Hey Misfits, hope you’re unwell!
Today we’ll dive into environment design and the quirky details that make Into The Unwell so alive. And there’s no better place to start than the filthy, trash-filled world that greets you on your journey through the Unwell.
Trash and quirky humor define this area. Giant cereal boxes and fake brands lurk around every corner. It’s all a little unhinged in that rubber hose way. But how did it come together?
Where the Trash World began
The journey started with a simple idea: comment on consumerism by creating a world built from discarded trash. Early sketches imagined players climbing through heaps of garbage, but over time, the motivation evolved. Instead of climbing toward the source of trash, the team focused on decorating a world with cans, boxes, fast food, and playful satire, turning garbage itself into the heart of the environment. Felix Waubert De Puiseau, Art Director on Into The Unwell, explains that trash became the “outsiders” of the world; chaotic, imperfect, and exaggerated objects contrasting with a sense of order and familiarity drawn from real-life references like Swedish milk cartons, book designs, and nostalgic 80s-90s items.
Early mockup of the Trash World
From the very beginning, the team leaned into playful distortion and whimsy. Johannes Barte, a concept artist working at the publisher Coffee Stain, contributed early paintovers that transformed piles of garbage into exciting shapes and stylized compositions. Rocks became cans, milk cartons were humorously reimagined as “Veganklök” (Vegan puke), and every prop carried a hint of satire or nostalgia. Huge props and loose, rubber hose lines make the world feel like you’ve been miniaturized inside a kid’s sketchbook. Felix pushed for those slightly crooked lines, intentionally imperfect, to keep everything feeling warm, goofy, and full of charm.
Props with personality
The environment thrives on detail. Interactive elements like sunken cans, wobbling bottles, and movable objects make the world feel alive. Oskar Johansson Möller, Environment Artist, helped fill the world with props and polished materials, ensuring every corner was interactive and visually cohesive. Billboards advertise mock brands like Lizard People and Warzone Bananas, while books and packaging carry absurd humor; How to Tax Evade and Help My Child Is Satan among them. Some props even react dynamically to player choices, blending interactivity with storytelling.
One of many odd books you'll stumble up on the first level
Lighting and composition were just as important as props. The team aimed for a “Truman Show” effect, using spotlights and shadows to frame action and create readable chaos. Colors were chosen to give the Trash World a yellowish, polluted hue that feels unmistakably its own. The world feels lived-in, with trash heaps scattered as if by random chance, but each element was intentionally placed to balance humor, visual excitement, and readability.
Joachim “Balder” Häggström, Technical Artist, built the procedural system that stitches together entire levels from pre-built chunks, and prototyped many of the interactive features that bring the world to life. Johannes whipped up enemy and environment concept art, billboard graphics, and a bunch of the packaging designs, while Oskar dove into the actual world-building: materials, props, all the little bits that make the place feel lived in. And with Felix steering the overall vibe, that tiny goofy idea snowballed into a world that’s funny and somehow surprisingly cohesive.
At its core, the Trash World runs on contrast: giant goofy objects dumped into a decaying environment, wobbly shapes laid over a carefully structured layout, humor sitting right on top of something a bit darker. Every corner’s got a story, every prop’s got attitude: even the simplest can or book. It’s our celebration of messiness and pure unapologetic satire. A world where you can poke around and laugh at all the nonsense.
Previous posts
The islands of Into The Unwell
The bird that sparked Into The Unwell’s visuals
Want to discuss Into The Unwell, the Closed Beta, rubber hose animation, and everything in between? Join our Discord! You can also follow us on Steam and social media for updates on Early Access and more!
Till next time,
Stay weird, stay wacky.
/ The Horses 🐎