Death is Not the End in Phantasmal

Procedurally generated horror games seem like a neat idea lately, as seen in games like Comatose and Daylight .

. The first playthrough of many horror games, where you don’t know what you’re doing or where you’re going, is often the most frightening, and procedural generation offers that on each playthrough. Still, not knowing where your going isn’t often enough, which is where Eyemobi’s Phantasmal comes in. Infinite different locations is important to them, but they’ve got several different tricks to scare players as well.

Phantasmal is looking to use several different ideas at once. On top of procedurally generated areas, they’re adding in a sanity system. Contact with the monsters will have effects on the player character, although they have not said what those effects will be just yet. Avoiding the monsters might be the most worthwhile route, though, because most of the game’s combat will be fought with improvised weapons in the environment like boards and lead pipes (think Condemned ). Worse, the game is a roguelike, so one screw-up means heading all the way back to the beginning of the game, but you’ll still have something to show for your efforts.

The developers have said that there is some sort of experience system at work behind the scenes, though, so you will gain something for your new playthrough on each run. As to whether that’s more health, new weapons, or something else entirely, Eyemobi has been quiet on that subject as well. Also, you can be killed by large groups of tiny spiders, which is gross/terrifying all on its own.

Phantasmal is juggling a lot of interesting horror ideas to keep players invested and scared, and people seem to be getting excited. Their Kickstartercampaign has already hit the halfway mark for its funding with two weeks to go, and the game is happily chugging along through Greenlightas well. With a proposed March 2015 release date, it’ll only be a few months before we can all enjoy being bitten to death by thousands of spiders.