In Sound Mind Pushes Unique Survival Horror Elements to Get in Your Head

In Sound Mind is a psychological horror game developed by We Create Stuff and published by Modus Games. The title is ambitious by attempting to be a traditional survival horror while blended with some of the newer concepts of modern titles. We had the opportunity to receive a guided walkthrough from the developer and learn more about the game’s unique approach to the genre.

One of the more interesting inclusions in this delivery is who they’ve stepped away from narrow corridors and hallways and brought the nightmare to a more open-world setting. With that in mind, I wouldn’t say In Sound Mind has completely removed the suffocating closeness that environments provide in this genre; they are just spread out in the world.

When creating these open environments, the developer did state that they wanted you to feel like you were being watched and stalked the entire time you explore. Each section is split up with the use of tapes from patients that the main character has treated. This leads him to search through the corners of his own mind. Each patient has their own phobias that manifest as you explore through their tapes.

One of the more interesting manifestations that was shown was called the Shade, which is essentially a pit that follows you around, swallowing everything in its path as it hunts you down. This can be used to your benefit by destroying crates to get at items you usually can’t reach. This requires the player to think out of the box when trying to scrounge for resources or trying to solve puzzles.

However, the Shade doesn’t just chase you down. There are moments where you’ll be scaling a mountain, and the monster will use this as an opportunity to throw stuff at you. This gave the creature a sense of intelligence that made it more than just a mindless creature following you.

I was also able to learn more about a tool known as the glass shard. This tool allows you to see markings and other items that you wouldn’t usually be able to see. One interesting thing about it is that it’s a mirror, so you aren’t looking forward and instead of seeing what’s behind you. This is useful during times where you are around enemies during a combat section. It gives them a glow so you can prepare before going through with the encounter or sneak around to avoid them entirely.

I was also able to see a different monster that follows you across the game. It appears only to torment you, and by the time you work up enough courage to walk outside, it’s gone nowhere to be seen. This is meant to give you the sense that the monster is one step ahead and knows what you will do before you can act. No, the creature not outwardly hostile, but its true aim is a mystery.

With what I saw, I am looking forward to playing In Sound Mind when it comes out on PC, PS5, Switch, and Xbox Series X/S.

If you feel like you need some hands-on with the game, don’t worry; there is currently a demo out on Steam. This demo contains the very first tape of the game and revolves around the patient Virginia.