Overview
When working on a new map for DEVOUR, the same thing always happens. One step backwards, two steps forward. We think of some ideas and mechanics, get excited about them, start putting them together, and then later realise there’s probably a better way to approach it. That can happen anywhere from 5 to 100 times per map. Completely unscientific number, but honestly, it feels about right.
That process is basically what dictates how long something takes and how painful it is to make. Sometimes the ideas land early and everything starts clicking into place. Other times it feels like pulling teeth, going over the same problems again and again until something finally works.
The most difficult map we made for DEVOUR was probably The Manor. The original version had an entirely different gameplay loop involving processing wedding photographs in a red room. Then it changed into putting salt rings on the floor to capture spirits. Then it probably changed another half a dozen times before it became the map it is now.
All of those ideas sounded good on paper. Even when talking about them with the team, there was always excitement around them in the moment. But what you imagine something will feel like and what it actually plays like can be completely different. As soon as you notice one flaw, it usually starts to unravel a whole bunch more. Before you know it, you’re neck deep in logical problems with the mechanics and there’s not much you can do except rethink the whole thing.
If I’m honest, The Manor is probably my least favourite DEVOUR map. It was super ambitious with both the living and dead realm, and I do really like a lot of the visual stuff we did, but the gameplay just never ended up feeling as fun to me as some of the other maps. Maybe it was too serious? I’m still not totally sure.
Anyway, the same thing has been happening with Living Hell, which is to be expected.
The difference is that DEVOUR now has a proven core loop. Each map is still difficult, but we already know the foundations work, so we’re mostly finding ways to twist them or add new layers.
With Living Hell, that core loop still has to prove itself. So every playtest is a case of trying things, seeing what actually works, cutting what doesn’t, and slowly pushing it forward.
This last month has been an absolutely monstrous push in the right direction.
A lot of mechanics have been streamlined, simplified, or moved around in ways that make them feel much stronger than they did before. Some things I’ve wanted in the game since the start of development are finally starting to feel like they actually belong there, rather than just being cool ideas floating around. At the same time, I’ve been able to remove or reduce things that were getting in the way of the fun.
Finding the fun in a game is super important. When you find it, you have to double down on it and get everything else out of the way.
The City
One of the bigger changes made recently is reducing the size of the traversable outdoor space.
The big, epic city feeling is still a huge part of Living Hell. The weather, the collapsed ozone layer, the Sun, the atmosphere of Pelican City, all of that is still extremely important to the game. But the real horror gameplay loop happens inside the buildings, and I don’t want players spending loads of time just running through empty streets to get to the good stuff.
I want to be respectful of the player’s time.
Because of that, I’ve been tweaking the structure so that travel between the subway and buildings is quicker, more focused, and has more purpose. The nice thing about this is that it actually lets me increase the number of subway stations players can travel to, because each area can be a bit more bite-sized.
So in a weird way, it’s a win-win. Players get more locations and quicker access to the actual content, and it’s also less work for me and the artists because we’re not trying to build a huge open world city where 99% of the space would probably just end up being ignored anyway.
A lot of games act like a huge world is automatically a good thing, but unless you can fill that world with meaningful content, it often just becomes dead space. Only the absolute best studios, with insane resources, can really pull off those huge immersive open world environments properly.
That being said, you’re still going to be trying to survive in a big metropolitan city, which has been the goal from the very beginning. The work that has gone into things like the weather system, the custom city assets, the subway, and the overall look of Pelican City is all still going to play a big part in the game. It’s just being shaped into something tighter and more useful for the actual gameplay.
Power
I’ve always wanted the core gameplay loop to revolve around power.
Because civilization has collapsed, you wouldn’t expect there to be reliable utilities. No stable electricity, no proper cooling, no clean drinking water. All of those things have been part of the game’s design in some form since very early on.
The tricky part has been finding the right balance between the logic of the situation and what actually makes for a good co-op horror loop.
I wanted something that made sense in the world, but also gave players reasons to split up, help each other, panic, make decisions, and have those moments where one player is trying to keep something running while someone else is shouting that something has gone horribly wrong upstairs.
This month, I think I finally made a big breakthrough here.
I won’t go into too much detail yet, because I don’t want to explain the entire loop before it’s properly shown, but there are now some reusable power mechanics that can create a lot of tension without needing loads of one-off scripted events.
