Draw maps of a vampiric lighthouse that defies logic in This Is Not For You, the latest horror game inspired by House of Leaves
Interactive Dreams, a Mexico-based studio, is developing This Is Not For You, a horror game that draws heavy inspiration from Mark Z. Danielewski’s cult novel House of Leaves. The game centers on a central mechanic that will appeal to a specific audience: drawing maps of an impossible space.
Players assume the role of Ulysses, a shipwrecked sailor who becomes trapped in a mysterious lighthouse that defies logic and conventional geometry. The structure is larger on the inside than the outside, with spaces arranged in a dimension-defying layout where the laws of physics seem suspended. Walking north might lead south; exiting a bedroom could result in arriving at the ocean floor. This impossible architecture forms the core of the game’s design philosophy.
The game’s tagline describes the lighthouse as “vampiric,” suggesting hostile environmental elements or entities that threaten the player throughout their exploration. The non-Euclidean design requires players to actively map their surroundings to navigate the labyrinth successfully—transforming the traditional game map mechanic from a gameplay aid into the central activity itself. This approach mirrors House of Leaves’ notorious complexity, where the novel’s structure itself becomes part of the narrative experience.
This Is Not For You appears positioned as an indie horror experience aimed at players who enjoy experimental game design, puzzle-solving through navigation, and narrative-driven exploration. By combining cartography-based gameplay with cosmic horror atmospherics, the game attempts to translate literary complexity into interactive form, offering a fresh take on non-Euclidean horror narratives in gaming.