Work in Progress: Routine

Work in Progress previews upcoming games.

Routine is a first-person horror exploration game set on an abandoned moon base, the promising first title from Lunar Software, a UK-based indie development studio. The game draws inspiration from classic films such as 2001: A Space Odyssey and The Thing, with the team mentioning gaming influences ranging from the environmental exploration of System Shock to the difficulty of Dark Souls.

Arriving on the moon base, players must explore the environment to discover what has occurred, searching for information amongst the abandoned personal effects. With the game featuring an openly explorable environment within the base alongside a permadeath system, tension will be high as players weigh up the risks of travelling around and achieving objectives. The team cites there will be multiple possible endings, heightening the feeling of starring in your own 80's Sci-Fi horror film, struggling to put the pieces together before it's too late. The fact that the game is effectively HUD-less adds to the immersion.


The art direction has an authentic-feeling 80's aesthetic that touches on the aforementioned classics like 2001: A Space Odyssey, alongside spiritual follow-ups like Moon. This retro-vision of the future ranges from the game world with discarded floppy disks and archaic computers, to the game's presentation that is replete with VHS-style tracking correction, faded bloom effects and distorted audio.

Check out the alpha gameplay trailer above.

Expect to see more of Routine in the near future, as the team are currently targeting a 2013 release.

Further Reading

Lunar Software is a very personable team of three, all clearly working hard to create something special. You can find out more information about them and the game at www.routinegame.com.

For further updates, like their Facebook page over at Lunar Software, and follow them on Twitter @LunarSoftware.