| Still Wakes the Deep | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Developer(s) | The Chinese Room |
| Publisher(s) | Secret Mode |
| Director(s) |
|
| Producer(s) | Bruno Julien |
| Designer(s) | Rob McLachlan |
| Programmer(s) | Louis Larsson-De Wet |
| Artist(s) |
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| Writer(s) | Dan Pinchbeck |
| Composer(s) | Jason Graves |
| Engine | Unreal Engine 5[1] |
| Platform(s) | |
| Release | June 18, 2024 |
| Genre(s) | Psychological horror |
| Mode(s) | Single-player |
Still Wakes the Deep is a 2024 psychological horror video game developed by The Chinese Room and published by Secret Mode. The story follows an electrician who is trapped on a damaged oil drilling platform in the North Sea in the 1970s, having no way to escape while being pursued by mysterious monsters under harsh weather conditions. Played from a first-person perspective, the game does not feature any combat system, and players must rely on stealth and solving simple puzzles to survive. As the player continues the story, the oil rig will gradually evolve and change, though the game itself is largely linear.
Studio co-founder Dan Pinchbeck first pitched Still Wakes the Deep as "The Thing set on an oil rig", and served as the game's director until his departure in mid-2023. The studio, which previously released Amnesia: A Machine for Pigs (2013) and Everybody's Gone to the Rapture (2015), announced Still Wakes the Deep as its return to story-driven horror games. While the game features a supernatural entity, the ocean was described as the game's secondary enemy, and the team felt that the setting would evoke a variety of fears, such as vertigo, drowning, and claustrophobia. The Poseidon Adventure and Annihilation both served as inspirations for the team. The team interviewed engineers who used to work on an oil rig, and viewed British Petroleum's documentary archives to ensure that the oil rig presented in the game was authentic and period-accurate. Scottish actors were also recruited, with Alec Newman voicing the game's protagonist.
Announced in June 2023, the game was released for Windows PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X and Series S in June 2024. The game received generally positive reviews, with critics praising the game's story, atmosphere, graphics, sound design, and voice performances, while criticizing its gameplay, linear structure, and overall length.