The action and the horror in Beneath (2/2)

In our last post, we touched on the delicate balance we’re aiming for between action and horror. We covered things like pacing and resource management.

But there’s more: enemy design is where action and horror come together.
On one hand, the enemies need to be challenging to fight, but on the other hand, they should evoke fear.
The best kind of enemies are the ones that make the player hesitate, that make them question if they’re ready to engage or if they should run.

The atmosphere plays a huge role too. Even when the action ramps up, we want the world to still feel oppressive and unsettling. Through lighting, sound, and environmental details, we aim to create a space where the player never feels truly safe, even in the heat of combat.

In the end, it’s all about balance. The player should feel like they’re walking a fine line between survival and disaster.

There’s a satisfaction in overcoming tough enemies, but we want the player to always feel a little on edge, knowing that the world around them is constantly trying to tip that balance back toward fear.