In Sound Mind is an upcoming first-person psychological horror game whose inspirations are spread far across the survival horror genre. It resembles iconic video game titles such as Resident Evil and Alan Wake in many ways, but In Sound Mind has a gimmick of its own that could self itself apart in the years to come.
In Sound Mind is a puzzle-driven horror adventure where players’ most reliable companion is a good-old torch. They control Desmond Wales, a therapist who wakes up in an inexplicable building full of horrific creatures and a mysterious caller that might be responsible for his current situation. Desmond has to experience the tapes of his patients. Listening to the tapes takes him to a world manifested by their pain and struggle. When not playing the tapes, he can return to his office, a safe haven where he can explore, strum a guitar, or talk to his cat Tonia. Game Rant recently had the chance to interview In Sound Mind’s lead producer and We Create Stuff's co-owner Ido, who gave an exclusive look at a never-before-seen section of the game.
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At first glimpse, In Sound Mind seems like a game that traverses pathways of staple survival horror experiences. Resource management involves searching for torch batteries, food items with witty captions, and much more. To progress, players will have to solve various mind-bending puzzles tied to these patients.
The enemies, level design, and puzzles in every location are built from the struggles that various patients faced in their lives. While major narrative beats are delivered by the tapes that recall the conversation between Desmond and his patients, players can piece together more information by exploring the various areas and reading scattered notes.
Last year’s demo of In Sound Mind take players through the first tape Desmond encounters in the game. It tells the story of a young woman named Virginia, who's suffering from mental health-related issues such as Agoraphobia and social anxiety. The location of the first tape is a regular mart haunted by Virginia's spiritual form. To defeat her, players have to find various mirrors scattered across the mart and lure her towards it. Every area provides players with a new tool that is in sync with the patient's issue. During Virginia's story, players get a mirror shard, which is a handy weapon used for analyzing the backgrounds and revealing secrets.
The events showed in the gameplay take place after Desmond encounters the second tape. The second tape takes place in a coastal area surrounded by desolated highways, dense woods, and a strange lighthouse. Unlike the grim interiors of the homo mart, the second tape shoves players into an open-world playground that changes the way combat and exploration works.
This tape focuses on Allen, another patient of Desmond's who is suffering from Nyctophobia. Allen's fear of the darkness and his struggle against it is vastly different from that of Virginia, but it hides a similar pain necessary to unravel a bigger mystery. Allen's weakness is light and Desmond can use it to its advantage in many different ways. The gameplay presented gave an insight into how the exploration and puzzles shift things a bit here.
A traditional weapon like the pistol or the handy mirror shard is not helpful against darkness, and Desmond has to rely on the other tools. The mirror, however, can still be used to reveal secrets, lore, and easter eggs. Early on in this area, players will get a flare gun which is essential to overcome the various obstacles that Allen presents. Just like Virginia in the first tape, Allen will try to stop Desmond from taking him down. He does this by throwing humungous black pits that could swallow Desmond. Players could take them out using various light sources such as the flare gun, the flashlight, or by taking shelter near numerous street lights scattered around the location.
As mentioned before, Allen's tape takes players into an open environment. Exploration is rewarding here. Players can come across light puzzles that could either be solved with the help of the mirror shard or Allen himself. At one point, Allen will start throwing cars towards Desmond. While this adds an extra layer of tension to exploration, players could lure Allen to swallow obstacles in the pathways and clear the route. The second tape adds some light platforming sections as well. Add to that the frantic tension of getting squashed by a car, and these moments can turn into frenzy escape sequences.
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There are a total of four tapes associated with four of Desmond's patients that will take players to unique places and offers unique gameplay opportunities. The gameplay footage also gave a glimpse of the third tape that takes place in a surprisingly lit location. It will be interesting to see how a well-lighted environment changes the horror experience that In Sound Mind offers so far.
Each of these tapes will introduce players to new weapons or tools, unique monsters manifested by the tape's patient, and a mystery to unravel that ties to the broader narrative. There is also a mysterious enemy that will haunt Desmond through the entirety of the game. Interestingly, Ido didn't reveal much info on who this weird creature is. "You're gonna have to figure it out throughout the game," he says.
As much as story and gameplay are necessary for a horror game, it's the soundtrack that sets the tone of the experience. We Create Stuff hired the internet icon, The Living Tombstone, to compose an atmospheric score and original songs for In Sound Mind. The Living Tombstone is composing multiple tracks for the game's four patients, each of which will add an extra layer to their stories.
While it deals with complex and sensitive themes, In Sound Mind aims to be a "fun horror game." Ido explained how the team has put different elements in the game that serves as ice breakers in an otherwise unsettling world. Whether it's an unexpected help from a friendly yet creepy mannequin or the bluish pink color palette of the game's world, all these tiny elements help In Sound Mind feel like a more vibrant horror experience that knows when and when not to make players' dread.
We Create Stuff also avoids a conventional trope that most horror games implement to generate fear and panic. It doesn't restrict player movement but encourages it. Horror games such as Resident Evil and Dead Space diminish player's mobility to create tension. While it gets the job done, it's a good sign that this game doesn't push players into helpless situations for obvious jump scares. As Ido explains it,
"We don't like taking control away from the players. We don't like slowing you down artificially."
Platforming sections make traversal a necessary part of the gameplay, and In Sound Mind, players can jump, sprint, and crouch whenever they want. This leads to a more free-flow horror experience that keeps things fresh while transitioning from action moments to platforming and puzzles and eerie encounters.
In Sound Mind is scheduled to release in early 2021, but the exact release date has been confirmed as of yet. On being asked whether the current state of the world has affected the game's development, Ido explains how the team has been extremely lucky during the pandemic. "Our team at We Create Stuff works mostly by remote," he says. "It is something we are kinda used to working with."
In Sound Mind is a next-gen-only title with Nintendo Switch being the only last-gen console it's coming to. There's no confirmation on whether the game will target 60 FPS on PS5 and Xbox Series X though Ido reassured that the team is working hard to make the full experience as best as possible.
In Sound Mind is releasing in 2021 for Nintendo Switch, PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X/S.