Breaker boxes will be a crucial part of the gameplay loop
The important thing is that power is no longer just a background idea. It’s starting to become one of the main things players are actively managing during a run, and that feels much closer to what I wanted Living Hell to be from the start.
UREI Tech
The United Recovery of Earth Initiative, also known as UREI, was set up by governments in a last-bid effort to save Earth from climate collapse.
Custom UREI Artwork that we created for use on the UREI Handheld device.
It’s no spoiler to say they failed. However, the remnants of the systems they left behind are what you’ll be using to stay alive. Your handheld device, the specimen processor, the power systems, and other bits of UREI infrastructure are all becoming a much bigger part of the core gameplay loop.
Any ideas what you'll be doing with this? ;)
This has helped a lot because it gives the mechanics a stronger identity. Rather than everything feeling like separate horror game systems, more of it is starting to feel like it belongs to the same broken world.
Flashlight
Flashlights are probably the most common item in horror games.
With DEVOUR, I really enjoyed the UV flashlight mechanics. It’s such a simple tool, but it adds a lot to the gameplay loop because it has so many layers. It lets you defend yourself, help other players, manage resources, make decisions under pressure, and so on.
With Living Hell, I originally gave all of the characters head torches. That’s what you’ll still see on the Steam page at the moment. I did that because there are two-handed items in the game, such as shotguns and specimens, and I didn’t want the flashlight to get in the way.
I’ve always disliked cumbersome flashlights in co-op horror games. Stuff like flashlights that take ages to rotate, batteries you have to constantly pick up, or the thing I probably hate the most, which is when the beam is basically a tiny tunnel of vision and you can’t see anything around you.
I recently played Amnesia: The Bunker, which has a WW1-era rip-cord flashlight. It works so well in that game’s atmosphere. It made me start thinking more seriously about how I could make the flashlight in Living Hell feel more specific to this world.
Innovative mechanics, as always, from the Amnesia series.
After the Power mechanics mentioned above started falling into place, I realised there was an opportunity to do something more interesting.
Building lights can go on and off when indoors. The collapsed ozone layer means the outdoor world is still somewhat illuminated at night. Specimens also give off a subtle glow when you’re carrying them. Because of all this, I was able to slot in a flashlight system that has some friction without making the game feel awful to play.
I’m really liking where it’s heading. I don’t think I’ve seen a flashlight used in quite this way before, especially not co-op horror, and I’m hoping to get it into the updated trailer later this summer.
Tracker
I had previously created a tracker system on the handheld device where you could see heat signatures through walls, almost like an IR camera. You could detect creatures, specimens, other players, and so on.
It worked well, and visually it looked pretty cool, but the problem was that it removed a lot of the fear. You’d end up using the tracker almost all the time, and I kind of hated that. It’s hard to feel immersed in the horror when you’re staring at everything through a little screen and basically using it as monster radar.
Normally, when I no longer need a feature, I delete it to keep the codebase clean. But something told me to hold onto the tracker stuff.
I’m glad I did, because it has slotted back into the game in a much better way.
Instead of detecting heat signatures, it now detects UREI tech. So that means things like other players’ handheld devices, their thermal load reading, the location of the specimen processor, and most importantly, the location of breaker box failures that need fixing when you’re trying to maintain power inside buildings.
Early prototype for the tracker functionality of the UREI Handheld device.
This version feels much better because it’s useful without completely killing the tension. It helps you understand the building and coordinate with your team, but it doesn’t just tell you where every creature is.
Mutation
Like power, Thermal Load was also a mechanic I wanted from the beginning.
I loved the infection mechanic in Resident Evil Outbreak, and I always thought there was something really interesting about that slow pressure building up in the background. For Living Hell, I wanted to put my own spin on that idea.
Downed player reaching dangerously high thermal load levels.
I have a bit of an obsession with keeping the HUD clean in horror games, so I didn’t want a big ugly meter on the screen all the time. But if the player doesn’t understand when their thermal load is increasing, it just becomes confusing or unfair.
I had come up with a few solutions, but none of them felt completely right.
The breakthrough has been making thermal load increase in a more deliberate way. Rather than it just being this vague thing constantly creeping up, it’s now much more tied to specific situations, such as being outdoors, being in direct atmospheric contact, or being downed.
