With Amnesia: The Dark Descent, Frictional Games has started from the very beginning - creating a new game engine, development tools, re-thinking and improving the physics interaction, evaluated every little part of Penumbra as to figure out the best way to create the experience.

Amnesia: The Dark Descent is a first person survival horror game set in the 18th century. The player is caught in the middle of the unknown as he explores an old castle, dating back as far as the 14th century. With a "hands-on" physics interaction system the player can examine objects and control his surroundings in a way that is unique to the games developed by Frictional Games, for example it's possible to slowly drag drawers open to examine the inside in search for clues. To be careful is a must as the sanity of the player could quickly falter if inhabitants of the castle were to take notice of him. Different parts of the castle has widely different architecture, reflecting the centuries that has passed since the castle was initially built. Today's two screens, gives a peak of a more modern part of the castle as well as the older and decaying part of it.

Though the project will have a large focus on freedom, story will not be neglected. Frictional Games have been hard at work to develop a multitude of new ways to tell a story and yet allow for a dynamic gameplay. The goal is to make the story and gameplay converge and create a truly engaging and unique experience.

Amnesia: The Dark Descent uses an in-house developed HPL2 game engine which includes tools for testing, creating and editing levels - all of which have been used to create the level in the teaser. The tools are used during the production of the game and are also going to be part of the final release, allowing for end-user content creation.