it's been awhile, hasn't it? as much as the world had changed from 2019 to 2020, it's changed even more since then—and soon, it'll be changing all over again. these days, a lot of people have something to Escape from. in this moment, I'm more certain than ever that it's time to revisit the past one last time. there's a final ESCAPE update in the works, and it's on a scale that's just not comparable with any previous update, save maybe the original game itself.

now, that may not be as impressive as it sounds at first blush; see, ESCAPE was conceptualized from the start to be not much more than a demo, a sort of proof-of-concept that I needed to back up a specific administrative project I was trying to pull off at my university. that project came close enough to knock on the door of success back in march of 2020. perhaps you can guess where this is going. the onset of the covid-19 pandemic wiped many things from the face of the earth, and both that project and my mental health were among them.

the pandemic also made the story of ESCAPE itself a thousand times more pertinent. sure, there were plenty of things that people wanted to escape from before covid-19 came along, but I was largely detached from all of them. i didn't care about politics, follow world news, or participate in social movements—I existed largely in my own little insular bubble, disregarding the classic advice to "write what you know" as I took up the mantle of this project.

I think I did alright handling source material that was detached from my own life, but my adhd quickly kicked into gear, and the game that got published was really just the skeleton of what I'd envisioned for the story. I convinced myself that that was okay, that since this game is only a proof-of-concept, it doesn't really matter.

well, it does matter. at least, it matters to me.

the more time that's passed, the more I came to realize that ESCAPE was far-and-away my favorite among the numerous projects I've worked on. it's the only one of my games that I've suddenly felt a desire to go back and experience as a player. the strength of those desires fluctuates from feeling "in the mood" to play up to a borderline compulsion. and every time I return, I find myself wishing I'd done more. wishing I could make real choices through my gameplay, beyond the basic branching structure it was created to demonstrate. usually, I walk away from playing ESCAPE with ideas. some are resurfaced memories of things I'd wanted to do back then, and some are sparks of fresh inspiration that account for all the ways the world has changed since the most recent ESCAPE update, almost four years ago.

so, it's time. my life has changed in so many ways, but not really gone anywhere at all. I dunno if it ever will, and frankly, I don't much care. for now, one step forward at a time is enough, and right now, the step I find myself wanting to take is this one: giving ESCAPE the conclusion it's deserved on account of everything it's come to mean to me. in part, that means adding on all the features that have remained as persistent presences in my head; this time, nothing will be left on the table, and I will move forward with no regrets. however, it also means finishing what I started. right now, there's really only enough dialogue and description to support the structure of the game, with form fitting function. that's always how it's been. but this time, the function won't be demonstrating the capabilities of nonlinear storytelling—it'll be making the world and its characters truly come to life.

ESCAPE is no longer detached from my experience—it's become a story that I truly want to tell. telling it will take time, and this time, I'm determined to go about it the right way. so, when the moment finally comes to release the expansion, the world will have changed again in ways that none of us could've predicted when this devlog post was written on the 15th of November 2024, in the dead of night. whether you choose to love by letting go or hold tight to the past, I hope we will all find our own Escape.

- cass aleatory

Major Expansion:

ESCAPE: Ultimate
by Cass Aleatory with sadie ng

Expected release date: Fall 2025

Stay tuned to this dev log for previews of ESCAPE: Ultimate's new content, updates on the development process, and our latest estimates concerning the expansion's launch date!