I’ve always considered myself a completionist when it comes to deep-dive PC RPGs. It took me 300 hours and 15 years to finally roll the credits on Fallout: New Vegas simply because I refuse to finish a story until every stone is unturned. Usually, I get distracted by the sheer scale of the world before I can actually wrap things up.
When I sat down with Esoteric Ebb, a title that has quickly become a top contender for the best gaming experience of the year, I thought I had mastered its secrets. After 26 hours of meticulous exploration, I reached out to Christoffer Bodegård, the developer behind the game, to discuss its intricate mechanics. What followed was a humbling lesson in digital narrative depth.
Note: Spoilers for Esoteric Ebb follow, though without context, they remain as enigmatic as the game’s title.
During our conversation, Bodegård rattled off a list of items, hidden locations, and even an entire character class that I had completely bypassed. Despite scouring Tolstad for every possible clue before hitting the point of no return, I had barely scratched the surface of his creation.
The magic of Esoteric Ebb lies in its refusal to hand-hold. No two playthroughs are identical, not because of scripted branching paths, but because of the organic discovery—or lack thereof. Bodegård mentioned several encounters that I missed entirely:
- Lord Gorm’s Stash: A hidden cache of loot I never even suspected existed.
- The Giant Dragon Skull: A massive landmark that somehow eluded my 26-hour search.
- The Living Library: A concept so wild I initially thought he was joking.
- The Midnight Duel: An encounter with a character named Visken where you can either swear an oath or engage in a high-stakes battle.
- The Telekinetic Goblin: A creature that screams and steals your magical key using psionics.
In Esoteric Ebb, you always start as a Cleric, but the game allows you to align with five additional classes inspired by classic tabletop mechanics. Each corresponds to one of the six core attributes. While I assumed the Charisma-based class was a Warlock, I was wrong—it’s actually a Bard. “You can go through almost every dialogue in the game and simply announce, ‘Hello, I am the Dancing Bard,’” Bodegård explained. The fact that such a transformative roleplay option was hidden in plain sight is a testament to the game’s design.
I played through as a “Dick-Ass Rogue,” yet even then, I wasn’t committed enough to the bit. Bodegård noted that if you steal enough items, the “Dick-Ass Rogue” title actually becomes official on your character sheet. I had played it too safe with the local merchants, missing out on a unique piece of character progression.
One of my favorite revelations involved a particularly arrogant elf. In my run, I passed a dialogue check and we parted ways peacefully. Bodegård laughed at this, revealing that the character is essentially a boss. “You can actually wrestle him and rip off his shoes—they are very nice shoes.” Internally, the development team at Gibbet Games referred to them as “Air Elronds,” a name that sadly had to be omitted from the final build for legal reasons, though it remains a legend in the source code.
The Philosophy of Missing Content
It might sound strange, but hearing about everything I missed filled me with joy. That is the pinnacle of the RPG genre: the realization that the world is larger than your experience of it. Unlike games that require multiple playthroughs to see different chapters, Esoteric Ebb allows for 100% completion in one go—it’s just statistically improbable for a first-timer.
“I wrote 700,000 words knowing that most players won’t see half of them on their first run,” Bodegård said. “But that’s what makes it feel real. You have to miss things to feel like the world exists independently of the player.”
This approach captures the “playground legend” feel of early gaming, similar to the hidden layers found in high-performance titles like Elden Ring. It’s about creating an “illusionary wall of agency.” By providing more content than a player can reasonably find, the game feels infinite.
As a storyteller at Digital Tech Explorer, I find this level of dedication to “missable” content fascinating. It’s a bold design choice that rewards curiosity and respects the player’s intelligence. Whether you are a developer looking for inspiration in AI-driven narrative or a player seeking your next obsession, Esoteric Ebb is a masterclass in world-building.
Disclaimer: All content on Digital Tech Explorer is for informational and entertainment purposes only. We do not provide financial or legal advice.
Affiliate Disclaimer: Some of the links on Digital Tech Explorer are affiliate links. This means we may earn a commission if you click through and make a purchase, at no additional cost to you. Our recommendations are based on thorough research and personal experience.