Stygian: Reign of the Old Ones Interview

To learn more about Cultic Games' forthcoming horror-themed RPG Stygian: Reign of the Old Ones, its Lovecraftian influences and inspirations, the effects of mental illness in the game, and more, the editors over at GameSkinny recently chatted up lead designer Can Oral to get his take on such topics. Here's a little something to kick things off:

In Lovecraft's original story, the Outsider is a being that lives in an ancient castle, forgotten by time and society. The only knowledge of the world outside his dark and isolated environment comes from the books he reads that line the shelves of the stone walls. At one point, the Outsider leaves his castle to interact with the world outside, but upon meeting a group of individuals, they flee from him, terrified by his ghoulish appearance.

I asked what kind of role this character might play in the story of Stygian as a companion to the player's character.

Phil Fry: The protagonist of “The Outsider” is a companion of the player’s character. What kind of role will the companion play in the story? What kind of interactions might occur between the player and the fallen soldier?

Oral: All of the companions in Stygian have their own background stories and motivations to follow you in your accursed journey. Without giving too much spoilers, let's just say that after facing the shame of his life, the Outsider gets lost while desperately trying to return to his ancient sanctuary of black towers, and finds himself in a grotesque, alien land which is actually our Arkham. How did he travel there? You as the player won't be able to find an answer to that question as the game begins, but since you're also planning to go beyond the lost town and to the unknown, the Outsider may decide to follow you for his chances to return to the sweet womb of his castle where all this chaos and confusion will end for good and he can safely delve into his ancient tomes once again, forever leaving this nightmare behind.