Project Escher: Development Resumes on a Soul-Bending Journey
After a period of quiet but determined work behind the scenes, I’m thrilled to officially announce that Project Escher—the game formerly known as Off the Grid: Bad Dream—has resumed full development under my indie label, Rare Castle.
The title “Project Escher” is not just a codename. It reflects the very essence of the game’s surreal environments and mind-bending architecture. Inspired by the impossible geometries of M.C. Escher and non-Euclidean space, the world of Project Escher is ethereal, dreamlike, and disorienting by design. This isn’t a world that plays by the rules of logic—and that’s exactly the point.
What’s Happening Right Now?
As of April 5th, the focus of development is centered on building the game’s main menu—but this isn’t your typical 2D interface.
The main menu is being crafted as a fully interactive 3D scene, allowing players to witness real-time visual changes as they tweak the game’s graphical settings. It’s a small glimpse into the reactive, living world we’re creating—where even the menus are part of the immersion.
A Glimpse at the Core Mechanic
While still in an early, unpolished state, I’m excited to reveal the core gameplay mechanic that drives Project Escher:
You play as a disembodied soul made of light, with the haunting ability to possess strange mechanical vessels scattered throughout the game’s mysterious world.
This soul possession system opens the door to layered gameplay, puzzles, and narrative revelations. While animations, visual effects, and movement polish are still underway, the foundational system is already functional—and it’s something truly unique.
A gameplay test video showcasing this mechanic is on the horizon, so stay tuned.
Project Escher is more than just a game—it’s a descent into a place beyond time, identity, and form. Development may have taken a pause, but the vision never faded. And now, it’s back with clarity, purpose, and ambition.
Thank you to everyone who’s supported Rare Castle along the way. This is just the beginning of the next chapter.
— Rare Castle
Solo Developer & Dreamer
0 Comments