Scanner Sombre is the latest game from Introversion Software, the developers of Prison Architect (for which they won a Bafta).
For more bright ideas in the dark, check out our list of the best indie games on PC.
Scanner Sombre is a “cave exploration experience”. You’ll use a laser scanner called a LIDARto navigate a network of underground caves, in pitch darkness, as you try to find your way back to the surface. Your LIDAR will spray thousands of neon light points all around, helping you get your bearings, but “not all is as it seems, and you might not be alone”, say Introversion. Spooky.
Chris Delay, Introversion’s creative director, says “Scanner Sombre is a total departure for us as a studio in terms of visual style and tone; it’s almost a subversive game when you think about what people might expect from Introversion so we’re really looking forward to hearing people’s reactions when they can play it.”
Managing director Mark Morris says it’ll be “a very different experience to Prison Architect. It’s a shorter, but a more involved, claustrophobic game distilling a deep sense of unease into a single play session. It’s probably going to make you feel a bit uncomfortable.”
Scanner Sombre will cost $11.99, but will launch with a 20% discount on Steam, GOG and the Humble store. Look for it on those platforms at 15:00 BST (07:00 Pacific) this coming Wednesday, April 26.
In the meantime, you can learn more about Scanner Sombre at the website.