Journey into the Enigmatic: Behind the Scenes at SCRAP
Where Puzzles and Adventures Come to Life
BY SCRAP Global Team
Are you curious to know more about the company behind your favorite escape games? Luckily this month, we have a special behind-the-scenes glimpse just for you.
Do you know the story behind SCRAP? Our journey began in 2007 when our CEO, Takao Kato, organized the first Real Escape Game. Media all over the world is full of heroic stories and the Japanese media is no exception to that. Kato’s idea was to let people step into adventures they see in pop media all the time. Turning the mysteries and challenges portrayed in media into real-life experiences, rather than just watching from the sidelines.
In pursuit of this dream, SCRAP Co., Ltd. was established in 2008, initially with just 6 employees.
Following, SCRAP saw steady growth due to the unwavering commitment and passion for this vision. This led to notable achievements, including a Guinness World Record for hosting the Largest Mystery Event in the year 2013. Our team also grew significantly, with around 700 employees as of 2023.
In 2023, we celebrated another significant milestone when SCRAP hit the mark of over 10 million players in Japan. This milestone was honored by the Japan Anniversary Association with the establishment of Escape Game Day, celebrated annually on the 7th of July. We are deeply grateful for the support of our players, which have allowed us to reach these remarkable milestones!
Here you can see the award standing next to Enigma-kun, the mascot of SCRAP!
Obviously SCRAP wouldn’t have come as far as it has today, without its Events. How about we give you some information on how a typical SCRAP production proceeds.
There are two primary ways a new game production begins:
1. Brainstorm Camp
Every quarter of the year, SCRAP’s creative content team embarks on a two-night brainstorming camp. During the day, they split into teams and receive a specific premise for a new game. It’s here where the magic happens. The teams brainstorm and let their creativity flow.
On the following day, they pitch their unique game ideas to the other groups. After this round of pitches, new groups are formed, and the entire process begins anew. It’s a dynamic process, fostering fresh ideas and innovation.
In the end, our CEO, Mr. Kato offers valuable feedback, and it is evaluated which ideas have the most potential to become the next big SCRAP hit.
2. Collaborations with IP-Owners
The second common approach to game production are collaborations with IP Owners. There are times when IP-Owners approach SCRAP to create a game together. When this happens the Production and Content teams consider whether there’s enough interest among our audience for the proposed collaboration. If both teams agree that the idea has potential, they proceed with game creation.
Next Step: Production & Localization
So when it comes to the actual production, the timeline varies depending on the game type, such as hall-type or room-type escape games. In a hall-type game, the setting is larger, and you escape alongside multiple other teams. This makes it more time-consuming to create compared to a traditional escape room. On average, our events require several months for production.
For English versions, the SCRAP Global Team handles localization and translation. When an English version is planned alongside the Japanese one, both are released simultaneously. When localizing an already completed Japanese game, it takes a minimum of 2 months, ensuring English-speaking audiences can enjoy the same thrilling experience.
So, what are your thoughts? Were you surprised by how SCRAP produces its events? We hope you enjoyed reading this exclusive information!
And, of course, as of right now, we’re working diligently to bring more thrilling escape events to our English-speaking players! Stay tuned and get ready for the upcoming months.
In the meantime, why not enjoy one of our current games?
For those of you who enjoy a good horror story our game “Sadako and the Cursed Video” might be the one for you:
Get more information here: https://realescapegame.jp/events/sadako-and-the-cursed-video.html
For our more lighthearted customers, how about a game with seemingly endless keys and locks?
Get more information here: https://realescapegame.jp/events/escape-from-the-never-ending-locks-and-keys.html