Frictional Games Planning a Non-Horror Game

Published: July 21, 2016 9:25 PM /

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frictional games amnesia cover

Amnesia and SOMA creator, Frictional Games, unveiled that they are working on two new projects, one of which will be the studio's first non-horror title. Frictional Games has become well-known for their popular yet simple survival horror experiences. The studio told Wow 24/7, however, that they don't only want to be known for their horror games. Frictional Games creative director Thomas Grip said in the interview they have two titles in the works, one of which is another horror title and the other the first non-horror game the studio has made. Grip himself is overseeing the team that will be working on the experimental title. While details are still in the works, Grip remarked that his aim was to make the depressing realities of the world into a gaming experience, hoping for an audience that is "existentially traumatized." Mechanically, Grip wants to make an experience that falls between the more complex expectations of Amnesia and the very simple mechanics of SOMA. Grip says that while he never viewed SOMA as a walking simulator as many did, he admits SOMA did lack some of the complicated planning Amnesia had.

frictional games offices
Behind the scenes development of SOMA.

The creative director says the main focus of the game will be on telling the narrative through the gameplay. Grip pointed to Firewatch and in particular Inside as his inspirations for the idea of driving the story through player action, saying "The story of a game should be someone playing the game." Frictional Games has a blog post up praising Inside's storytelling. 

As far as the horror title, it will not simple be a repeat of AmnesiaSOMA, or Penumbra. The hope is to create original mechanics for horror fans. Grip says that even while branching out into other genres, Frictional Games strives to be at the forefront of horror, and "create the games other people imitate." The horror and the non-horror title have been in the earliest stages of development for a year, but will start to come together in the Fall. Frictional Games is not in any hurry to rush the titles out though, nor feel any need to rush.

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Teacher's aid by day. Gamer by night. And by day, because I play my DS on my lunch break. Ask me about how bad my aim is.