Among the Sleep (Preview)

2013
Windows, Mac

Developed by Krillbite Studios
Published by Krillbite Studios

You might be small, but Among the Sleep promises big thrills.

First, watch the above "gameplay teaser." Creepy yet wonderful, am I right? This was first announced and showcased in May, but I thought it would be a nice time of year to bring it back into the spotlight. Among the Sleep lets players control a two-year child in a survival-horror romp. You may want to read that sentence again. Can't say we've ever seen that before...

Newcomers Krillbite Studios describe the experience with the following:

"In Among the Sleep you take on the role of a young child. You have yet to develop a full sense of reality, making you weak and susceptible to the horrifying creatures inhabiting your nightmares.

One particular night a dramatic event occurs, forcing you to flee from your home and enter a surreal world. Only accompanied by Teddy, you must overcome many hardships to stay alive and find a way home."

Some charming concept art for the game. Among the Sleep (2013)

I don't know about you, but that makes me very interested. I hope Teddy is similar to the one in Steven Spielberg's "A.I." That would make a great companion for a protagonist that cannot speak. If you ever played "Fallout 3" you got a brief taste of playing a baby in a first-person game. (Hell, that one even let us relive our own birth sequence!) Thankfully (for multiple reasons) Krillbite has clarified that this is NOT a first-person shooter. Seeing the world through this character's eyes will undoubtedly amp up the tension. Just look at what the developers behind Amnesia: The Dark Descent were able to do to similar effect.

This teaser is actual gameplay and it is looks adequately terrifying. The house-shaking physics are a very nice touch. Such realism consistently impresses me. Be on the lookout for Among the Sleep sometime next year!

Words by J.S. Lewis