Amnesia: A Machine for Pigs

Set in 1899, Amnesia: A Machine for Pigs follows the "wealthy industrialist" Oswald Mandus, who has returned home from "a disastrous expedition to Mexico, which has ended in tragedy." Struck by a destructive fever, Mandus is haunted by dreams of a dark machine until he mysteriously regains consciousness. Months have passed, unbeknownst to the industry tycoon, and as he emerges from his slumber the roaring engine of a mysterious machine sputters to life.

It takes place sixty years after Amnesia: The Dark Descent at the turn of the twentieth century, yet the next game to carry the franchise's moniker will feel like familiar territory in one major respect: it is built to scare you senseless.

It's six-o-clock in the morning. My tea jolts me awake. The street outside is silent. It's serene and peaceful all around me, until I call Frictional Games designer Thomas Grip. His voice booms in my headset; he's obviously excited. This is the first time his team can talk about his upcoming project. This is how I was introduced to Amnesia: A Machine for Pigs.

Dear Esther writer Dan Pinchbeck of thechineseroom joins the call, his voice also brimming with glee. The three of us discuss game design, crowd-sourced funding, and how the two companies, Frictional Games and thechineseroom, came to work together. After a while it dawns on me that no one has told me the name of this upcoming endeavor.

I ask why we're playing the pronoun game. The title is referred to as "it" in place of any mention. Pinchbeck takes a breath to sturdy himself, almost to toss away his glee before he can properly reveal the upcoming horror title.

"It's called Amnesia: A Machine for Pigs," he says. There's silence.