Game Talk: Whisper Mountain Outbreak
With Arya W. Wibowo from Toge Productions
Toge Productions is an Indonesian indie game developer and publisher known for titles such as Coffee Talk and A Space for the Unbound. One of the studio’s recent projects, Whisper Mountain Outbreak, is a pixel-art co-op survival horror game that blends classic survival horror elements with solo and four-player cooperative gameplay. Arya, the company’s Marketing & Communications Manager, talks about the game and its development.
Also check out our other interviews with Toge Productions here and here.
Q: What is Whisper Mountain Outbreak about? What inspired its development? And where can players find the game?
Whisper Mountain Outbreak is a 2.5D co-op survival horror game set in 1998, where players must survive an outbreak caused by an ancient horror awakened beneath Mount Bisik. It can be played solo or online co-op with up to four players.
The game was inspired by classic survival horror especially the feeling of exploration, resource management, and tension like Resident Evil Outbreak and co-op action games like Left 4 Dead. We wanted to combine the tension of survival horror with the unpredictable chaos and teamwork of playing with friends.
Whisper Mountain Outbreak is currently available in Early Access on Steam. And we also have a Steam Friend’s Pass, so players can invite up to three friends who don’t own the game to play together.
https://youtu.be/W0DkArDKeBA?si=4Q3kuNBaqw1zgAmH
In Whisper Mountain Outbreak, explore abandoned buildings, fight monsters, scavenge resources, craft items, solve puzzles, and figure out a way to escape the whispering madness.
Q: The game is described as a mix of an “escape room meets co-op survival horror”. How did the team design for this?
We designed the game around the idea that exploration and puzzle-solving should feel like an escape room, while combat and resource management create the survival horror tension. Players need to observe their surroundings, find clues, solve puzzles, and decide how to use their limited resources.
Because it’s co-op, we also wanted puzzles and situations to encourage communication and teamwork. One player might find a clue while another handles an objective, so solving problems together becomes part of the horror experience rather than just fighting enemies.
A mining operation on Mt. Bisik inadvertently unleashed an ancient horror. Now everyone is trapped and must find a way to escape the cursed mountain.
Q: The game uses an isometric perspective. Why did the team choose this type of perspective instead of first-person like other horror games?
We chose an isometric perspective because we wanted players to see more of their surroundings and experience horror from a different angle. It also fits well with our mix of 2D pixel characters and 3D low-poly environments.
Even though players can see their surroundings, we designed the environments and maps to feel claustrophobic, limiting movement and escape routes. This makes players more careful when exploring and creates panic when they need to find a way out.
A lingering fog, tight rooms and eerie whispers, presented in 2D pixel characters with 3D low-poly environments. Offering both nostalgic and freshly terrifying experiences.
Q: How long did it take to develop Whisper Mountain Outbreak? How was development like compared to your other projects?
Whisper Mountain Outbreak started development in March 2022, so it has been in development for around four years. The development has been quite different from our previous projects because WMO is a multiplayer survival horror game, which required us to think much more about co-op systems, level design, and player interaction.
Compared to our previous projects, the development process has also been more iterative. We had to constantly test the game with players and adjust the experience based on how people actually played together.
Work alone or as a team to solve puzzles, find keys, unlock doors, and figure out a way to escape. Timing is ticking and there is little room for error.
Q: Were there any key design or feature challenges that the team faced during development? How did the team address these difficulties?
One of our biggest challenges was designing a horror experience that still worked well in multiplayer. Horror can be very personal, and the chaotic or funny moments that naturally happen when playing with friends can easily break the tension. On top of that, our 2D pixel art characters have deformed proportions, making it harder to create fear through character and monster designs alone.
We addressed this by using environment design, lighting, and sound to build the horror atmosphere, while designing encounters that keep players feeling vulnerable even when playing together. We wanted the game to still feel scary without losing the fun and chaos of co-op.
Inspired by Resident Evil Outbreak, survive the horrors of Whisper Mountain Outbreak as a solo player or up to 4 players in a team.
Q: The Friend’s Pass feature allows one owner of the game to host a room for three other friends to play for free. What prompted the inclusion of this?
We wanted to make the game easier for players to experience with their friends, especially because WMO is designed around co-op. Requiring everyone to buy the game could become a barrier, especially when players just want to try the game together first.
With Friend’s Pass, one player can own the game and invite up to three friends to join for free. We hope this makes it easier for players to introduce WMO to their friends and experience the game together.
At the start of each run, choose from three random classes (out of six total). Each class has unique perks and skills, allowing for different playstyles and strategies.
Q: How does the game change between playing as a solo player and as a full squad of four players? Can I still enjoy the game if I want to play alone?
The game is designed to be enjoyable both solo and with a full squad of four. When playing solo, the experience feels more tense and personal because you have to handle combat, puzzles, and resource management entirely on your own.
With four players, the experience becomes more chaotic and focused on teamwork, communication, and sharing resources. So while the core experience remains the same, the way you approach challenges, and sometimes even the funny moments that happen, can be very different.
Teamwork is key in this race to safety. Communicate using in-game proximity voice chat, save downed teammates, and share the scarce resources you find.
Q: What has been the most surprising feedback you have received from players? And what are your future plans for the game?
Seeing how players created their own funny moments while playing together, even though the game is designed as a horror experience. We also learned that players enjoy experimenting with different ways to approach situations, which gave us ideas for improving replayability.
For the future, we plan to continue expanding the game with new maps, missions, puzzles, and gameplay features while listening closely to player feedback. We want WMO to keep growing without losing the core survival horror and co-op experience that defines the game.
Turn your hard-earned experience and resources to tackle harder missions by utilizing your newly learned skills and crafted items.
Q: What do you hope players take away from playing Whisper Mountain Outbreak?
We hope players can experience the tension and atmosphere of survival horror while also creating fun and memorable moments with their friends. For us, the best experience is when players feel scared one moment, then laugh together about what just happened the next.
Ultimately, I hope WMO gives players a reason to come back and play together again, not just to finish the game, but to create their own stories and memorable moments.
Monsters will come in waves. Fight them off using a variety of melee and ranged weapons, use herbs to recover your health, and protect each other’s backs!
Q: Is there anything else you would like to add about the game?
We’re still continuing to improve and expand the game, so we really appreciate everyone who has supported WMO and shared their feedback with us. We hope you’ll give it a try and see what kind of story you can create with your friends.
#Development #Games #Horror #Puzzle #TogeProductions
