Taking inspiration from the short story The Temple by H.P. Lovecraft, in which a German submarine gets lost underwater during the First World War, in Stirring Abyss you follow the horrifying destiny of the members of the USS Salem’s crew, as they suffer from disturbing nightmares and hallucinations after the discovery of an ancient, cursed relic. In Story Mode, you slowly unravel the mysteries of the depths in a desperate quest to rescue your missing crewmembers and fix the crippled Salem. The choices you make determine the fate of your crew – and that of the entire world.

Stirring Abyss plunges players into the deep end as they take charge of the surviving crew of the USS Salem, a submarine struck by disaster whilst on a top-secret research mission in the early years of the Cold War. They find themselves surrounded by the ruins of a forgotten civilization, their badly damaged vessel lying stranded at the bottom of the ocean.

Stirring Abyss is a weird and scary beast. It stays true to the Lovecraftian tradition of merging strange creatures and situations with a fearful yet immersive atmosphere; while investigating the uncharted seabed, horror comes from the depths of the human mind as much as from the depths of the ocean.

The developers are creating an experience that, unlike other horror games, doesn’t rely on jump scares or unexpected loud sounds to give you chills. Instead, Stirring Abyss takes inspiration from classic board games and traditional RPGs, translating madness and exhaustion into game mechanics, as well as the inevitable fascination for the horrifying, forgotten creatures of the abyss, allowing the weird, disturbing atmosphere to seep into every aspect of play.

“Stirring Abyss proves how different and innovative a strategy game can be,” says Marco Minoli, Marketing Director at Slitherine. “K-Project was created for this purpose: we look at different angles for the genre and different approaches to a sometimes tired niche. Good ideas often come from small, bold studios that are willing to experiment and we are here to fully support this.”

Key Features:

• GRIPPING STORY MODE: In Story Mode, you slowly unravel the mysteries of the depths in a desperate quest to rescue your missing crewmembers and fix the crippled Salem. The choices you make determine the fate of your crew - and the entire world.
• ADAPT AND MUTATE YOUR CREW: Every expedition lives or dies by the strength of its crew. You have a diverse array of character traits and skills at your disposal, each opening exciting new options in both combat and in story events. As you delve ever deeper, you may also subject your crew to powerful but grisly mutations; the price of survival is high, and no one escapes the abyss unchanged.
• SURVIVE MADNESS: The horror and the void which hide in deep waters can become too much to bear, and your crew may experience episodes of exhaustion and insanity. Will their psyche get stronger, or will it be forever damaged? A game of dice with Fate itself will determine the outcome.
• SCAVENGE AND IMPROVISE: Salvaged resources can be turned into weapons, armor, or other useful supplies - or they can be used to repair and upgrade the Salem, giving your crew a crucial edge in the fight for survival. The more you explore the abyss during the missions, the more chances you have to find the lost treasures of the deep.
• EXPLORE THE MYSTERIES OF THE ETERNAL DARK: The hauntingly beautiful environment holds many secrets and mysteries to explore, but danger lurks just outside the feeble circles of light you bring with you. Be wise, and use your skills to scout the black waters and light up the path: unseen terrors may be hiding just out of sight. 
• ROGUELIKE ENDLESS MODE: The Endless Mode pits your crew in a roguelike battle against an army of neverending enemies that only grow stronger as you progress. It is the ultimate test of strategic ability, as you not only choose how to improve your own squad, but also pick your poison as to what powers your foes gain.

Stirring Abyss is in development for PC (Steam), coming in 2020.