In this Dev Diary, we’re taking you behind the curtain of Blind Descent via a conversation with Emrehan, one of the key developers shaping the dark world hidden beneath the Martian surface.
During our recent AMA session, Emrehan shared a few insights about the game’s creation, the vision behind its mysterious atmosphere, and how survival, adaptation, and isolation define the Blind Descent experience.
With topics ranging from the challenges of crafting a living, breathing underground ecosystem to balancing realism and mystery, our discussion offered a rare and fascinating look into the heart of the project.
From the teaser, it looks like Blind Descent has a storyline. How long will it be in terms of play hours?
Blind Descent absolutely has a story, but it’s a story that’s woven directly into the gameplay rather than told through long cutscenes. Our approach focuses on environmental storytelling and quest-driven progression.
Your main goal is to find your missing team and get back to the planet’s surface. Over the course of this journey, you will fight your way through the underground world, uncover what happened to your crew, and piece together the many secrets hidden deep within Mars.
Because the narrative is so tightly linked to exploration and survival, it’s hard to separate “story hours” from total playtime — but right now, we’re expecting around 10–15 hours of gameplay in the current version.
Are there any plans to add pets to the game?
We are considering introducing pets to Blind Descent after the Early Access launch. However, this is still under discussion — nothing has been confirmed yet.
Are there parasites in Blind Descent — like leeches or worms that attach to you when you sleep on the ground, similar to Green Hell?
Not quite! You can definitely get sick if you eat something you shouldn’t, but there aren’t any worms or leeches like in Green Hell. The survival system is designed to be a bit more forgiving when it comes to injuries — it’s more about smart adaptation than constant punishment.
What engine do you use, and will Blind Descent receive any updates after release?
We’re developing Blind Descent in Unreal Engine 5.6.1. And yes, there will definitely be updates after launch! We already have plenty of ideas and plans for future content and improvements to keep expanding the world of Mars.
Are there any future plans to add different characters?
We’re currently preparing four playable character options for your survival journey. Each one offers the same gameplay experience, and at this stage, they are non-customizable. Our focus is on perfecting the survival systems and world first, but you’ll still have a small team to choose from when the descent begins.
Will there be mod support during Early Access?
We’re not planning to include official modding support for now. It’s a complex system to implement, and our focus is currently on developing core content and stability.
That said, if players want to experiment and create their own modifications, we’re absolutely open to it — we’d love to see what the community comes up with!
If the game performs well enough for a sequel, where would it take place?
We already have some really exciting ideas for a sequel. Blind Descent will end at a point where you’ll get some answers — but you’ll also be left wondering, ‘What’s next?’
Maybe there are more underground worlds hidden beneath Mars, waiting to be discovered. Who knows what else lies below?
Will most of the fauna be Earth-like, or are you planning to dive deeper into the mystical side of things?
Some regions of the underground world will feel distinctly alien — strange, otherworldly, and unlike anything from Earth. However, Earth-like fauna will still be more common overall. There’s a reason for that balance, and players will uncover it naturally through gameplay as they explore the depths.
Will each biome have its own day–night cycle, based on the local flora and ecosystem?
The day–night cycle is consistent across all areas of the map — time passes the same way everywhere. However, some regions of Mars are so deep or enclosed that they never see daylight at all. In those places, the only illumination is from the eerie glow of the local flora and fauna.
Is the guy at the column gonna get a grave? Or is he just going to lie there… forever?
We actually talked about this during development. There is a chance that we’ll be adding a small side quest that would let players prepare a grave for him — a quiet way to bring him closure. For now, though, we expect the pink matter, the infection, to slowly take over the body.
If there’s going to be a geode-like biome, is there any chance we might see one of the crab creatures get… glitterfied?
We do have a crystal cave biome in the game — that’s where players will eventually be able to upgrade their items. But crystal crabs? I’ve honestly never thought about that before. It’s a fascinating idea, and now you’ve got me thinking about it!
Overall, would you say making Blind Descent has been troublesome? If so, what are the most difficult bugs or features the team has had to deal with?
It’s been a very challenging journey. A game like Blind Descent requires thousands of decisions to be made, countless revisions, and a ton of work to get right.
One of the most frustrating bugs we faced was animation jittering. Imagine holding a sword and a torch while walking — every time you turned, your hands would lag slightly behind, like a multiplayer desync. It turned out the issue wasn’t in the gameplay at all, but was being caused by a level design plugin inside the engine editor. Disabling that plugin fixed everything. It’s a good reminder that sometimes, the weirdest problems come from places you’d never suspect — and they eat up a lot of time.
As for features, multiplayer was by far the toughest. On paper, it’s not overly complex, but in practice, implementing and debugging it is a nightmare. Every new system adds layers of interaction that can break in unpredictable ways. It’s been a massive headache — and still is, to be honest — but it’s coming together really well despite the challenges.
Many players have pointed out similarities between Blind Descent and games like Subnautica. Are you concerned about that comparison? How do you plan to make your game’s atmosphere and experience truly unique?
The survival genre is already rich with incredible titles, and naturally, there will always be some overlap. Personally, Subnautica is one of my favorite survival games, so it’s honestly flattering when people mention our project alongside it. But Blind Descent has its own soul and identity that make it stand apart.
The world of Blind Descent draws heavy inspiration from Scavenger’s Reign — it’s alien, strange, and ruled by its own logic. Here, survival isn’t about dominating the environment with technology, but about adapting to it. If you resist, Mars will consume you. But if you learn to live by its rules, you just might survive.
Unlike most survival games, your connection to this world is symbiotic. In order to endure, you must sacrifice fragments of your humanity. Over time, the world begins to recognize you: your body mutates, your senses change, and what once poisoned you might later sustain you. The alien fruit that initially made you sick eventually tastes sweet — and conversely, human food turns toxic.
This evolving bond is one of Blind Descent’s defining features. Combined with our unique narrative, survival mechanics, and atmosphere, we aim to make players truly feel like they’re surviving on Mars, not just playing a game about it.
What inspired the idea of creating an underground ecosystem?
The concept was mainly inspired by Deep Rock Galactic. We were brainstorming survival ideas, and an underground setting quickly stood out as one of the most compelling. However, we didn’t want it to be a purely dark and grim place — that didn’t fit the tone we envisioned. Other inspirations like Journey to the Center of the Earth and even Ice Age 3 helped us shape a more vibrant and mysterious underground world that blended danger with wonder.
How do you explain the day–night cycle if the game takes place below the surface of a planet? Is it caused by some massive creature or bioluminescent flora?
That’s something players will discover for themselves. We’ve seen a lot of curiosity around this, which makes us really happy — it’s the kind of mystery that feels rewarding to uncover naturally. My advice? Try climbing upward as you explore. You might stumble upon a few lore fragments… and maybe the answer you’re looking for.
Are there going to be giant spiders?
No giant spiders — but there are giant insects with plenty of legs! (I actually have a bit of arachnophobia myself.)
When do you expect to release the game?
We’re aiming for sometime next year. Stay tuned with our news and updates!
Will there be more in-depth alchemy and crafting, given the rich flora of Mars?
Absolutely. We plan to expand both crafting and alchemy throughout Early Access, adding unique combinations and experimental systems for players to discover.