“It is a universe that lends itself to interactivity. You have detectives, a dark and horrific world, creatures, and ancestral cults devoted to ancient entities. It is a rich and expansive lore.”

So enthuses Tommaso Nuti, Game Director at Big Bad Wolf and creative mind behind the recently-released Cthulhu: The Cosmic Abyss, when asked why H.P. Lovecraft’s singular imaginings seem to be so much more popular in the gaming world than they are in other art forms. Indeed, while there’s a relative dearth of cosmic horror outings nowadays in cinema or on television, it sometimes feels like you can barely move for them on the Steam store. 

Within the past half-decade alone, we’ve had The Necromancer’s Tale, RailGods of Hysterra, Forgive Me Father (both 1 and 2), the Alone in the Dark remake, and Bloody Disgusting favourite DREDGE. All of which are either heavily inspired by, or directly situated within, Lovecraft’s iconic universe of shoggoths, dreamlands, and Old Ones. 

With such a crowded marketplace — let’s not forget that The Sinking City 2 is on the horizon — any developer hoping to make their own contribution to this genre will need to have a fresh take. Otherwise, they’ll just get lost in the shuffle. 

Fortunately, Nuti and co. are aware of this imperative and have come up with something quite distinctive in The Cosmic Abyss. Modernising the so-called Cthulhu mythos, they’ve left behind the stodgy 1920s period setting that we typically associate with this genre and have instead situated the action within the year 2053. 

Here, we are confronted with a bleak vision of tomorrow where corporations are avariciously depleting the planet’s natural resources, important work is being outsourced to artificial intelligence, and inexplicable, ominous events are occurring on the world stage that defy all logical explanation. So, you know, nothing at all like 2026! 

In this frightening dystopia, you play as an Interpol investigator named Noah, whose latest assignment has taken him to the very depths of the Pacific Ocean. Here— alongside his A.I. sidekick, KEY — he must get to the bottom of a mysterious tragedy that has befallen the workers of an underwater mining facility. 

What initially starts as a cut-and-dry missing persons case soon reveals itself to be something far beyond his comprehension. Eldritch gods, Atlantean cities, and mind-bending hallucinations: you know all that usual Cthulhu goodness. What makes this so unique, however, is that The Cosmic Abyss eschews traditional horror conventions like jump scares, combat, and stealth. Replacing them is a focus on clever detective mechanics and branching path storytelling. 

To find out more about this intriguing blend of futuristic sci-fi, classic noir, and literary horror, we caught up with Nuti for an exclusive interview.

Bloody Disgusting: Movies rarely dip their toes into the Cthulhu mythos, certainly not on a big scale anyway. Yet it’s conversely very well represented in the video game arena. As someone who has now put their own stamp on Lovecraft’s material, why do you think it’s got such a strong foothold in this particular medium?

The success of the Call of Cthulhu role-playing game [helps] explain why this universe is so popular in video games. RPG and tabletop players already form a receptive audience for this type of experience. 

[On] the cinematic side, translating a universe that is — by its very nature — meant to remain unimaginable presents a significant challenge […] That said, it is certainly possible. 

Perhaps today the license is not yet established enough among cinephiles to encourage major studios to invest heavily, even if some projects and names — such as James Wan or Guillermo del Toro — suggest a growing interest. Personally, I would not be surprised to see Cthulhu reach the big screen in a major way in the coming years.

BD: What is your own relationship with the work of Lovecraft? Have you always been a fan?

TN: I discovered Lovecraft’s work when I was quite young, and I also had the opportunity to play the tabletop role-playing game. To be honest, I never imagined I would one day adapt this universe myself […] The idea for this project emerged during discussions with our publisher, NACON, where many people are very familiar with the universe. 

After those conversations, I returned to the original short stories, as well as other books and films inspired by them. This allowed me to rediscover Lovecraft from a fresh perspective. For any horror fan, it is a unique opportunity and an incredible creative playground.

BD: Presumably, The Call of Cthulhu was one of the key texts you referred to here? Were there any other specific Lovecraft stories that were big inspirations for The Cosmic Abyss?

TN: We drew inspiration from many of Lovecraft’s short stories to adapt the mythos. Our focus was on using the broader lore to build continuity within this universe, rather than directly adapting a single story. 

Among these, The Call of Cthulhu is of course a key reference, along with The Shadow over Innsmouth and The Haunter of the Dark, as well as another cult short story that I would prefer not to reveal, in order to preserve the surprise.

