STEAMRIFT – immerse yourself in the story and step into my world. SteamRift is the cryptonym of a project which aims to uncover the hidden history of the industrial Lodz. The mysterious steam rifts, had once been a major factor contributing to the growth of Lodz and the development of steam-based technologies to be found nowhere else in Europe. The rifts were kept secret by the authorities of the Kingdom of Poland, the Russian Empire and a broad range of stakeholders, were supposed to stun the world and affect the global order. A digital journey through the world of steam rifts provides a chance to reconstruct the missing technologies and shedding new light on the history of the city of Lodz – its dynamic growth and the influence it could have exerted on the whole world. As the audience follows the narrative, opening their minds and hearts to the story, the new world emerges from the steam, providing a real, tangible experience. I invite you to join me on this cultural and technological journey to Steam Rifts.

BY  Rafal Szrajber (PL)


An architect, designer and in-game photographer and lecturer at the Strzemiński Academy of Art in Lodz and Lodz University of Technology. His research interests include the topic of architecture in video games, game design as a creative process, and the use of local heritage in the area of new media as a way of building local identity and values. He lectures courses such as fundamentals of game design, interface design for video games and level design. He maintains a keen interest in environmental storytelling and information-rich game world design. What interests him most in the virtual dimension is the relationship between human beings and space. An ambassador and promoter of interuniversity cooperation in the field video game education. A co-organizer of the ZTGK Challege and Game Graphics Contest. The inventor of the underground world of Steam Rifts.