concept art of cutout design

ESCAPE ROOM DESIGN & CONCEPT ART

Visual Worlds for Real-World Puzzles

Designing an escape room isn’t just about puzzles—it’s about storytelling, immersion, and emotional pacing. What makes people feel curious, tense, excited, triumphant? What makes them lose track of time?

That’s where I come in. I help escape room companies bring their themes and stories to life through cinematic concept art, room design, and strategic visual storytelling.

Whether you're working on a haunted house mystery, a futuristic heist, or a mythological puzzle temple, I’ll help you shape the visual world your players step into—one that feels alive, cohesive, and perfectly crafted for both narrative and playability.

I blend architecture, game design thinking, lighting, narrative flow, and hands-on production awareness into the art. The goal? To create immersive spaces that look incredible and make sense to build.

interior design of cutout plan for environment concept art

What’s included:

  • 2D & 3D mockups (including orthographics if needed)

  • Concept art for themed escape room spaces

  • Prop, puzzle, and lighting design support

  • Styleframes and mood boards

  • Optional: branding or promotional artwork

  • Collaboratively structured workflow with regular feedback check-ins

  • Final delivery in ready-to-use formats for production & marketing

  • Bonus: I nerd out about puzzle flow, safety logistics, and visitor psychology too

    What’s NOT included

    • Construction/build services

    • Engineering/sign-off

    • Legal/safety compliance certifications

I start by listening. What’s your theme? What’s the vibe? What story are we telling, and what’s the player meant to feel? I’ll create a roadmap with visual references, concept sketches, and iterative phases so you’re never guessing what’s next. You’ll see things grow from thumbnails to blueprints to full-blown final visuals, with time for your input all along the way.

Each project is broken down into collaborative phases. We’ll meet at key moments to review progress, gather your feedback, and make sure we’re always aligned. Fast turnarounds possible when needed.

Story-first visual design
Themed space concepts
Puzzles and props with personality
Marketing-ready visuals

3D Room Design and Art Services

To book, we require a 33% deposit, a 33% by mid-milestones, and a 33% billed at the end of the project. Reach and and contact for a custom setup/day rate if you have on-going needs.

plan of environment interior design for games and film and escape rooms

Narrative Puzzle Design – Tying story, space, and logic together.

gate concept design

Prop & Clue Design – Story-rich tactile objects.

moody cave design

Environmental Planning – Physical space design for player immersion.

66%

pre-production time reduction while working with Ashfall / NetEase Games by introducing 3D and updated concept art methodologies. Delivered AAA+ industry standard professional turn-around times.

33%

art quality improvement maintaining and expanding a style guide and material library within a 3D render engine for concepting while working with Frictional Games.

90%

first-submission approval rate while working with Electronic Arts DICE under Milford SE.

Special pricing available for long-term projects over 60 days. Contact for custom arrangements.

++

  • It’s very hard to find a professional like Miguel. Very organized, prolific and effective with his workflow. Not to mention the impressive quality of ideas he brings to the table. It’s an honor to have worked with him!

    João Lira, Lead Concept Artist on Star Atlas, ATMTA Group

  • The director loved the works we just delivered from our collaboration! Thank you for helping us.

    Alice Zhang, Translator and Producer, NetEase Games

  • I want to say that your proposal was the most professional I’ve seen in a long time, even better than most freelancers and other AAA studios we’re working with.

    James Ohlen, VP Studio Head, Archetype Entertainment / Wizards of the Coast’ Company.

  • It was fantastic working with you on these, you're an exceptional talent with a wonderful work ethic. You had a tasteful process for creative exploration, and your balance of structure and freedom always invigorated our sessions. Looking forward to the future, Miguel.

    River Gandour, CEO of Third Book

Escape Room Design Portfolio

scifi city concept art
scifi interior lab concept art
interior concept art
treasure room concept design
concept design paintover plan
cutout design of interior
crime scene concept design
architecture plan for level design
level design for games
gateway door concept art
key concept art
box concept art
box concept art for treasure rooms
mystical and mysterious prop concept
mysterious clock engine prop concept
middle east style door design
cave design
wireframe in 3d of environment being concepted

From Sketch to Spatial Reality

Here’s where the world begins to take shape. In Maya, I build early 3D blockouts and wireframes to test proportion, player sightlines, and gameplay flow. These aren’t just pretty visuals—they’re production-aware mockups designed to help you visualize how space, puzzles, and player movement interact.
It saves time, avoids costly build mistakes, and gives your construction team something tangible to work from.

This is visual design for people who actually need to build what they imagine.

marketing shot of environment being sketched

Where narrative meets design.

In Photoshop, I bring mood and story into the room—literally. Using custom reference boards and tailored sketching, I’ll help define the feel of your escape room through tone, lighting, architectural style, and detail hierarchy.
Every visual choice reinforces the story and player emotion—because a haunted lab doesn’t feel like a pirate ship, and a post-apocalyptic safehouse shouldn’t feel like a hotel lobby.

