Ash Game Studio on the making of Azooma Escape

Azooma Escape is a new, culturally rich stealth adventure by Ash Game Studio in Saudi Arabia. We spoke to the company's CEO and co-founder Anas Bakhsh, to discuss the making of the team's latest game. You can also read our review of Azooma Escape.

IsaKaba: What initial spark led to the creation of Azooma Escape?

Anas: As a Saudi kid I often found myself overwhelmed by social situations where I was expected to accept excessive hospitality, whether at family gatherings or larger events. It's a common kind of social pressure in Saudi Arabia, where being too reserved or refusing multiple times can be seen as an insult to the host.

This sparked the idea of turning that experience into something fun to play by simply escaping. Azooma Escape was born out of this blend of humour, stealth, and cultural nuances, making it not just a game but a reflection of navigating complex social dynamics in our country.

We also wanted to create a fun, casual game with simple mechanics that were easy to pick up but hard to master. It's about having fun in those awkward social moments while also creating a gameplay experience that keeps players coming back, trying to beat their best times or find new strategies.

How long did development take, and how many people worked on the game?

Development spanned about 18 months, and the total number of people involved across the project's lifecycle was 37 core members, freelancers, and contractors. The core team at any given time didn't exceed seven members, as we were flexible and wore many hats throughout the process.

This allowed us to stay agile, but it also meant that each team member had to be multi-talented, managing different aspects of the development cycle. We worked closely together and pushed through some of the more challenging development stages.

Were there any moments where you felt the game might not come together? How did you push through?

There were definitely moments when it felt like the game might not turn out to be what we set out to make. We had to scrap some features and rethink the level design several times. But we pushed through because we were committed to leaving a mark on the Saudi games market.

We wanted to make a game that represented our abilities and could be something we are proud of making. The desire to create a quality product that we believed in kept us motivated even when the road was rough.

Can you share a funny or memorable moment from the development process?

One moment that really stands out happened when our artist upgraded the NPC sprites to be layered, separating the accessories, headgear, and clothing to make creating variations easier. When he updated the sprite sheet, we discovered that all the NPCs became bald!

It turned out that the Shumagh (headgear) was removed, and the default was bald characters. It was a quick fix, but seeing the game full of bald men was a funny surprise. It became a joke among the team how the game showcased the baldness epidemic!

Were there any features or mechanics that didn't make the final cut? If so, why?

Yes, a few planned features didn't make the final cut. We originally planned a time attack mode, a hardcore mode, and a mechanic for multiple lives, but in the end, we decided not to implement them. We realised that adding these features would significantly extend the development timeline, and they didn't align with the core experience we wanted to deliver.

The focus was always on the action-oriented, stealth-based mechanics, and these additional features would have diluted that. Sometimes, simplifying and staying true to the core vision was more important than adding complexity for its own sake.

How does this game fit into your studio's long-term vision? And what are your expectations for the title?

Azooma Escape is a direct personification of our studio's long-term vision. We want to create culturally rich, story-driven games with global appeal in their gameplay mechanics. The goal is to bring our voice to the global gaming stage and tell stories in ways that represent us well. Stories that are authentic and meaningful but still universally engaging.

For players outside the MENA region, it's an opportunity to enjoy a fun game while subtly learning about our culture. For those in the region, it's a chance to see their everyday social experiences represented in a lighthearted, relatable way.

Your game is currently available on PC (via Steam). Are there plans to bring it to other platforms? If so, what platforms are you considering?

We are actively looking into porting Azooma Escape to other platforms. While the initial launch on PC via Steam aimed to build a strong foundation and gather player feedback, there is a lot of interest in the community for bringing the game to home consoles, especially Nintendo Switch and PlayStation.

We're also considering a potential mobile version, but we want to make sure the gameplay translates well to smaller screens and touch controls. Our goal is to make Azooma Escape accessible to as many players as possible, while maintaining the integrity of the game's experience.

What do you think makes your game stand out, and what part of the experience do you most want players to enjoy?

What makes Azooma Escape stand out is the unique blend of humour, stealth, and cultural nuance. The "reverse-stealth" gameplay is something we don't see often, where being chased makes it more fun. The game is about navigating socially awkward situations, something that we think players everywhere can relate to.

What I really hope players enjoy the most is the humour, the satisfaction of pulling off a successful escape, and finding a character they can relate to. It's also a game about navigating uncomfortable social scenarios, and I want players to feel like they're in on the joke.

Do you have any plans for updates, expansions, or sequels? What's next for the team after Azooma Escape?

We have big plans for the Azooma Escape IP. We're exploring many different storylines and fun scenarios that happen in social gatherings, and we want to continue exploring the adventures of Jaser and the other memorable characters in the game. The game's success has allowed us to expand the team, and we're already hard at work developing our next project.

We're conducting playtests for it right now in our Discord community, which players can access through the link on our Steam page. For us, Azooma Escape is just the beginning, and we're excited to see where we can take the universe we've started to build.

Azooma Escape is available on Steam.