In the world of indie game development, few studios take on the challenge of blending atmospheric storytelling, stealth-driven gameplay, and deep philosophical themes quite like Storm in a Teacup. Their latest project,Steel Seed, published by ESDigital Games, invites players into a dystopian sci-fi world where humanity’s survival hangs by a thread. With a rich narrative,engaging traversal mechanics, and an AI companion shaping the player’s journey,Steel Seedaims to carve out its own space in the stealth-action genre.
In an interview with Game Rant, ESDigital Games' brand manager Ilia Svanidze offered up a thorough rundown of what players can expect fromSteel Seedwhen it arrives. During the interview, Svanidze covered everything fromSteel Seed’s story to its gameplay, world design, length, and much more.The following transcript has been edited for brevity and clarity.
Steel Seed Is a Stealth-Action Sci-Fi Adventure
Q: Can you tell us a little bit about Steel Seed and what we can expect from it in terms of story and gameplay?
A:Steel Seedis astealth-action adventureset in a dark sci-fi universe where humanity teeters on the brink of extinction. Following a catastrophic event, machines are trying to control humanity’s survival, and they created an underground facility. So, the main question here is “At what cost? And what will they do with the people?” So, players will explore a handcrafted world filled with dynamic combat, formidable enemies, and a deeply immersive narrative that challenges the perception of what it means to be human.
Zoe, our character, is not a superhero. She’s more like a survivor in this world. She awakens in a robotic body with no memory of how she got there. Zoe finds herself stranded in a hostile and AI-dominated facility. Her journey is one of survival, self-discovery, and, the main goal for her, finding her father. The dev team and the writers of the project are trying to show this delicate balance between humanity and AI, and to show players the psychological and philosophical struggles of a person trapped in a robotic body. Of course, it wasinspired by classic sci-fi movieslikeBlade Runner,RoboCop, andTerminator. So, this is an emotional and physical transformation of Zoe’s, and it will resonate with players as they progress through the game, with the ultimate question being “What does it mean to be human?”
Zoe is not alone in her journey — her only companion is KOBY, a prototype drone designed to assist her. Initially created as a tool, KOBY evolves into an ally and an emotional anchor for Zoe. He analyzes surroundings, detects hidden paths, interacts with the environment, and assists in solving puzzles by engaging with switches and different mechanisms. So, the relationship is one of companionship and trust, showcasing the bond between organic thought and AI.
The facility whereSteel Seedtakes place is a machine-built structure, a big one designed for machines, not humans, and it is split into distinct regions. Each area presents unique challenges,environmental storytelling, and hazards. So, you will see anything from towering industrial landscapes to different biomes. The world ofSteel Seedis both high-tech and deeply immersive. I need to mention that it’s not open world with checkpoints on the map and a bunch of different NPCs. It’s more of a linear game with huge locations, but they all connect to the main story. At some point, you can come back to some levels and complete side quests, even though there aren’t a lot of them. But we prefer a smaller world because we don’t want you to have to spend 200 hours playing the game because it’s not good for your health.
Steel Seedoffers a unique blend of stealth, parkour, and action-oriented gameplay, allowing you to adapt your approach to different situations. For example, if you don’t want to engage in direct combat with enemies, use shadows and the environment to avoid enemies and take them down from behind. Or if you do want to fight your enemies directly, go for it. We don’t have many games like this because they’re all either action orsoulslike games.
We have various enemy types and challenging bosses with unique abilities and behaviors, and it’s up to you how you complete each level. The dev team doesn’t want to push you to do anything, it’s up to you. We also have three different skill trees in the game — two for Zoe and one for KOBY — with a total of 40 skills to unlock. So, for example, if you unlock the ability to possess enemies and control their minds, you’re able to do this before and during battle, and they will become your ally.
Q: I actually wanted to ask about KOBY. I think the implications of Zoe’s story are pretty clear, but how does KOBY evolve throughout the story?
A:He will not be like arobot companionwithout a soul, but he is more like an emotional anchor for Zoe. The companionship will evolve during the story, and you’ll see it in the end and in the middle. We have some plot twists with KOBY too, but I can’t spoil it. In the first scene, you will see him as a small robot who came to Zoe and tried to wake her up from her sleep, and after that, Zoe will communicate with him. He speaks in beeps, but Zoe understands him. They have small chats during the story, and he will explain things about the world and about himself during these talks. And of course, some of the plot twists will involve who he really is and why he is working with Zoe. But I can’t tell you anymore.
