, marketing automation, and venue management - all while scaling from 1 to 40+ locations without breaking.

The technical demands shift dramatically as a company grows. Early-stage startups need speed and flexibility to iterate quickly. Scale-ups need reliability, security, and deep analytics to make data-driven decisions across a global operation. The systems had to grow with them.

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THE SOLUTION
TWO INTERCONNECTED
SYSTEMS

VENUEOS: REMOTE VENUE MANAGEMENT

VenueOS is bespoke software deployed remotely at over 40 venues globally. Each installation runs independently, ensuring venues can operate even if connectivity drops, while maintaining constant sync with the central systems.

The system handles everything venues need in one place. Branded digital signage and leaderboards create an engaging atmosphere while showcasing player achievements. Staff admin applications streamline daily operations. Customer check-in systems with integrated digital waiver management ensure fast, paperless arrival experiences - customers sign waivers on tablets, which sync immediately to CentralOS for compliance tracking and record-keeping.

CCTV integration connects directly with Synology surveillance stations for security and operational insights. Core venue control systems manage the flow of games, ensuring smooth transitions between sessions and optimal room utilisation.

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CENTRALOS: THE OPERATIONAL HEART

CentralOS is the centralised database system that all venues communicate with, deployed to AWS via containerised Docker containers. It's designed for scale, security, and comprehensive data management.

Authentication and security systems protect customer data and business operations. Customer profile management maintains comprehensive records including booking history, preferences, and signed waivers - ensuring compliance while enabling personalised experiences. Content management systems allow rapid updates to venue content and configurations across all venues simultaneously. Multiple ticketing platform integrations handle bookings and payments seamlessly.

Marketing platform integrations with Braze, MailChimp, MailerLite, and MailerSend enable sophisticated customer communications. Event-based triggers automatically initiate campaigns and funnels based on customer behaviour - booking confirmations, pre-visit reminders, post-visit follow-ups, and targeted promotions all happen automatically.

Issue tracking and bug reporting systems integrated with ClickUp ensure technical problems are captured, prioritised, and resolved efficiently. Slack alerts keep teams informed in real-time about critical events, system issues, or notable customer interactions.

Daily, weekly, and monthly report summaries focus on key KPIs and data points, giving leadership clear visibility into performance across the entire operation.

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DATA INFRASTRUCTURE & THE PATENTED SYNC SYSTEM

CentralOS syncs with a custom data pipeline solution that feeds into BigQuery, Google's data warehousing platform. This enables sophisticated reporting and analysis across millions of data points, helping Immersive Gamebox understand customer behaviour, optimise operations, and make strategic decisions.

Together, CentralOS and VenueOS provide a patented solution that seamlessly syncs customer orders from centralised booking systems and converts them into active player sessions at venues. Customers book online, the order flows through CentralOS, and VenueOS automatically configures the game room for their arrival. It's invisible to players, but critical to operations.

The systems integrate with multiple external services to create a cohesive technology ecosystem. Beyond the CRM and marketing platforms, integrations include Slack for team communications, TripleWhale for e-commerce analytics, and various ticketing platforms to meet regional requirements across different markets.

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PARTNERSHIP
GROWING TOGETHER
FROM STARTUP TO SCALE

LONG-TERM TECHNICAL PARTNERSHIP

Debug has been supporting Immersive Gamebox since they were a small startup with a single venue. As they've grown, we've grown with them. The relationship is built on trust and a shared commitment to technical excellence.

The scope of work has expanded alongside their business. What started as core system development has evolved into comprehensive technical partnership - ongoing support, feature development, infrastructure scaling, new integrations, and strategic planning for future growth.

The technology has evolved too. Early systems prioritised speed and flexibility for rapid iteration. As the business scaled, the focus shifted to reliability, security, performance optimisation, and sophisticated analytics. The architecture adapted without requiring complete rebuilds, a testament to thoughtful initial design decisions.

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THE RESULTS
3 MILLION+ PLAYERS
40+ GLOBAL VENUES

IMPACT & SCALE

Over 3 million player visits and growing. 40+ venues operating globally across multiple continents. Systems running 24/7 with high reliability. Centralised control over a distributed operation.

The technology infrastructure has enabled Immersive Gamebox to scale rapidly while maintaining operational excellence. Automated marketing drives customer retention. Real-time analytics inform business decisions. Venues operate efficiently with minimal technical friction.

Most importantly, the systems stay invisible to customers. Players walk in, have an amazing experience, and walk out - unaware of the complex technology orchestrating everything behind the scenes. That's exactly how it should be.

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TECHNICAL HIGHLIGHTS

VENUEOS: Deployed remotely at 40+ global venues
Branded digital signage and leaderboards
Staff admin applications
Customer check-in with digital waiver management
CCTV integration (Synology Surveillance Station)
Venue control system integrations
Offline-capable architecture

CENTRALOS: AWS deployment via Docker containers
Centralised database architecture
Authentication and security systems
Customer profile management and waiver storage
Content management systems
Multi-platform ticketing integrations
Marketing automation (Braze, MailChimp, MailerLite, MailerSend)
Issue tracking and bug management
Real-time Slack notifications
Automated reporting (daily/weekly/monthly KPIs)

DATA & INTEGRATIONS: BigQuery data warehouse integration
Custom data pipeline for analytics
Patented order-to-session sync system
TripleWhale integration
ClickUp ticketing integration
Multiple third-party service integrations

SCALE: 3 million+ player visits
40+ venues globally
Multi-year partnership from startup to scale-up
Continuous evolution and enhancement

VENUEOS: Deployed remotely at 40+ global venues
Branded digital signage and leaderboards
Staff admin applications
Customer check-in with digital waiver management
CCTV integration (Synology Surveillance Station)
Venue control system integrations
Offline-capable architecture

CENTRALOS: AWS deployment via Docker containers
Centralised database architecture
Authentication and security systems
Customer profile management and waiver storage
Content management systems
Multi-platform ticketing integrations
Marketing automation (Braze, MailChimp, MailerLite, MailerSend)
Issue tracking and bug management
Real-time Slack notifications
Automated reporting (daily/weekly/monthly KPIs)

DATA & INTEGRATIONS: BigQuery data warehouse integration
Custom data pipeline for analytics
Patented order-to-session sync system
TripleWhale integration
ClickUp ticketing integration
Multiple third-party service integrations

SCALE: 3 million+ player visits
40+ venues globally
Multi-year partnership from startup to scale-up
Continuous evolution and enhancement

Immersive Gamebox

Provding expertise for a growing startup

SCALING FROM STARTUP TO GLOBAL PRESENCE

THE CHALLENGEBUILDING SYSTEMSTHAT SCALE

THE TECHNICAL DEMANDS

THE SOLUTIONTWO INTERCONNECTEDSYSTEMS

VENUEOS: REMOTE VENUE MANAGEMENT

CENTRALOS: THE OPERATIONAL HEART

DATA INFRASTRUCTURE & THE PATENTED SYNC SYSTEM

PARTNERSHIPGROWING TOGETHERFROM STARTUP TO SCALE

LONG-TERM TECHNICAL PARTNERSHIP

THE RESULTS3 MILLION+ PLAYERS40+ GLOBAL VENUES

IMPACT & SCALE

TECHNICAL HIGHLIGHTS

THE CHALLENGE
BUILDING SYSTEMS
THAT SCALE

THE SOLUTION
TWO INTERCONNECTED
SYSTEMS

PARTNERSHIP
GROWING TOGETHER
FROM STARTUP TO SCALE

THE RESULTS
3 MILLION+ PLAYERS
40+ GLOBAL VENUES