Blind Descentis the debut title by Turkish indie studio Pokuch, which aims to deliver a unique survival crafting game set deep beneath the dusty red surface of Mars. This underground world is lush and filled with strange alien life, and players will need more than their earthly tools to survive the subterranean Martian environment. Throughout their journey, players will delve into dungeons, unlock game-changing mutation abilities that enhance exploration and combat, and utilize Martian resources to develop new technology that can aid in surviving this hostile landscape.
Game Rant recently sat down with Pokuch CEO Emrehan Şeyihoğlu to discussBlind Descent’s gameplay, the design choices underneath it all, and the games that inspired theBlind Descentteam. He also spoke about the game’ssurvivalelements and the qualities of survival games that make them most enjoyable.This interview has been edited for brevity and clarity.
Making Blind Descent a Unique Mars Survival Game
Q: What aspect ofBlind Descentdo you feel is core to its identity? Is there something that really defines the game for you?
A:To me, there are a couple of things I’d consider core toBlind Descent. The first is its concept—we’ve placed the player in anunderground world on Mars. That setting plays a major role. It was inspired byScavengers Reign, where the world has its own rules, and you’re there to survive.
to survive, you have to understand it. It’s weird, it’s different. And that’s one of the key things: this isn’t a world that’s specifically hostile to you, but it operates by its own logic. You have to learn how it works in order to make it. So that overall concept—that the world is strange, indifferent, and rule-driven—is what I think is at the core of the game.
Q: What can you tell me aboutBlind Descent’s map? Is it procedurally generated, or is it handcrafted? And what was important to you about the game’s environments—what made them look and feel right to you?
A:So it’s completely handmade—wedon’t do anything procedural. Everything in the map is intentionally created. Most of the map was designed by Burhan, who’s both our partner on the project and also handles level design and art direction. He designed the open world, and once we started building the team, we brought in another level designer to focus on the dungeons.
There are a couple of things we care a lot about. The world isn’t too big or too small—we wanted something that feels dense with content. I don’t want players to just run through an empty open world. We want something that always catches their attention. What we try to do is fill it with points of interest—tunnels, caves, strange phenomena you may discover. That’s the main mentality: an intentionally designed, gameplay-heavy open-world experience.
Q: How do you strike a balance between makingBlind Descenta game where someone can survive by themselves, but is also fun and balanced with friends?
A:That’s a good question. What we’re planning to do is actually something a lot of games handle in a fairly simple way. When you have multiple players, things can get easier—for example, if you’re fighting an AI, the AI can struggle to decide who to target. You’ve probably seen this in other games, where one player distracts the enemy while the other attacks. So we know we need to address that.
The simplest thing we’re planning is to scale enemy health and damage based on the number of players. But we’re also considering—though it’s not final yet—adding special abilities or mechanics that could make thingsmore interesting in multiplayer. It really depends on how things evolve during development.
Q: Can you talk about some of the unique tools that players will have at their disposal? What are some interesting ways players can interact with the environment with them?
A:Basically, one of the things we have is a grappling hook. We really want to emphasize climbing and make use of verticality in the level design. So the player will have a grappling hook to help with that.
In one of the clips, you’ll see there’s a giant column in the game. We want players to have experiences where they can explore things that look interesting and stand out. So imagine you’re a player, and you see this giant column. Naturally, I would think, “Can I climb that?” And we want the answer to be yes. That’s wherethe grappling hookcomes in. It’s one of the tools you’ll use. That’s one of the things I can share for now, basically.
Q: There are mutations in the game that can change the player up a little bit. Can you talk about some ways that that might play out?
A:Yes. So basically, in the game, what we call “mutations” are a way to gain new abilities. These mutations are the result of things that happened in the world’s past. As you start exploring different parts of the game, you’ll come into contact with something we call infections. These infections will, in some ways, affect the player’s genome, and that’s what grants new abilities.
In terms of gameplay, it’s a way to introduce fun, interesting elements—especially since we have a lot of dungeons with creatures. We don’t just want players to use their standard weapons, like a sport bow, to fight enemies. We want to add more variety to the experience, and these mutation abilities help with that.
They’re also very important for progression—things like wall running and other superhuman skills. They add a lot of value to the map too, because they give you reasons to explore. There’s always something interesting to find in the corners of the world once you gain those abilities.
Q: Can you give me the broad strokes of the game’s narrative? What is the player doing here on this planet?
A:There’s a crew that we’re part of. We’re assigned to descend into this Martian underground world as part of a mission. But during the descent, our elevator crashes, and we suddenly find ourselves trapped in this underground world on Mars.
