Upcoming survival-horror game Routine looks anything but

Features permadeath, randomised hazards and little combat.

In the vein of Slender, the upcoming first-person horror game Routine will be about exploring a creepy place with devastating permadeath if you fail.

Developed by four person indie outfit Lunar Software, Routine's premise of investigating the disappearance of scientists in a derelict lunar research station is very Dead Space - and let's be honest, it wasn't particularly original then - but unlike Visceral's pulse-pounding franchise, Routine opts for a more vulnerable approach.

According to Lunar Software's site, the game will be non-linear with randomised environmental hazards, AI locations and aids. There won't be any HUD, health bars, hit points or extra lives, so you'll have to run and hide from any danger as you go about collecting floppy discs in "an 80′s vision of the future."

There won't be much combat, but there will still be some. When we asked about this, Lunar designer and artist Aaron Foster said, "There is combat in Routine, but it is really only there as a last option to potentially get you out of a sticky situation. There is also the possibility that firing the tool could also put you in a worse situation than before. Avoiding combat is really the best solution if you want to stay alive long on Routine."

He explained that your tool is called the C.A.T (Cosmonaut Assistance Tool) and it runs on batteries that get ejected if used too often. "As for what the tool actually does, that really depends on the floppy disk you have inserted into the C.A.T at that moment. All the disks have randomised elements such as how the screen on your tool handles (frame rate, colour, targeting, night vision). Then there is the light that is attached to it, and finally what I currently call the "overcharge" that has the potential to maybe stun or destroy the enemy if shot in the right area!"

"There is also a risk reward factor to it, if you shoot and miss, more enemies will be alerted to your presence, and trust me, that is not a good thing when you may only have one more shot left!"

He added that Lunar is shooting for an early 2013 release on PC and Mac, hopefully on Steam.


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Jeffrey Matulef

Jeffrey Matulef

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Jeffrey Matulef is the best-dressed man in 1984.




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