REALWORLD: a creative escape room platform and the joy of ‘transboundary'

This study examines how escape room games function within transmedia environments to create gamification ecosystems. Focusing on REALWORLD, a leading South Korean escape room platform, the study analyses its structure and operations through the case study of an outdoor escape room game titled Secret Letter from Jeong-dong. By observing the gameplay, analysing user-created games, and evaluating platform functionalities, it explores how transmedia and participatory mechanisms are integrated into REALWORLD. Users engage by playing, critiquing, and designing games, creating a dynamic gamification ecosystem. This research redefines escape rooms as participatory ecosystems integrating design, storytelling, and creative authorship. Findings suggest REALWORLD’s growth stems from the genre’s adaptability across media and its ability to blur boundaries between media, reality and fiction, and creators and users. This transmedial structure highlights its potential as a sustainable model for future escape room ecosystems.