BD: Looking outside of Lovecraft himself, what else influenced the direction of this title? Are there any other video games, movies or pieces of literature that were swimming in your mind while making it?

TN: On the video game side, we are always very curious to play, test, and analyze what [else] has been done [in] the genre we are exploring. For example, The Outer Wilds informed our approach to investigation design, as did The Forgotten City. Dishonored 2 was also interesting to study in the way it suggests alternative paths to the main objective without stating them explicitly.

For the first-person approach, which was a first for the studio, we looked at Cyberpunk 2077, Resident Evil 7, and Resident Evil Village as case studies.

BD: One of the ways you are putting a fresh spin on the Cthulhu mythos here is by translating the action from the 1920s to the near future of 2053. What motivated this decision, and how do you think it changes the experience?

TN: Horror and science fiction form a compelling combination, one that has already proven to be an effective mix across cinema and video games. The decision to set the game in 2053 came from several reflections on the themes we wanted to explore. We wanted to echo current issues, such as resource depletion, climate change, the influence of large private fortunes, and the rise of AI. Placing ancient creatures and relics within this futuristic world allowed us to create a strong contrast between our civilization and theirs.

A near-future setting also gives players more familiar reference points than the 1920s or 1930s, reinforcing the sense of rupture when they arrive in [the canonical prison city of Cthulhu] R’lyeh. They leave a known world to discover another that is radically different.

Finally, Lovecraft set his stories in a contemporary setting, bringing horror closer to a reality [that was] familiar to the reader. Very early in development, we felt that taking the game in a thriller, horror, and science fiction direction was a risk worth taking.

BD: Tying into that futuristic setting, we don’t have a human companion accompanying us on the investigation here. Rather, our partner is an in-universe artificial intelligence. Could you talk a little about the character of KEY? What role do they play in the game?

TN: KEY is a fundamental component of the experience. From a diegetic point of view, they explain Noah’s tools and [act] as his companion. If Noah is Sherlock, KEY is Doctor Watson. Except KEY evolves.

Including a character who is immune to sanity loss and brings a different perspective on discoveries allowed us to revisit the mythos in an original way, while adding a new dynamic to the duo. More human than mechanical, KEY accompanies Noah throughout the adventure but cannot intervene directly in dangerous situations. This leaves [Noah] alone to face what he encounters, preserving the feeling of solitude.

BD: Obviously, A.I. is a hot-button issue at the moment, and there are lots of concerns about the ethnicity with which it is used, the reliability of the information it gives, and the biases it can internalize. Without wanting to go into spoiler territory, have any of these real-world anxieties informed how you characterize Key in the game? 

TN: At the beginning of the game’s conception, generative AI technologies were just emerging, and we projected the kind of ambiguity this could introduce into our world. By choosing a near-future setting, we were moving into speculative fiction, and it was important for us to shape this character in a way that would remain relevant and coherent by the time of the game’s release.

We imagined what these types of virtual assistants could become if applied to the work of a detective. While KEY is designed to assist Noah, it is through its interface that he interacts with the world. The more he relies on it, the more it defines and refines itself.

The central question we explore is: Who is really the tool of whom, and what are the consequences?

We were careful not to take a purely negative view and instead approached the character with nuance. The game offers its own answer, but it is difficult to say more without revealing too much. What we can say is that the line between valuable assistance and manipulation is much thinner than it may first appear.

BD: This is largely pitched as a detective title, and the primary way we interact with its world is by solving puzzles and collecting evidence, rather than by dealing with eldritch monsters up front. Indeed, you seem to have deliberately avoided more conventional horror game mechanics like stealth and combat. What was your rationale for this?

TN: We want to put players in the shoes of an occult investigator exploring a universe that is completely beyond them. Which is why we ruled out combat from the start. That said, the absence of combat does not mean the absence of threats. Many elements can kill you in R’lyeh, whether it’s the ruins themselves or the creatures that inhabit them.

From a logical standpoint, no conventional weapon would be effective, and direct confrontation would lead to certain death. Only your tools and your reasoning allow you to progress through the adventure. This also reinforces the idea of humanity’s insignificance when faced with these ancient entities.

To bring the myth to life and allow players to truly conduct an investigation, we structured the experience around this constant sense of danger. To survive, players need to understand the rules that govern this world, either by accepting them or by learning how to work around them.

