New Blood and Andrés Borghi recently unveiled Tenebris Somnia, a truly bizarre-looking indie horror project that is sure to grab the attention of fans of the genre. Tenebris Somnia will be Borghi’s sophomore game, with his previous title, a 2D fighting game called The Black Heart, sharing similar creepy aesthetic leanings.
The past few years have seen an avalanche of creative indie games in the horror space. Critical darlings like this year’s Crow Country and Home Safety Hotline help prove that the indie scene can be as effective, and quite frankly, even more effective a lot of the time, when it comes to terrifying gaming experiences compared to its AAA counterpart. Indeed, it seems like most of the innovation in the gaming horror genre is coming from the world of independent studios, especially as AAA developers continue to double down on action-heavy games and away from genuinely unsettling or subversive subject matter; modern gaming is far removed from experimental horror games like the original Silent Hill 2. All of that is to say that unique indie horror games like Tenebris Somnia are here to carry the genre’s torch, and they are doing a great job thus far.
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How Tenebris Somnia Is a Hodge-Podge of Gaming Influences
An initial glance at Tenebris Somnia may lead one to categorize it as yet another retro-inspired horror title—these sorts of games have certainly dominated the indie market recently, after all. But closer inspection will reveal that the game is much more complicated and ostensibly inventive.
Tenebris Somnia‘s Steam page describes it as being “in the same vein as classics like Silent Hill or Resident Evil, but adapted to a retro 2D environment more typical of the NES or Famicom.” This is an intriguing prospect, as while Resident Evil and Silent Hill have inspired no shortage of indie horror games, most of these titles attempt to emulate the PlayStation 1 or PlayStation 2 aesthetic that defined early entries in those series. Some may go as far back as early 90s PC culture, as this is associated with seminal titles like Alone In the Dark.
The NES and Famicom consoles, on the other hand, aren’t typically associated with the horror genre. These rudimentary Nintendo devices were designed for all ages, with their capacity for producing bright, vivid colors making them a good fit for less-than-terrifying creative projects. Tenebris Somnia, interestingly, seems to be adopting this colorful and unassuming visual style, which one wouldn’t exactly expect from a horror game.
But onto the elephant in the room: Tenebris Somnia‘s old-school gameplay is interspersed with well-produced live-action cutscenes, making for potentially jarring changes in presentation. This specific stylistic choice is used fairly rarely in modern games, with notable exceptions like Alan Wake 2 demonstrating how powerful live-action segments can be when used wisely.
Tenebris Somnia’s Aesthetic Blend Could Make It a Powerful Horror Game
An experience shared by many who grew up playing video games is something along these lines: an unassuming, perhaps even child-friendly, game takes an inexplicable or discomfiting turn. Perhaps it was an intentional decision on the part of the developers, or maybe it was just a miscommunication or a bug, but regardless, the disconnect between premise and presentation leads to a frightening experience. This is what Tenebris Somnia‘s more colorful aesthetic may manage to recreate.
Then there’s the matter of the live-action cutscenes, which could have a similarly discombobulating effect. By pairing two fairly pedestrian elements—old-school graphics and horror filmmaking—Tenebris Somnia could very well be an unforgettable piece of indie horror.