Dark Massis an upcoming first-person psychological horror game from Spanish indie studio Path Games. According to the developers,Dark Massoffers afully underwater horror experiencewhere players will need to explore a sunken ancient manor that houses a dark presence. The game hasn’t set a release date yet, but Path Games is aiming for a fall 2026 launch on PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X/S.
InDark Mass, players take the role of Alice, a deep-sea explorer who finds a shipwreck unearthed by an earthquake. Beneath it, though, lies a centuries-old manor bound to a curse. Alice must then uncover its secrets by solving puzzles based on real-life historical torture methods and communicating with her brother Reed through a walkie-talkie line. Players' choices will also determine Alice’s fate, for better or for worse. In an interview with Game Rant, Path Games co-founders and game designers Virginia Calvo and Gonzalo G. Luna talked about their main sources of inspiration forDark Massand described how an entirely submerged premise amplifies itsimmersive horror gameplay.This interview has been edited for brevity and clarity.
The Inspirations Behind Dark Mass' Deep Sea World
Q: What inspired the setting ofDark Mass’ underwater environment, and how does it contribute to the horror experience?
A:We’ve always been passionate about diving, and the idea had been floating around in our heads for quite some time: what if we combined classic first-person horror gameplay with a completely submerged, underwater mansion? The concept was already present while we were working onInsomnis, and the release ofThe Deep Housein 2021 — alesser-known horror filmentirely set underwater with ghostly elements — gave us the final push we needed to start developing the idea seriously.
Cinema is our main source of inspiration. We love great horror films and wanted to pay homage to iconic productions likeRosemary’s Baby,Twin Peaks, orJaws.
Q: Why did the team decide to include real Inquisition torture methods inDark Mass’ puzzles? What other historical elements can players expect to find in the game?
A:When we create a game, we love to think through every detail. Horror hits harder when the player believes in the world. To do that, the world has to be grounded in something real and tangible. As we developed the game’s script and antagonist, we knew we needed a solid backstory rooted in reality.
Being Spanish, it’s relatively easy for us to visit historical sites that still hold remnants of the past, and we wanted to bring that texture into the game. That said, we’ve taken plenty of creative liberties — the historical elements are reimagined and redesigned to feel authentic while still carrying that layer of mysticism we wanted to infuse intoDark Mass.
Q: How does the walkie-talkie system influence the game’s eerie narrative?
A: The walkie-talkie acts as a lifeline that breaks the oppressive isolation of being underwater. While there will be tense moments of silence, the conversations with Reed make the experience more immersive. Players will be able tomake choices that influence both the gameplayand the fate of their character. At certain points, Reed will even help players solve puzzles if they get stuck.
Q: What can you tell us about Alice and Reed as characters? How does their sibling relationship play into the story?
A:Alice and Reed are siblings who lost their parents at a very young age. Reed doesn’t just act as an older brother — he also takes on a sort of paternal role toward Alice, trying to guide her through the story and help her make the best decisions. But ultimately, it’s Alice who will have the final say. Even underwater, we wanted to explore their bond — through conversations about their childhood, their past, and even just light-hearted banter. Their relationship adds depth to the narrative and grounds the horror in human emotion.
Path Games' Approach to Underwater Physics and Other Horror Elements
Q: What was most challenging about addressing fears like claustrophobia and thalassophobia?
A:Claustrophobia? That one was clear: vertical design. Most immersive horror games operate on a horizontal plane (X and Z axes). By introducing verticality, we pushed claustrophobia to a new level. The world isn’t just wide — it’s deep, filled with narrow passages and vertical spaces that heighten the tension.
Thalassophobia is another story. There’s a game calledStill Wakes the Deepthat handles this theme beautifully. WhileDark Masscertainly evokes that fear — after all, 90% of the game takes place underwater — players will likely need to have already overcome it somewhat to fully engage. Still, we’ve designed the experience to be tense and eerie without being frustrating. Our goal is to deliver fear through atmosphere, not through punishing gameplay.
Q: How did the development team approach underwater physics and unique mechanics inDark Mass?
A:You’re going to laugh — we’ve spent a lot of time calculating how objects behave underwater. Would this float? Would it sink quickly? How would this type of fabric move? Physics has been a real challenge, but also incredibly fun to integrate gradually. Of course, we’re making a game — it doesn’t have to be 100% realistic — but we want players to feel like the world has consistent, believable rules. As for mechanics, we’re not reinventing the wheel. We ask ourselves things like: “How would we open this underwater?” or “Could we carry this item?” It’s all about questions and answers, and figuring out how far we can take things.
Q: How did you handle sound and lighting design for the underwater manor? How do these elements enhance the horror experience?
A:As in any good horror game, sound — and the absence of it — plays a crucial role in building fear. We’ve designed distinct audio layers for each environment to either ramp up the tension or offer brief moments of calm. Some of our soundscape inspiration came fromhorror film scoreswe love, likeSinister.
Lighting, on the other hand, works differently underwater. The deeper you go, the less light penetrates, and colors begin to fade into shades of blue and green. This creates a unique challenge when it comes to guiding the player, especially since we can’t rely on vibrant visual cues. But we’ve found workarounds using tools like the walkie-talkie and other techniques to ensure players never feel completely lost.
What to Expect from Dark Mass' Gameplay
Q: TheDark Masstrailer shows a corpse-like monster attacking Alice. Can you tell us more about other threats players will face?
A:This trailer was not only the game’s first announcement but also a major litmus test for us. You got a glimpse of one of our enemies, and the community’s reaction has been amazing. We’re now deep into the development of other creatures (spoiler: yes, there will be more!) and new ways for players to interact with both them and the world around them. In the next trailer, we’ll be revealing some totally different things — expect some serious mind-blowers. But… you’ll have to wait just a bit longer!
Q: Can you share more about the multiple endings and player choice system inDark Mass? How does the game encourage replayability?
A:Choices inDark Massgo beyond shaping the ending — they influence how Alice interacts with her hostile environment throughout the game. On one level, decisions change the story. On another, they affect gameplay mechanics. And ultimately, they determine your character’s fate. Not all decisions are text-based either — some relate to how thoroughly you explore the environment, or whether you discover certain objects.
Replayability isn’t our core goal. We want players to experience their version of the story — one that reflects their personality and instincts. If they want to replay it, great — they’ll find new possibilities. But the first playthrough? That’s their story. Just like ingames from Quantic Dreamor Supermassive Games: you’re able to play through it multiple times, but there’s only one “first time,” and that one’s forever.
Q: Path Games has experience developing horror gameplay withInsomnis. Did any lessons from that project help shapeDark Mass?
A:WithInsomnis, we were very limited — we didn’t have many resources and did what we could with what we had. But that’s where we first laid the foundations for our world-building. We learned that we want players to make meaningful choices. We want immersive worlds that invite exploration. We don’t want to rely on 200 cheap jump scares — we want the player to walk away with a great story, one they could sum up in just two sentences, and feel our passion for cinema all the way through.
Q: Is there anything else you’d like to share?
A:Mostly, we just want to say thank you. This is the first interview we’ve done aboutDark Masswith this level of detail, and it’s been incredibly exciting. Thank you for the interest, for the kind words, and to everyone who’s shared the trailer — your support means everything. We’ll be sending gameplay your way as soon as we can, and we hope you love playing it just as much as we’re loving creating it!
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