Why is The Bloated Toad a Prologue?

Each of our games is part of an interconnected story. From the beginning, we wanted the experiences to feel like chapters in a larger adventure, with recurring details and references that make the world feel alive.

When we designed The Bloated Toad, its replayable nature gave us a choice: it could serve as a prologue or an epilogue.

Why Not the Epilogue?

Placing it at the end would have meant tying up storylines, answering questions, and building anticipation for what comes next.

The problem is that we are still building that next adventure. Dropping an epilogue before the main chapters were finished would have felt like hyping up a sequel before the first movie even hit theaters.

Why It Works as the Prologue

Making it the prologue gave us freedom. As the first stop in the story, The Bloated Toad introduces the world, its characters, and the tone we are setting for the entire saga.

Its details, puzzles, and flavor are laced with nods to the rooms and games that follow. Ideally, players experience it once at the very start, and then again after they have completed the whole story. On the second playthrough, it should feel like a homecoming: familiar, but richer because of what you now know.

A Different Kind of Challenge

The Bloated Toad is designed with high difficulty and heavy replayability. That balance gives players two distinct paths:

• Those looking for a traditional escape room challenge often gravitate toward Chapter 1: Caves of Caneen.
• Those looking for something unusual, quirky, and filled with unique mechanics will find that the prologue scratches that itch in a way no other game does.

Setting the Stage

By making The Bloated Toad the prologue, we can offer both a “choose your own adventure” entry point and a chance to experience something that grows deeper each time you return.

It is not just the beginning of the story, it is the foundation that makes every chapter that follows feel richer, stranger, and more connected.