Lords of the Fallen studio Deck13 is working on The Surge—an upcoming RPG that teases "a very grim vision of the future”—however today announced its next project: psychological horror affair The Shattering. Partnering with debut developer SuperSexySoftware, the game aims to “bring back true horror” as it explores its protagonist’s mind and psyche in the aftermath of tragic events.
"You have lots of horror games nowadays but they are more about jump scares and sadly not so much about what actually scares us," says SuperSexy’s founder Marta Szymanska. "We want to change that. Our idea is to confront the player with the hidden fears that lie beneath an idyllic illusion of normalcy, only then one can truly understand the despair of the hero."
In a scenario that unfolds over three to five hours, The Shattering is set in the “white, austere rooms” of the protagonist’s dreams. The idea is that you survive within long enough to escape, uncovering clues as you go and adapting to each space as it changes and evolves around you.
“These clues take the shape of objects, letters, documents, and messages scrawled on walls,” reads the blurb on the game’s site. “The rooms react to the mental state of the protagonist which changes according to the choices he/she makes. The choices the player makes not only affect the course of the game but also the conclusion.
"Messages found by the player can either help him/her along their way or trick them and lead them down the wrong path. The player must decide what is true or false, based on prior experience and clues found.”
All of which sounds intriguing. From that brief description, I’m reminded of Layers of Fear but with more agency afforded to the player—something Bloober Team’s exploration horror game sorely missed.
The Shattering isn’t due until 2018 so it’s early days yet, however here’s a few tone-setting screens in the meantime.