Cohesive worldbuilding is what makes a room unforgettable.

  • professional and beautifully shot wacom tablet for digital drawing and design

    Every project wraps with a detailed documentation board — in Miro or a tool of your choice — breaking down puzzles, flowcharts, spatial planning, and user experience beats. I include ideation sketches, interaction logic, and if needed, connect you with fabricators, game writers, or immersive tech artists from my network.

  • concept art workstation background, with professional software rendering

    When you bring me on, you get my full attention. I only take on one escape room project at a time, so your space, your puzzles, your narrative — it gets my total creative focus. This isn’t templated work. It’s custom-built with care.

  • professional freelance artist taking notes on a macbook and leading a online meeting.

    We begin with your space or concept and reverse-engineer the ideal player journey: puzzle pacing, spatial tension and relief, prop design, lighting mood, and thematic alignment. I bring in my experience from game design, theatre, theme parks, and horror design to make sure the experience feels lived-in, dramatic, and fun — not just “challenging.”

  • resources and physical design books on a professional artist desk

    Escape rooms aren’t just about locks and riddles. They’re storytelling machines. The environments, the puzzles, the pacing — all of it is in service of narrative immersion. Whether it's horror, sci-fi, noir, or fantasy, I design with a director’s eye and a player’s heart.

  • a beautiful selection of sketchbooks being reviewed by a professional artist and designer

    I use tools and formats tailored for both teams and builders: physical blueprints, lighting guides, 3D mockups, atmospheric concept illustrations, and production notes that are easy to follow and implement. I also stay updated on the latest immersive design tools, from projection mapping to environmental sensors.

ipad holding a 3d plan of a escape room

The Plan Behind the Puzzle.

Final deliverables include top-down layouts and production blueprints to guide your build team, puzzle designers, and electricians. This phase blends creative with practical: I’ll make sure the space flows, the tech fits, and the magic still works.
Whether you’re prototyping a new room or upgrading an existing venue, this step ensures alignment between the vision and what’s possible on the ground.

Blueprints don’t have to be boring—they can inspire.

artist in his studio

Why This Matters

People remember how a space feels. A great escape room doesn’t just challenge—it transports. I design with that in mind, helping your business stand out in a saturated market by delivering a full visual identity for your themed experience.

I've worked across games, live experiences, haunted houses, and narrative spaces. I get the logic behind flow design, the emotional rhythm of a room, and how to work within build constraints while still aiming for goosebumps.

If you’re building a room and want to level up your immersion, make marketing easier, and work with someone who’s just as excited about theme design as you are—hit that button.

Let’s make something unforgettable.

  • What if you’re not available?

    If I’m booked when you reach out, I’ll do two things: try to fit you into the nearest opening in my calendar, and if that’s not soon enough, I’ll refer you to trusted collaborators I’ve worked with. That way, your escape room project doesn’t stall.

  • Do I need to have a theme or idea already?

    Not at all. Some clients come to me with a fully built narrative; others only know they want “something scary with puzzles.” Wherever you are, I help flesh out your escape room’s concept, theme, emotional beats, and room-to-room flow. It’s part of the process.

  • What's included in your escape room concept work?

    You’ll receive concept art for each space, a full process breakdown in a Miro board (or other collaborative tool), puzzle layout suggestions, story beats, lighting notes, and mood references. If needed, I also provide 3D blockouts or paintovers for pitch materials or construction prep.

  • Who usually hires you for escape rooms?

    Clients range from indie creators building their first room, to larger entertainment groups wanting to upgrade or expand. Some are theme parks, others are horror-focused studios. Whether you’re local or remote, I bring value from early ideation to visual execution.

  • Can this help me pitch to investors or partners?

    Absolutely. Many of my escape room clients use the final concept package to pitch to funding boards, landlords, or investors. The visuals communicate the idea clearly and build trust in the quality and vibe you’re going for.

  • What if I only need help with one part of the process — like room layout or just visual style?

    That’s totally fine. I’ve jumped into escape room projects at different stages — from initial theming to just creating final mood frames. Whether it’s layout consultation, visual storytelling, or only the key art phase, I adapt to your needs.

  • Where are you based and do you visit locations in person?

    I’m based in Europe but often work remotely with escape room builders across the world. I provide everything digitally, from diagrams to art. On-site visits can be discussed case-by-case if needed, especially for high-end builds.

  • Can I get a refund if I cancel after booking?

    Deposits are non-refundable — I clear my schedule for your escape room project and decline other offers during that time. However, I’m open to working out alternate timelines or deliverables if your situation changes unexpectedly.

Let’s Build a Room People Never Forget.

Whether you're crafting your first escape room or expanding a whole fleet, the visual world is what makes players believe. If you want concept art that helps you pitch, plan, and produce with confidence—I’d love to help.

Ready to bring your world to life?

scifi city concept design