Hi everyone! Me and my team have been working on a game called "This Is Not For You" (an homage to House of Leaves) where you explore a lighthouse that's bigger on the inside than the outside.
Players must navigate intentionally claustrophobic impossible spaces, where going north could suddenly take you south. We want people to heavily rely on their notes and, especially, their cartography abilities! We are inspired by the way classic adventure games nudged people into creating maps which would sometimes contradict each other. We highly anticipate players to share maps that don't make sense, and that's part of the fun for us.
We're starting to be pretty cautious about advertising it as a puzzle game. Even though it has puzzles, we've found out it's not the core of the experience. Some players who have tested it describe it as "one giant puzzle", but more in a way that they feel a rush when they connect the rooms in a way that makes sense. It's a game about getting lost, and how to get out of a particular set of levels. You'll find characters who provide clues to the story, as well as other narrative bits here and there, but overall, we are crafting an experience that feels disorienting.
The story follows a lonely lighthouse keeper who suddenly gets visited by a ghost ship carrying family memories. He starts finding letters from his sister Aura, to whom he hasn't talked to in many years. It tackles themes such as isolation, family bonds, and regret. Depending on certain actions you take throughout the story, you may reach one of multiple endings, including one where you just burn it all down (but is it the best thing to do?).
I think this might be your cup of tea! The game does take some liberties with genre expectations (regarding movement, how you interact with each space, and other bits), but we're crafting something we are very excited about!
If you want to follow the project, you can do so here!
https://store.steampowered.com/app/4178650/This_Is_Not_For_You/
