Here, thats Scottish electrician Caz McLeary and the crew of the Beira D rig.

They had a real sense of camaraderie, of professionalism.

They were all operating at the limits of engineering.

A twisted corridor lit by orange-red light in horror game Still Wakes The Deep

The other detail that stuck with him, says McLachlan, was their description of the senses.

There was, said the workers they spoke to, always machine noise.

Sinking into the sea.

A dimly lit gap between two large mechanical fixtures in horror game Still Wakes The Deep

Im interested in completion being enough of a design goal to merit mention.

Surely, all developers would like players to finish their games.

But the team still took steps to maintain tension, even without the fear of tangible consequences.

a twisted mass of warped bodies in Still Wakes The Deep

What we’ve spent time doing is crafting the encounters.

We want everyone to be chased at that moment.

We want everyone to have that surprise, McLachlan explains.

a cook serves food in a packed canteen at christmas in Still Wakes The Deep

They do have a mind of their own, and they can go and do different things.

Then theres the sea itself, which McLachlan says was always intended to be the games second enemy.

You leave your family for weeks or months at a time, and you’re on your own there.

A misty view of an oil rig in the north sea from Still Wakes The Deep

That’s a really interesting setting for a horror game.

There were two factors at play there, explains McLachlan.

The first is technology.

The second factor was down to the what McLachlan calls the cinematic and stylistic atmosphere we wanted to make.

Influences cited includeAbigail’s Party,Care, movies by Ken Loach, andThat Sinking Feeling.

We got photos ofPorridgewith Ronnie Barker and photos of actors from the 70s.

So, what does that (not) cosmic horror look like in Still Wakes The Deep?

In obscurity comes horror, explains McLachlan.

We use things like fog, mist, and darkness to feel that obscurity.

It ties into deep brain things like the fear of disease, the fear of death.

Theres an alienness and starkness.

In 2017, the studiolaid off their development teamand went dark, before beingbought by Sumo Groupin 2018.

In 2020, they released cinematic platformerLittle Orpheus.

So what does it mean to make a classic Chinese Room game in 2024?

It means more people experience our story.

Still Wakes The Deepis outon the 18th of June, 2024.