Q: I saw that Martin Korda fromDestinyis one of the writers forSteel Seed. Is there influence there from the Ghost-Guardian relationship inDestiny?
A:Ha ha ha. No. No. But yes, he worked on the project.
Steel Seed Wants You to Play Your Way
Q: You talked about how you all don’t want to force players into a specific playstyle, as far as stealth and open combat. Aside from maybe tutorials, how did you balance that so that, in every situation, players can approach something in whatever way they want?
A:We have asandbox gameplayarea, so it’s more open for the player. You will not see a situation where two enemies are near you, and you only have one option: to kill them and nothing else — you can’t go anywhere else or do anything else. We’re not trying to push and force players to choose.
For example, you might go to an area and see one turret, five or six different enemies, three of them weaker, simple robots. And then maybe a Stalker, who has two big knives and can scan the territory, and maybe a big Brute — a big guy with big muscles. You can kill them all, or you can try to sneak and not kill anyone. You can use KOBY as a companion, and he will scan the territory, and he will check for enemies so you can see where they are. Carlo Ivo Alimo Bianchi, founder of Storm in a Teacup and the game director forSteel Seed, worked on stuff like theHitmanseries, so he knowsstealth gameplaywell and how to make it work.
Q: Can you tell us more about the three skill trees?
A:First of all, you’ll gain XP during battles and after them. You have threeskill trees— two for your main character and one for your companion. Some of the abilities are more like extra things, like additional abilities, but some of them are main skills, and you’ll need to choose. Of course, you’ll gain XP and levels, but you can’t spend all of them on all three trees. When you complete all the missions in the game, even then, you will not be able to unlock everything. So, you’ll really need to choose which abilities you unlock.
Some of them are passive skills, like a bonus to your attack. Another one lets KOBY use his weapon more during battle. Some of them are more about how far your scanner can reach when you’re scanning the environment. So, some skills are going to be more useful for certain playstyles, whereas others will be considered, more or less, optional. It really depends on how you want to play.
Q: So, apart from maybe some key narrative points, is it possible to do a pacifist playthrough where I don’t kill anyone?
A:Yes, yes.
Q: A lot of games like this right now are soulslikes, which I’m personally burnt out on. So, what is the difficulty like in Steel Seed?
A:We havedifficulty settingsin the game, so medium, hard, and an easy one. There’s a good balance between all of them, so it’s up to you how you want to play the game. If you want to see the story, choose easy. If you want harder battles, choose medium or hard. It’s not like a soulslike game with one difficulty where you will fight more and more bosses with different behaviors, HP, and other things.
Q: So, if you choose higher difficulties, how does it affect combat? Are they just going to increase enemy HP, or will newer mechanics be introduced?
A:It’s not only about HP levels but aboutAI behaviors. For example, if you choose a higher difficulty setting, you will see different behaviors, and some of the enemies will use special attacks, or they will search harder for you. So, it’s not only about the difference in levels and HP.
Q: I saw that the environment is going to be pretty interactive. Is there going to be a lot of creative problem-solving, or is that going to be pretty linear as far as the way players approach different situations?
A:Each level has a unique layout and design, so it’s more like a sandbox, and it’s up to you how you complete them. You will see different environments. For example, you may kill your enemy by jumping on them from behind or from another point. Or you can use KOBY and shoot a big box, and it will kill two or three enemies. So, you will see different ways to approach situations in each environment, making it more like a sandbox where you can decide what your next move is. KOBY has different skills, as I mentioned before. Some of them are more connected to the environment, as you will find out.
Q: I know you said it’s not open world, which is refreshing. What are you expecting in terms of length and pacing for Steel Seed?
A:It’s really up to your skills, so we don’t know how long it’s going to take players right now. But for our internal tests, it takes up to 15 hours to complete. If you’re not cool enough, maybe it’s more. We have some professional testers who play a lot of games and know games really well, so for us, it’s around 15 hours, but maybe more.
Q: Is there a lot of optional content — collectibles and side activities — that will add more time to that length as well?
A:Yeah, there are alot of collectibles in the game, like documents and audio logs — you will find many different things. They will enhance the story and complete the story, so it’s all a part of the story. You’ll understand more what happened before this tragic event on Earth and why people died, and why humanity is not here right now. So, you’ll want to collect as much as you can if you want to know the whole story.
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