Vancouver game studio recreates Toronto's TTC for psychological horror game Stuck in the Present
Embersail's side-scrolling game follows two characters navigating Toronto subway stations while reliving painful memories, inspired by the studio's collective immigrant experience.
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A Vancouver-based indie game studio has recreated Toronto's subway system as the haunting setting for a psychological horror game that traps players in the TTC while they confront painful memories.
Stuck in the Present, created by Embersail, is a side-scrolling game following two characters, Faye and Rich, as they relive trauma while navigating the twisting Toronto subway stations. Players progress by interacting with objects and structures in different TTC stations, navigating through Faye's anxieties as the pair deal with increasing dangers.
The game is deeply personal to Embersail's team. As most staff are immigrants, the studio realized that waiting on immigration paperwork perfectly encapsulated the feeling of being "stuck in the present." "That hit home for everyone in the room, so the whole game became an immigration story," said Mars Balisacan, the studio's founder and director of operations. "We knew we wanted a setting that could hold that feeling of being trapped, somewhere enclosed, moving but never really arriving."
Since one of Embersail's developers lives in Toronto, the city's subway system was the natural choice. Balisacan said one game designer "even flew out just to photograph the subway lines so our art team had real references to work from."
The studio chose psychological horror to mirror the emotional weight of the immigration experience while giving room to explore each character's past trauma. Both game characters are Filipino, with small cultural details woven throughout that Filipino players will recognize.
The game is full of easter eggs: all advertisements scattered around the subway are parodies of real ads. Balisacan said "stories rooted in cultural heritage are something we want to keep exploring," and Toronto's cultural diversity continues to inspire the studio. "Toronto's got such a rich mix of cultures, it's the kind of place that'll keep inspiring us for a long time."
The facts
What game studio created Stuck in the Present?
Embersail, a Vancouver-based indie game studio, created Stuck in the Present.
What city's subway system is recreated in the game?
Toronto's TTC (Toronto Transit Commission) subway system is recreated in Stuck in the Present as the game's setting.
What are the names of the two main characters in Stuck in the Present?
The two main characters in Stuck in the Present are Faye and Rich, who navigate Toronto subway stations while reliving trauma.
What nationality are the game's main characters?
Both game characters in Stuck in the Present are Filipino, with small cultural details woven throughout that Filipino players will recognize.
Why did Embersail choose the subway as the game's setting?
Embersail chose the Toronto subway system because the studio wanted a setting that could hold the feeling of being trapped and enclosed—somewhere that captures the experience of moving but never really arriving, which mirrors the sensation of waiting on immigration paperwork.
