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Glitch Escape

A Surreal Puzzle-Platformer Adventure Game.

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Publisher
Release
September 6, 2020
5 years and 331 days ago
Steam Reviews
Mixed29 reviews55.2%

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Updated: Jul 14, 2026Developer scaleThe operating scale of the game's developer.
Updated: Jul 14, 2026Publisher scaleThe operating scale of the game's publisher.
A separate publisher is listed without a proven bounded regional or service-only role.
Search Google: Is Glitch Escape self-published or published by UCSC Games?Publisher statusHow the game's publishing relationship is classified.
Search Google: How is Glitch Escape and UCSC Games funded?FundingThe known source of funding behind the game.
Search Google: Who controls the creative direction and IP for Glitch Escape and Tiffany Phan and Seiji Emery and David Monroe and Rachel Haub and Sam Feng and Benjamin Chen and Eizi Zu and Erica Li and Kristofer Torres and Coy Youngblood and Vladislav Kardash and Hardwin Bui and Lubin Tu and Manon Lefebvre and Sam Wolfe and Brennan McCulloch?Creative controlWho appears to retain creative control of the game.
Updated: Jul 14, 2026Release statusWhether and how the game has been released.
The title released with a separate publisher relationship.

Media

6 items

About the Game

This game was originally inspired by sleep paralysis and the metaphysical theories surrounding astral projection being one of the gateways to high dimensions. The game tells a story about characters who struggle with their reality and falls victim to an antagonist who wants to keep them forever in the "astral realm". The protagonist must face their fear, the antagonist: a version of themself that does not want to wake up, in order to save the others (who are also versions of them from other world lines).

The game was made by 16 UCSC students from the games department.


Credits

Creative Director: Tiffany Phan

Art Producer: Tiffany Phan
Technical Producer: David Monroe
Technical Lead: Seiji Emery, Rachel Haub

Music + Sound Design: Coy Youngblood

Lead Character Artist: Erica Li

Lead Environmental Artist: Sam Feng

3D Artists: Sam Feng, Erica Li, Eizi Yu

Visual Effects + Shaders: Sam Feng, Seiji Emery, Rachel Haub

Lead Programmer: Seiji Emery

Gameplay Programmers: Seiji Emery, Vladislav Kardash, Rachel Haub

Additional Programming: Hardwin Bui, Lubin Tu, Brennen Mcculloch

Level Design: Benjamin Chen

Narrative Director: Kris Torres

Cutscene Design: Tiffany Phan, Kris Torres, Hardwin Bui

Concept Art: Tiffany Phan, Erica Li, Sam Feng, Manon Lefebvre, Kris Torres

User interface + 2d Art: Tiffany Phan, Kris Torres

User interface Programming: Lubin Tu, Rachel Haub

Rigging + Animation: Sam Feng, Eizi Yu, Erica Li, Sam Wolfe

Trailer + Marketing: Tiffany Phan, Brennen Mcculloch

Many Thanks To: Eddie Melcer
Robin Hunicke
Marcelo Viana Neto
Elin Carstendottir
Tad Leckman
Max Kreminski
Sean Douglas

All the folks at the CMPM + AGPM games depts at UCSC

(and in particular, all of the fellow 17X students that we weathered together with under a global pandemic + everything else 2020 decided to throw at us, and still made some kick-ass games with regardless :) )

And last but not least, all of our supportive friends + family, both in and outside of the UCSC games program


Copyright 2020 The Glitch Escape Team

Thanks for playing!