Publisher Daedelic Entertainment has some exciting offerings at PAX East 2024; I had the opportunity to sit down with one of their developer studios, Vixa Games, to play and discuss Edge of Sanity. The game’s lead programmer, Jacek Perzanowski, was a pleasure to interview; and his passion for the game matched the love and care put into the product.

Game Story

The development team describes Edge of Sanity as “a psychological survival horror game set in the unforgiving wilderness of Alaska featuring hand-crafted 2D art and intense atmosphere inspired by the works of H.P. Lovecraft.”

Players are part of a resupply group, assisting scientists in a field lab. Unfortunately, the scientists are missing and horrific monsters abound. The team has scattered, and now players must find a way to survive.

I asked Perzanowski about the choice to set the game in Alaska; he explained, “Initially we wanted to set the game in Russia, specifically in Siberia. But given the current political climate, we felt concerned about that choice. We ultimately chose Alaska because of the similar climate and geographic proximity.”

Graphics

I visited the team for Edge of Sanity during the exclusive media hour at PAX East. The game’s graphics immediately caught my eye; the visuals felt simultaneously realistic and imaginative, like I was moving through a comic book. As Perzanowski later explained, the graphics are inspired by the Hell Boy comics.

He also mentioned that the atmosphere of the game is one of his favorite parts of the project, and these visuals carry its dark and thrilling tone. Perzanowski highlighted H. P. Lovecraft as a huge inspiration for the ten-person development team.

Gameplay

While Edge of Sanity plays in some ways like other 2D side-scrolling adventures, it has a number of unique features. Perzanowski emphasized that the game is most definitely NOT an metroidvania; players visit areas on missions and quests and typically will not be able to return. This creates a sense of urgency with each traversal–players must gather what they can, risk what they must, and capture lore when able because once the depart, the opportunity vanishes. Of course, with the horrific monsters lurking, players may not want to linger.

When confronting these dark creatures, players will need to choose between hiding and fleeing, and should only fight when unavoidable. Merely being in the presence of monsters can give the player “trauma,” an in-game mechanic that increases difficulty through a few clever devices. For example, when players accrue too much trauma, they may hallucinate and see enemies that don’t exist. However, these collected traumas, which become “madness,” also unlock new dialogue options and items for use.

When fighting, players can use a range of items from pickaxes to throwing rocks. But combat with enemies is punishing and alternatives should be sought. However, some enemies will die from exposure to light, so experimentation is encouraged as players seek creative solutions to the creatures they encounter.

As players rescue survivors, the people are taken to a base camp. Here, players can dispatch members of their party to go on missions to gather supplies and perform reconnaissance. The intel gathered can make a huge difference for the player later when these spots are visited–especially given the limitations some locations present with their impermanence.

Final Thoughts

Edge of Sanity is a thrilling game that I will certainly purchase for myself when it releases mid- to late-summer (2024). The game will publish on all major platforms. If you enjoy side-scrolling adventure games and are a fan of the horror genre, you’ll want to pick this one up.

You can wishlist Edge of Sanity on Steam here.

Source: Daedelic Entertainment