Horror has always been one of the most versatile and interesting genres when it comes to visual media. Forcing creators to think on their feet and adapt to what issues arise, some of the best titles in the genre were birthed from unforeseen situations or adapting to sudden changes in development.
A new title from Green Tile Digital, called Strobophagia, is looking to adapt to its changes in the best way possible. The new title aims to usher in the Rave and EDM craze into a much more scary setting and play around with hte fears that come from large crowds, loud music, and sudden changes to the environment.
Recently, we were able to catch up with Green Tile Digital CEO, Ben Clark, and asked him some of the scariest moments he experienced in the game, along with where the title could go in the future. During the chat, he left us with multiple nuggets of wisdom and facts about the development of the game that is sure to add to the experience once players step foot into the neon world.
Strobophagia could very well be the beginning of a new type of horror, and any fans of the genre should definitely experience what it has to offer. Make sure to check out hte interview below and tell us what you think in the comments!
Comic Brooks: What challenges came from creating such a unique horror experience while also making sure that the lighting wouldn't confuse the players?
Ben Clark: The main challenge for me has been how to elicit fear and paranoia in a crowd. A lot of other horror games have already nailed fear of the unknown so trying to shed light on other kinds of fears was a core goal with the project, as well as the biggest challenge. As for lighting, I think the rave aesthetic has allowed us to do more with lighting effects to guide and affect the player’s experience. The use of multiple bright colours has been especially useful against the contrast of a dark forest.
Comic Brooks: What are some of the influences that the team called on to create the game?
Ben Clark: Events like Electric Forest Festival and Burning Man have obviously influenced the setting of the game, as well as ancient Dionysian revelries. Crazy parties have been a part of human life for so long - there’s almost too many ideas to draw from.
Comic Brooks: What is something about this game, mechanically, that has it stand out from other survival horror titles?
Ben Clark: We wanted the player to feel like a drunk lost in a forest, so mechanically we have tried to focus more on free exploration. The main way to interact with other characters in the game is by finding objects to “snap” with your phone, and sending them to the other participants in the rave. In a sense, it’s an exploration-based dialogue system, which we think is quite unique.
Comic Brooks: Were there any moments in the game that scared you personally?
Ben Clark: Bugs and glitches. Having an AI you developed behave in a way you had NO idea it could in a horror game freaks you out like nothing I’ve ever experienced before, haha!
Comic Brooks: Would you say horror is a simple or complicated genre to develop into a game, considering all of the moving parts that come into play to create a good scare?
Ben Clark: In some ways, the horror genre gets away with a lot more mechanical “jank” than others. The biggest challenge in my opinion is nailing a good “atmosphere”, which is such a vague concept to begin with. The fact that so many people have praised Strobophagia’s atmosphere is my personal proudest achievement on this project.
Comic Brooks: Since we don't know if there is a sequel in the works yet, I was curious about what you and the team would want to add, gameplay-wise, to mix things up if there is a follow-up?
Ben Clark: The game actually began as a competitive multiplayer concept, and as such, ideas about online functionality have perpetually lingered over the rest of the game’s development. I think this would be an interesting way to proceed within horror. Not necessarily competitive multiplayer, but perhaps online components akin to the ones seen in Dark Souls or Death Stranding.
Strobophagia is a psychedelic horror game, where you explore the festival grounds of an occult forest rave in an attempt to avoid certain death.
Strobophagia releases on Steam on October 28th!