A few weeks back, we unveiled the latest trailer for our forthcoming game, Atomfall. In this immersive adventure, players will delve into the enigma surrounding the events at the UK’s Windscale nuclear power plant in the 1950s, offering a fictionalized narrative of the real-life nuclear disaster in Northern England.
The trailer gives you a taste of the game’s folk horror vibe, letting you peek into Casterfell Woods—one of Atomfall’s creepier locales. Here, you’ll come across a sinister wicker man and an ominously ringing telephone box calling out for an answer.
So, what spurred our imagination behind crafting Casterfell Woods? We thought you’d find it intriguing to hear about the creative processes and influences that shaped its unique look and feel.
Right from the start, we aimed to design sections of the game with a spookier atmosphere to contrast with our more picturesque settings. Most outdoor scenes lean heavily into lush, vibrant greens typical of the British countryside. But for Casterfell, we wanted players to sense a lurking danger beneath the dense canopy—unseen, ancient things that might unfold deep within the forest. We knew it would be a blast to dive into this concept, so the research phase began in earnest.
Our primary focus was setting the visual groundwork for our sandbox environments, concentrating on what was needed to flesh out the game’s varied natural biomes. Once that foundation was laid, we could introduce our thematic elements and twists.
Early in development, the team embarked on several trips to the English Lake District to gather reference material and capture scenes through photogrammetry. For many of the non-British team members, myself included, this was an exotic experience. The Lake District is a visually stunning and diverse region. Everything is lush and green, with streams meandering between towering stone formations, offering a rich tapestry of ferns and moss-draped landscapes.
Navigating those tight Cumbrian roads was quite an adventure, especially for someone unfamiliar with driving in the UK. With stone walls on one side and sharp drops into lakes on the other, it was an exhilarating challenge. Despite the hair-raising roads, the trip was an excellent opportunity to gather valuable reference materials. We returned inspired and well-equipped to visually root the game in Northern Britain.
Next came the challenge of distinguishing our world from a typical scenic holiday getaway. How could we weave the feel of an older era into the natural environment?
We turned to inspirations drawn from folk horror, sci-fi, and classic British imaginative fiction. Films like The Wicker Man and The Blair Witch Project were invaluable, alongside Annihilation and Midsommar. BBC series such as Doctor Who, The Prisoner, and The Quatermass Xperiment, as well as John Wyndham’s eerie novels, also fed into our creative soup.
Our goal was to transport players back in time. Atomfall’s backstory hinges on the Windscale accident of 1957; it set the quarantine timeline within our game. Integrating this period essence into a natural landscape was no small feat. Discussions centered on capturing the essence of an era when, visually, woods might look unchanged over centuries.
We began pondering the lives led by those shunning village comforts. What means of survival would they rely on without modern conveniences?
The answer was fairly straightforward: they’d exist as they would in ancient times, utilizing the resources available around them. Architectural designs leaned towards wattle and daub, with thatched roofs, woven branches, and dry-stone structures. While these techniques are still visible today, they hark back to an ancient past, unfamiliar to those of us not born and raised in such landscapes.
Embracing our creative media sources and infusing a touch of Britishness, we wove in symbolic imagery. Ancient marks, effigies, and wickermen mingle with maypoles and festival bunting, imbuing the game with a distinct pagan religious atmosphere.
We’re thrilled for you to explore Casterfell Woods and uncover its hidden mysteries when Atomfall launches on March 27 for Xbox Series X|S and Windows PC, available from day one with Game Pass. We’re eager to hear what you all think once you dive into this world.
