Just a few weeks back, we dropped the latest trailer for Atomfall, our eagerly anticipated game that invites you to unravel the enigma surrounding the Windscale nuclear power station incident back in the 1950s. This narrative takes a creative spin on the historical nuclear catastrophe that took place in Northern England.
The trailer gives you a tantalizing glimpse into the game’s folk horror roots, introducing Casterfell Woods—a chilling environment within Atomfall where you’ll stumble upon an unnerving wicker man and a mysteriously ringing telephone box beckoning someone to answer.
But what sparked the creation of Casterfell Woods? Let’s dive into the inspirations behind crafting this distinctive atmosphere.
From the get-go, we envisioned areas in the game with a spookier vibe, allowing us to highlight folk horror themes and counterbalance the more charming landscapes. Most of our outdoor settings consist of lush, vibrant, quintessentially British scenery. For Casterfell, however, we wanted players to ponder the mysterious happenings that could lurk within these dark woods. Hidden secrets, ancient mysteries… we knew exploring this concept would be thrilling—so we rolled up our sleeves and got to work.
Our initial task was to set up the visual foundation for our sandbox environments, focusing on content that would flesh out various natural biomes. After that, we could weave in our thematic twists.
At the start of the project, the team spent a good deal of time up in the English Lake District, gathering references and capturing photogrammetry data. For those of us not from the UK (including yours truly, an American), the surroundings felt incredibly exotic. If you haven’t been, it’s a stunning region of unparalleled natural beauty. The landscape is a vibrant green, rich with lakes, streams, and rugged stone formations crowning the high hills. The whole area seems draped in greenery, ferns, and moss.
Driving through those narrow Cumbrian roads was nerve-wracking! With slate stone walls on one side and steep drops into a lake on the other, it was quite the adventure. Yet, the trips were invaluable, and the vistas were breathtaking. By the journey’s end, we’d gathered an abundance of reference material and photogrammetry content that ensured we could visually root the game in northern Britain.
Then came the task of adding our unique twists. How could our world stand apart from just another scenic holiday spot? How could we infuse it with a bygone era, making it feel a bit out of the ordinary?
We delved into storytelling steeped in folk horror, sci-fi, and vintage British imaginative fiction for inspiration. Movies like “The Wicker Man,” “The Blair Witch Project,” “Annihilation,” and “Midsommar” were invaluable references. We also drew from classic BBC offerings like “Doctor Who,” “The Prisoner,” and “The Quatermass Experiment,” as well as John Wyndham’s wonderfully peculiar novels.
Our aim was to transport players back to an earlier era. The real Windscale nuclear accident happened in 1957, marking the start of the game’s quarantine. So, how could we depict that historical feel in a natural setting? It was tricky—especially considering that forests likely looked similar in 1957, 2024, or even 1066.
We wondered who would choose to live isolated in the woods, away from village comforts. How would they survive without manufactured resources?
The solution was straightforward: these outsiders would live as people did in ancient times, relying on what they could find. Wattle and daub became our go-to architectural style, along with thatched roofs, interwoven branches, vines, and dry-stone walls. While these construction methods still exist today, they seem archaically foreign to many of us who hail from different backgrounds.
Inspired by the media we admired and a desire for greater Britishness, we incorporated even more symbolic elements. Ancient carvings, effigies, and wicker figures intertwined with traditional maypoles and bunting evoke powerful pagan religious undertones.
We think exploring Casterfell Woods and unearthing its hidden secrets will be a delightful experience when Atomfall launches on March 27 for Xbox Series X|S and Windows PC, available day one with Game Pass. We eagerly await the moment you get to dive into the game.
