Games › Still Wakes the Deep

Still Wakes the Deep 2024

Video game · Windows, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S · June 18, 2024

Developed by The Chinese RoomPublished by Secret Mode

Still Wakes the Deep is a 2024 psychological horror video game developed by The Chinese Room and published by Secret Mode. The narrative centers on Cameron "Caz" McLeary, played by Alec Newman, an electrician trapped aboard a damaged North Sea oil drilling platform in the 1970s. With no means of escape, he must evade unknown creatures while enduring severe weather. The game is experienced through first-person view and excludes any combat mechanics. Players navigate using stealth and simple puzzle-solving to survive. As the story progresses, the oil rig transforms and shifts, although the overall structure remains largely linear.

Studio co-founder Dan Pinchbeck originally conceptualized Still Wakes the Deep as "The Thing set on an oil rig" and directed the project until mid-2023. The development team had previously made Amnesia: A Machine for Pigs (2013) and Everybody's Gone to the Rapture (2015), and this title marked their return to narrative-driven horror. Though the game includes a supernatural threat, the ocean itself is considered a secondary antagonist. The developers aimed to generate fears such as vertigo, drowning, and claustrophobia through its environment. Influences included The Poseidon Adventure and Annihilation. To ensure authenticity, the team consulted former oil rig engineers and reviewed BP's documentary archives. Scottish actors were cast, with Alec Newman voicing the lead character.

The game was unveiled in June 2023 and launched for Windows, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X and Series S in June 2024. Critics responded favorably to its story, atmosphere, visuals, sound design, and voice acting, though they noted shortcomings in gameplay, linear flow, and duration. Still Wakes the Deep earned two nominations at the 28th Annual D.I.C.E. Awards and eight at the 21st British Academy Games Awards, winning three. A follow-up expansion titled Siren's Rest debuted on 18 June 2025.

Trailer

Plays from YouTube only after you click.

Crew

Director

Dan Pinchbeck, John McCormack

Designer

Rob McLachlan

Programmer

Louis Larsson-De Wet

Artist

Laura Dodds, John McCormack

Writer

Dan Pinchbeck

Producer

Bruno Julien

Music

Jason Graves

Details

Developer

The Chinese Room

Publisher

Secret Mode

Platforms

Windows, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S

Modes

Single-player

Engine

Unreal Engine 5

Help us improve this page