That last one adds a nice layer of panic because if your friend is down, you really don’t want to leave them there too long.
This feels much better because it makes thermal load easier to understand, easier to balance, and more connected to the actual decisions players are making.
Steam Page
Since I created the Steam store page last year, quite a few things have changed with the game’s mechanics and visuals.
Some of the screenshots and descriptions are still based on older versions of the game, so it’s something I need to update soon. I’m travelling back to the UK next week for the summer, but once the dust settles and I’m over the jet lag, I’ll find some time to update the store page so it more accurately represents what you’ll actually be doing in the game.
There’s still a lot to do, but this month has felt like a big step forward.
A lot of ideas are finally starting to cook properly.
Roadmap Update
I’ve attached an updated roadmap below. As always, once all these Alpha milestones are completed then I can start to consider a closed testing phase. Hold tight.
Changelog
The Depot & Train
The old lobby continued evolving into the Depot: a safer home base built around the train, storage, machinery, radio, terminals, and survival equipment.
The train received some polish, including better departure/arrival behavior, clearer travel messages, new announcements, updated cockpit art and fuel intake work.
The fuel and power loop became more physical, with updated fuel pack visuals, UREI machinery, generator/breaker assets, and stronger feedback when restoring or managing power.
New Areas & Level Work
The Police Station got a major development pass, with new rooms, doors, decals, lighting, breaker placement, emergency lights, collision fixes, and level-flow improvements.
Gosford Heights continued to improve with subway layout updates, new lighting and clearer guidance.
Creatures & Mutation
The player mutation system became a much bigger part of the game, with new mutation visuals, animations, audio, screen effects, recovery feedback, and behavior changes once someone turns.
Mutated players now feel more distinct, with improved chasing, sensing, vomiting/ranged attacks, breathing, camera behavior, and feedback for both the mutated player and everyone around them.
Creatures got better reactions and presentation, including fleeing, hiding, responding to noise, improved death dissolve effects, and more polished audio.
The cockroach continued to develop with new animations, hit/death reactions, head tracking, attack improvements, and scenario tuning.
Survival Systems
Thermal load was reworked to feel clearer and more consistent, especially outdoors, near windows, and around broken/smashed openings.
Skill checks received a large update, including new breaker skill checks, warning sounds, better fail cases, and more flexible setup for future interactions.
The game now has an early save system in place.
Items & Equipment
Flashlights became a more complete tool, with a new model, pumping/charging behavior, flicker and depleted sounds, better third-person visuals, and improved interaction with the handheld.
Fire extinguishers, pepper spray, sacks, keycards, energy drinks, bio scrap, fuel packs, and other survival items received new art, audio, behavior, or spawn support.
Guns and ammo were rebalanced so firearms are more crate-focused, while starter items are now simpler and more utility/melee focused.
Loot spawning was tightened up, with less clutter and better weightings.
UI, Input & Quality of Life
Key rebinding was added.
Inventory shortcuts, container hotkeys, Xbox glyphs, auto-stacking options, mic icons, local lipsync, and shift-click feedback were added or polished.
The subway map UI, map selection flow, destination messaging, and travel feedback all received polish.
New Codex and Biodata views were added, giving the game a stronger way to present creature and world information going forward.
A tracker system started coming together, including tracking players, showing off-screen targets, and adding visual effects for tracker mode.
Audio & Atmosphere
June had a huge audio pass: train announcements, fuel intake, processors, breakers, power systems, storage, workbench, containers, glass bottles, keys, revives, stretchers, flashlights, fire extinguishers, pepper spray, subway wind and rattles, creature deaths, and more.
The Depot radio gained channel/off behavior, music mixing, and early FM radio setup.
More character vocals were added, including scared breathing, pain, death, mutation, revive, coughs, gasps, and threat reactions.
Weather, wind, city ambience, sirens, UI sounds, game-over audio, splash music, and scenario music all received mix and balance work.
General Polish & Playtest Fixes
A lot of playtest friction was cleaned up: joining mid-run, server settings, character selection timing, menu restrictions, stuck UI states, train door issues, collision problems, map loading, and multiplayer audio/feedback bugs.
Navigation and collision were improved across maps, including stairs, debris, doors, subway spaces, and dungeon entrances.
Many behind-the-scenes systems were simplified so maps, creatures, loot, power, and interactions are easier to keep expanding.