On the eve of its release, a small Saudi studio achieved what once seemed out of reach. Azooma Escape, a homegrown PC game developed by Ash Games Studio, climbed to the number one spot on Steam’s Popular Upcoming global chart on 19 August 2025, marking a historic first for the Kingdom and the wider Middle East and North Africa region.
For a Saudi-made title to rise to the top of a global gaming platform represents a milestone for the entire regional industry. Ash Games, founded by developers Anas Bakhsh and Yaser Alahmadi, emerged from the NEOM-backed Level Up Accelerator, run in partnership with the DigiPen Institute of Technology. Their victory demonstrates how local talent, when paired with institutional support, can compete at the very highest level of the global gaming industry.
A Festival Like No Other
At the heart of Azooma Escape lies a premise both familiar and ingenious. Players are dropped into the middle of a Saudi family festival, where hospitality knows no bounds and relatives are determined to keep you fed, entertained and endlessly engaged. The challenge is not surviving enemies with weapons, but dodging cousins with trays of food, uncles with booming expectations, and performers whose dazzling acts block your way.
The game blends fast-paced stealth with comedy, offering players the chance to duck under tables, dodge through courtyards, and outwit overzealous hosts. A flying teacup, in this universe, can be just as effective as a sword. Every corner of the village festival is alive with detail, from bustling living rooms to music-filled streets, creating an environment both deeply local and instantly relatable to anyone who has tried to escape the unrelenting hospitality of family gatherings.
The title itself, Azooma, is drawn from the Arabic word for gathering or invitation. The name captures both the warmth and the challenge at the core of the game: a celebration that becomes a social labyrinth.
This cultural grounding is what makes the achievement of Ash Games so striking. The game speaks in a distinctly Saudi voice, yet it resonates far beyond the Kingdom’s borders. By weaving local traditions into a universal stealth gameplay format, the developers have created something that feels fresh to global audiences while rooted in the rhythms of Saudi life.
The World Beyond the Festival
Beneath the laughter and chaos in Azooma lies a world of layered challenges. Gossip and performances create unexpected obstacles, while hints of older and more mystical forces suggest that the festival is not all it seems. For players, every successful escape is not just a victory of stealth, but of cultural navigation.
The game’s design draws on mechanics familiar to stealth veterans, such as route memorisation and environment-based cover, but reimagines them in playful, culturally specific ways. The result is a title that feels familiar enough to draw in seasoned gamers, yet original enough to stand apart in a crowded marketplace.
A Milestone for Saudi Gaming
The success of Azooma Escape highlights the momentum building within Saudi Arabia’s gaming sector. Supported by initiatives like NEOM’s LevelUp accelerator, young studios are beginning to gain the experience, mentorship and visibility needed to break into international markets. For Ash Games, topping Steam’s chart is not simply a commercial win, but a statement that Saudi voices in gaming are ready to be heard.
The release of Azooma Escape is being celebrated not only by the studio but across the Kingdom’s creative and gaming communities. It is the first time a Saudi-born PC game has reached this level of global recognition, and it signals the beginning of what could become a defining era for MENA’s gaming industry.
For players, this marks the moment when they can finally step into the world that Ash Games has crafted, dodging culinary “gangsters” and navigating the joyful chaos of a family celebration. For the industry, it marks a turning point, proof that Saudi-made games can rise to the top of global charts while staying true to their cultural roots.
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