BD: Yeah, I think it’s actually quite on brand for a Lovecraft story! Typically, the protagonists in these things are trying to wrap their heads around incomprehensible truths or just digging into past events. They don’t tend to jump gung-ho into action. Still, it must be difficult to create an effective horror experience when the player isn’t in real peril most of the time. How do you ensure that there is still tension here and that people feel on edge?

TN: Beyond cutscenes and scripted events, tension also comes from the player’s own way of investigating. Imagine exploring an environment for twenty minutes and becoming familiar with a place. Then you discover a clue that unlocks a new frequency on your sonar, revealing traces left by a creature all around you.

In an instant, the place you thought you understood changes and becomes hostile again. This is just one possible scenario. Players might discover these elements in a different order or miss some entirely while following other leads. This is where one of the game’s strengths lies: letting tension and twists emerge naturally [in a way] that is unique to each player.

BD: On the subject of this being a detective game, it seems like there are a lot of variables that affect how this can play out. Based on the evidence you collect, how you interpret it, and what tools you use, the player could potentially arrive at different conclusions, solve certain mysteries early, or miss out on vital pieces of the story altogether. As a developer, how do you keep track of all these threads and make sure that the player has a satisfying experience?

TN: We built on everything we developed in our previous games, especially in terms of branching narrative. The main challenge was shifting the paradigm, moving from “an investigation in which you are an actor” to “you play an investigation, and the story emerges largely from your actions.” 

This may seem subtle, but it implies a very different development approach. 

BD: And how branching is that investigation? What kind of things can end up changing depending on our choices?

TN: In each chapter, players investigate very freely within open areas. The more curious they are, the more threads they can pull, allowing them to make informed decisions and protect themselves from Cthulhu’s corruption.

As a result, players can approach and resolve obstacles in different ways. During investigation phases, the game does not present explicit choices. It is up to players to follow leads and understand the possibilities available to them. This makes the way they progress essential, as [it determines] their level of corruption. And corruption has a determining impact on the game’s endings.

BD: Speaking of the “corruption” mechanic, could you talk a little about that and give us an idea of what kind of things we can expect from it? How far does it go?

TN: Throughout each chapter, players make decisions that grant access to specific actions, scenes, and chapter conclusions. Depending on these choices, corruption may increase or remain stable, and in the end, they will face the consequences.

It primarily influences the game’s endings and the character’s narrative arc, but it also affects gameplay. Some abilities can transform, improve, or break depending on the player’s corruption level. It acts as a sword of Damocles hanging over the player.

BD: When it comes to the puzzles, how do you balance making them challenging and worthwhile, without leaving the player completely flummoxed?

TN: We want players to experience that real “eureka” moment when they find a solution […] It is that familiar moment from detective films, when the investigator suddenly connects all the clues, and everything falls into place. That is exactly the feeling we want to deliver.

Achieving this relies primarily on iteration, balancing, and, whenever possible, playtesting […]  Sometimes it comes down to small adjustments, such as refining a clue, reconsidering its wording, moving a key object to make it slightly more visible or, on the contrary, more discreet if it feels too obvious. Or it could even just be a case of rephrasing an objective.

We have also included a “Story Mode” for players who prefer to focus on the narrative. They can request hints and receive help from KEY to progress more easily. 

BD: While there are some details given in his stories, Lovecraft would often leave things up to the imagination of the reader when it came to thinking about what his various creatures, eldritch gods, and sunken cities look like. There’s a lot of “indescribable” and “formless” horrors in his works. Obviously, you don’t have that luxury in a visual medium and have to commit to showing these things properly on screen. How did you approach that? Did you try to piece together what you could from Lovecraft’s vague descriptions, look at some illustrated interpretations, or go in your own direction?

TN: Bringing this universe to life was a major challenge, led by Thomas Veauclin, our Art and Creative Director, along with the entire graphics team. Among our inspirations were artists such as François Baranger, Zdzisław Beksiński, H.R. Giger, and Gou Tanabe.

To take a concrete example, Cthulhu himself is an entity that has been represented in many different ways, and whose design has become relatively codified over time. This served as a starting point for our [depiction]. In the game, he retains the defining elements that make him recognizable, while being reinterpreted through a more personal vision.

This adaptation work was essential. We needed to find the right approach to translate this universe, while giving it our own identity. On that note, I would also encourage you to explore the game’s artbook, which goes into more detail on these choices and shows how the artistic direction was developed.

Cthulhu: The Cosmic Abyss is available now on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC via Steam.