Horror video game Domum just launched on Steam, and the creator, who wishes to remain anonymous, couldn't be more relieved.
Domum is difficult to categorize; it's a brief, thematically dense, top-down adventure game that touches on complex themes including child abuse. The creator had a lot to say when interviewed about these themes, and why they are featured so prominently.
"I had an excellent childhood," he responded. "None of this is related to my experience with my family or homelife, but I've always been fascinated by the psychology of people who abuse the vulnerable, whether a child or animal. It's such obviously abhorrent behavior that runs against the core of what makes us human and it's interesting to analyze how abusers justify it to themselves. I was intrigued by exploring that concept in detail. It's not a conversation I see addressed in games very often."
The creator went on to discuss the process of creating the game as a one-man team.
"I have very little experience on the technical side, so I used a very simple engine to put this game together," he replied. "I'm proud of the unconventional ways I was able to use that engine to get the results I wanted, but that simplicity and accessibility was key. No project I've worked on has so clearly highlighted my artistic limitations, so I'm grateful there were composers and artists out there more talented than I that I could lean on to patch my weaknesses."
When asked for final thoughts, he made it clear the game wasn't for everyone, but hoped it was for someone.
"I'm happy to finally be able to share this thing with the world, and I'd like people get something out of it," he replied with a shy smile. "It's my voice, for better or worse, and even if people don't like it, or are disgusted by it, I hope it's at least memorable. I'm excited to have Domum out there, whatever happens."
Domum is available now on Steam, and you can learn more about the game from the Domum website.
