The words ARC uses, in plain language. Terms are listed alphabetically.
| Term | What it means |
|---|---|
| Action | A single step an automation or scene carries out — set a device, play media, speak a hint, adjust the timer, and so on. |
| Ambient audio | Background music or sound a game plays while it runs. |
| Automation | A rule that runs actions automatically when a trigger happens (and any conditions pass) — “when this, do that.” |
| Bypass | Marking an objective as skipped without it being solved. |
| Condition | An optional check that must pass before an automation’s actions run. |
| Connection | The bridge ARC uses to talk to a family of hardware — an MQTT broker, a Z-Wave controller, a DMX or Hue setup, and more. You add a connection before adding devices that use it. |
| Constant | A fixed, named value in a game that never changes while the game runs. |
| Control dock | The persistent bar on the control page showing the timer, game status, and key controls. |
| Control page | The screen where staff run a game — timer, hints, objectives, displays, and audio. |
| Dashboard | The home screen showing every game at a glance, with status, timer, and progress. |
| Device | A piece of hardware ARC reads from or controls — a lock, light, sensor, or sound player. |
| Display | A screen players see, showing the countdown, hints, and media. |
| Editor | Where you build and configure a game — its objectives, displays, devices, automations, and media. |
| Game | One escape-room experience set up in ARC, with its own timer, objectives, displays, devices, and automations. |
| Game Reset System | ARC’s guided process for returning a room to its starting state between groups. |
| Hint | A clue sent to players — text, image, video, audio, spoken aloud, or read out verbally. |
| Insights | History and performance after games run — sessions, timelines, and metrics. |
| Objective | A puzzle or task players must complete. ARC tracks its progress and the hints tied to it. |
| Objective group | A named set of objectives within a game, used to organize the room’s flow. |
| Override | A staff action that manually completes an objective or sends a device command. |
| Quick Action | A one-tap button on the control page that runs a scene or automation. |
| Reset | Returning a room and its devices to their starting state for the next group. |
| Scene | A set of actions you trigger on demand, with no automatic trigger behind it. |
| Session | One run of a game, from start to reset. |
| Timeline | The live log of what happened during a session — hints sent, objectives completed, devices changed, and more. |
| Timer | The countdown (or count-up) clock for a game. |
| Trigger | The event that starts an automation — a device change, an objective, a timer event, an interval, or a message. |
| Variable | A named value in a game that automations can read and change while the game runs. |
| Vision | ARC’s camera features, available with the Vision add-on. |