Since our last development milestone, we have been fully focused on one major objective, bringing complete gamepad support to Off The Grid: Bad Dream (Project Escher).
This wasn’t simply about making a controller work. We redesigned and implemented gamepad support across virtually every game system, from top to bottom, carefully planning how every mechanic, interaction, and gameplay system could take advantage of a controller to deliver a smooth and intuitive experience.
As first-time game developers, this milestone has been one of the most challenging parts of the project so far. Designing controls, adapting gameplay systems, and creating an experience that feels natural on a gamepad required an enormous amount of learning. For an independent developer like myself, it meant climbing a very steep learning curve and understanding every aspect of controller design and implementation from the ground up.
The journey has been incredibly difficult, and the road has been anything but smooth. Building this demo from scratch without any funding has been a constant challenge. Since the beginning, I have carried the mission of creating a real, playable prototype without financial backing, something tangible that can demonstrate our vision and help us seek the funding needed to continue development.
Even so, I must emphasize that what you see today is only scratching the surface of Project Escher’s true potential. As a solo developer working on the game most of the time, there are natural limits to what can be accomplished without proper funding. Yet despite those limitations, I truly believe this project has the potential to become something unique.
Project Escher is more than just another indie game. It represents the beginning of what we call Healing Games, a new genre we have been quietly shaping since the very beginning of Rare Castle.
Healing Games explore the human mind through psychological mystery, meaningful storytelling, and immersive gameplay, but without relying on fear, suffering, anxiety, or pain to drive the experience. Instead of asking players to survive darkness, we want them to discover hope within it. We believe games can challenge, inspire, comfort, and heal, while still delivering unforgettable adventures.
It is an ambitious vision, and we’re only beginning to scratch the surface of what this new genre can become.
I have dedicated my life to Rare Castle and to bringing this vision into reality. Looking back at everything we’ve accomplished so far, I couldn’t be prouder of what Rare Castle has achieved.
Today, I’m excited to announce that the first half chapter of the Off The Grid: Bad Dream demo prototype is now fully playable with gamepad support.
This update goes far beyond controller compatibility.
Over the past months, I’ve worked day and night resolving countless bugs while making nearly every major gameplay system more stable, reliable, and robust. Significant improvements have been made throughout the project, especially within the Palace Room of the Pantheon Off The Grid, including:
- The Soul and Possession system.
- The Shadow system.
- Object interaction and item mechanics.
- The vehicle driving system.
- Character dialogue and inner monologue systems.
- Countless gameplay systems used throughout the opening section of the game.
Nearly every system in the demo has been revisited, refined, and improved.
One of the biggest technical challenges was adapting the game’s large number of controls to a controller with far fewer available buttons than a keyboard and mouse. To solve this, we designed and implemented an entirely new Quick Menu system that gives players fast access to gameplay actions while keeping the controls intuitive and comfortable.
We’ve also introduced numerous contextual gameplay hints that guide players through actions, controls, and interactions as they progress, making the overall experience much more accessible.
The extension of the PlayStation MENA Hero Project, Second Cohort development period came at exactly the right time. It gave us the opportunity to continue polishing the demo, improve the gameplay experience, expand the story, and move closer to developing what is arguably the most exciting section of the demo, where the action truly begins.
That said, continuing development without financial support remains incredibly difficult. But this is my life’s work. This is Rare Castle’s mission. I’ll do whatever it takes to bring this vision to life.
Project Escher is not simply another game.
It is our passion.
It is the beginning of a new genre.
A genre rising from the ashes of traditional indie horror, challenging expectations, telling deeply personal stories, and, we hope, leaving a lasting mark on the indie game scene, and perhaps one day, on the game industry itself.
This is only the beginning.
