Operation Neptune – IoT Escape Game
A cold war submarine escape game where players race through five connected IoT challenges — powered by Raspberry Pis, Arduinos, MQTT and a central admin panel — to stabilise systems and launch a final torpedo before time runs out.
Gallery
A look at the submarine set, props and IoT-driven challenges.
Problem → Solution
Brief: Build a Web of Things escape game that another operator can run without us: hardware, software, reset flows, safety and documentation included.
Concept: Operation Neptune drops a 3-person team inside a damaged submarine during a cold war conflict. Players must restore power, recalibrate sonar, locate enemy vessels and launch a torpedo to neutralise the threat.
System: Each challenge runs on Raspberry Pis and Arduinos that communicate over MQTT with a central Main Admin Pi. The operator dashboard controls the timer, start/reset per challenge, and sends tips to an in-room display.
Outcome: A fully working escape game with a central control panel, soundscape, camera integration and a detailed postproduction dossier so the experience is reproducible.
What I learned
- How to lead a team: planning, delegating, following up and keeping everyone aligned on one shared vision.
- Running lightweight scrum-style standups and check-ins to track progress, surface blockers early and keep the project moving.
- Gaining confidence with hardware & IoT (Raspberry Pi, Arduino, sensors) despite starting with almost no electronics experience.
- Self-learning Python on the project: writing MQTT logic and integration scripts without formal classes.
- Creating a collaborative, creative environment where every teammate’s ideas were heard, challenged constructively, and reflected in the final experience.
- Staying organised under constraints (time, budget, hardware) and turning that structure into a smoother build and install.
Challenge structure
- Alarm & Power Failure: Players react to red alert signals and use clues to open the fuse box and restore initial power.
- Power Patch Panel: Cable-routing puzzle with LED feedback where correct connections bring systems back online.
- Sonar Calibration: Webcam + cards challenge to recover sonar visuals.
- RFID Naval Map: RFID-tagged ships must be placed correctly on a 4x4 grid to lock enemy targets.
- Torpedo Launch: Three potentiometers tuned to the right values arm the illuminated launch button, which sends the final MQTT "solved" signal.
Technical appendix (Challenge 5 – Torpedo Launch)
Below are code snippets from the Raspberry Pi and Arduino Leonardo powering the final challenge. The Pi listens for MQTT signals to start the challenge, reads potentiometer and button states from the Arduino over serial, and publishes a "solved" message when the correct conditions are met. The Arduino reads three potentiometers and a button, sending their states to the Pi and controlling an LED based on the Pi's commands.