The party card game business has long been dominated by publishers in the US and Europe. Panic Zones is trying to reverse that flow. Its first title, Panic Zones: Arctic Edition, was designed, developed and manufactured by a MENA-based team, and it has sold more than 5,000 units since launching in December 2025. Its four co-founders are Lebanese and based in Dubai.
A survival game set on the ice
Arctic Edition is a fast survival party game for 4 to 6 players. Everyone is stranded in a frozen scenario, and the goal is to outlast the others through a run of chaotic events, or be the first to get rescued.
Cards are drawn from a Discovery deck of five card types, Panic, Resource, Fortune, Obstacle and Rescue, while a separate Advantage deck lets players plan a few moves ahead. Some cards reward quick reflexes, others reward planning, so the game mixes speed with a real layer of strategy.
The audience is broad: party game players, groups of friends, families, "kidults" and people shopping for gifts.
Four friends and 600 playtests
Panic Zones began with four AUB-connected friends: Patrick Saber, Anthony Attieh, Ryan Chedrawi and Edmond Rizk. They wanted to build a party card game from scratch, and they took inspiration from survival stories such as Society of the Snow.
They spent about two years developing the game. Before launch, it went through more than 600 playtests.
The bigger goal was to create original intellectual property in the region that could travel abroad, rather than simply importing games into it.
"We're not trying to sell games into this region only, we're trying to build an IP that starts in the MENA region and travels to the rest of the world," the founders said.
5,000 units across five markets
In less than eight months, Arctic Edition sold over 5,000 units across the UAE, Lebanon, Jordan, Saudi Arabia and Qatar. Most sales run through retail partners and e-commerce platforms, including Amazon and Noon.
The game has earned an Amazon Best Seller tag. It has also been covered by Khaleej Times, L'Orient-Le Jour and other outlets.
Essen, Tabletop ME and a second title
The next few months are busy. In late October 2026, Panic Zones will exhibit at SPIEL Essen in Germany. In early November, the team will attend Tabletop ME and take part in activations there.
A second game is expected around November 2026. It is part of a wider pipeline of original card games that started with Arctic Edition.
The team is also preparing to enter the UK and US markets, the first step outside the region for an IP its founders always meant to travel.
Ready to get stranded? Find Panic Zones: Arctic Edition at paniczones.com.
