About The Eldritch Diary

The Eldritch Diary is an escape game consisting of 30+ interlocking puzzles that tell the story of the disappearance of Mary Foster. It can be played solo or with a group, and may take anywhere from an evening for a group of clever detectives to solve or a week of evenings for a lone-wolf beginner.

The game consists of the diary, ephemera like letters/photos, and a set of envelopes containing additional artifacts to unlock. Players will need to think laterally to explore its contents to discover puzzles and solve them to uncover the deepening riddle of what happened. In case player’s get stuck, clues are provided in the accompanying case notes of Detective Mike Ross.

The project is inspired by a love for puzzles and the beautiful sense of immersion that can come from a well made escape room. While I’ve played through several great escape books/games, I wanted to create something that was truer to the experience of entering a different physical space and where non-linear puzzles build upon each other to end in a satisfying conclusion.

The setting and tone of the mystery are inspired by movies with similar objects like Se7en, Summer of Sam and The Silence of the Lambs. My goal is that the Eldritch Diary will feel like a found object in one of these worlds.

Rewards

  • Standard - $40 + $8 US / $16 Int’l

    • Full-color puzzle book with 30+ linked puzzles.

    • Re-sealable envelopes containing unlockable artifacts.

    • Clue notebook.

    • No app/online component required.

  • Deluxe - $80 + $10 US / $20 Int’l

    • The same book + components as The Diary.

    • Re-usable hand-crafted Leather Cover. Fits digest/A5 sized books/paper (8.5in x 5.5in / 21cm x 15cm).

    • 4 bonus puzzles w/ additional artifact(s).

    • Blank notebook insert.

NOTE: To avoid spoilers, the puzzles and artifacts shown have been created specifically for this campaign to show off what you can expect to receive, but are NOT the same ones you will receive in the finished game.

Timeline

  • May - June: Kickstarter Campaign

  • June - Aug: Art/Design/Playtesting

  • Aug - Sep: Printing/Packaging

  • Sep: Shipping

About Me

I’m an independent writer, artist and game designer. I love crafting worlds that people can live in for a time, and I especially love telling stories through physical games.

My past projects include:

  • Homeward - A story-rich tabletop survival sim for 1 player.

  • Archetype - Four decks of character roles, quirks, motivations and goals to help writers, artists and GMs create memorable characters.

  • Field Guide to the North American Mommy - A children’s book about the secret life of a working mother.

Risks and Challenges

The Eldritch Diary is my third Kickstarter project. My first two (Archetype and Homeward) both involved print manufacturing and delivery of hundreds of physical rewards.

My goal in this project is to bring you a high-quality book and puzzle components. If faced with the dilemma of shipping on time or delaying the project to achieve better quality, then I would choose to delay the project, but I would do so with complete transparency about what is happening and why.

I have completed a rough draft of all the puzzles in the book, but there is still some risk of a delayed timeline due to:

  • Completing the remaining art/design.

  • Playtesting of the completed book and any improvements or adjustments this discovers.

  • Unusual print manufacturing, as the book includes uncommon features. I am working with a local printer who is confident they can handle these, but it may require significant back and forth to meet my high-standards for the final product.