At first, the team isn’t really aware of what’s going on. It’s just assumed to be a regular Martian cave—no oxygen, nothing unusual. But as the player takes their first steps into the open world, they quickly realize it’s much bigger, and that something is definitely going on down there. It’s completely unexpected—this vast world beneath the surface of Mars.
As a developer, I don’t want to spoil too much, but everything you see in the game—like the creatures—has meaning. At some point, you might see a creature that strongly resembles animals from Earth. And naturally, the player will ask, “Why? Why does this look like something from Earth?” It’s not because we couldn’t design something new—there’s a reason for it to be there.
So every part of the world is tied to discovery.As you explore, you’ll uncover the reasons behind what you’re seeing: why you’re there, why a world like this exists beneath the Martian surface, why there’s light, how there can be weather—what’s the bigger picture?
There are a lot of questions, and the game gradually answers them as part of the experience. Hopefully, players will be curious enough to explore and discover all these pieces for themselves.
Q: Most survival games are grounded in realism and based on Earth, whileBlind Descentis on an alien world. How did that affect your approach to things like crafting recipes, construction, or other aspects of the game?
A:First of all, setting the game on Mars gives us a lot of creative freedom. We can add strange, unusual things you wouldn’t normally see on Earth. On Earth, we kind of know what’s beneath the surface—but on Mars, we don’t. We only have predictions. That opens up a lot of questions and opportunities for us.
With that freedom, we’re able to create a new world with its own rules. We still staygrounded in realismto a certain degree, leaning on sci-fi elements, but without going too far into fantasy—like magic or anything like that. We have our mutations, of course, but those are grounded in the setting.
In terms of gameplay, some elements are familiar—like chopping trees, which you might associate with a medieval setting—but at the same time, you have access to technological tools. That adds another dimension. You’re there as a human, with your own technology, but because the rules of this world are different, your tools aren’t always a perfect fit. You have to learn, adapt, and eventually become part of this underground world—partly by observing it, and partly by absorbing the mutations it offers.
Q: What can you tell me aboutBlind Descent’s art style? Did you have a specific vision in mind, or inspirations that really struck you?
A:The art style is completely Burhan’s work, so I can speak on his behalf here. One of our early inspirations wasIce Age—there was one of theIce Agemovies that took place in some kind of underground world. I don’t remember exactly which one, but I’m sure fans will know. That was probably the biggest early influence.
In some parts, we were also inspired byAvatar, especially in how colorful and vivid the world is. Our approach is to use beautiful, vibrant colors with realistic scale and proportions, but with a slightly stylized tone. We also use lighting to emphasize that balance. It’s not too stylized, but not fully realistic either—something in between.
In terms of visual design, that balance is one of the top things we’ve focused on while creatingBlind Descent.
How Blind Descent Tackles Survival Gameplay
Q: What do you feel is most important to ‘get right’ in a survival game? Are there things where, if a game misses the mark here, it’s probably not going to be very fun?
A:I think withBlind Descent, our intention was always to create a strong feeling of adventure and exploration. There are alreadyplenty of survival gamesout there, and they definitely have their own charm. In those games, you really feel like you’re surviving and constantly battling against obstacles—and I think having that core element is important.
But for a game like this, survival shouldn’t be something you’re always focused on. It should be there, yes—but over time, you gradually become more adept. The idea is that early on, you’re struggling—you’re stranded, you have no help, and even basic things like creating your first campfire or surviving the first night are difficult. But as you explore more and take risks, those early survival elements become easier, and you start focusing more on the adventure and discovery aspects.
That’s what we’re trying to achieve—not just a sandbox survival game, but a game with purpose, with a focus on exploration and adventure.
Q: What survival elements are present inBlind Descent? Hunger, thirst, things like that?
A:As part of that, there arebasic survival needs— sleep, hunger, and thirst. You’ll need to take care of those. They’re the core elements of survival in the game. Nothing more complex than that.
Of course, there will be other challenges, but these are the fundamental things that will shape your journey.
Q: Earlier, you mentioned dungeons. What do those entail, and why might players wish to venture into them?
A:Dungeons are where the fun—or the more engaging gameplay—really starts to shine, because that’s where you begin to learn a lot.
Imagine you’re surviving in a very specific part of this jungle-like world, and then you get a call from somewhere. When you go there, you find this giant place waiting to be discovered. You’re given a reason to explore it, and as you do, you start to learn more and more. You realize it’s actually very important to visit these dungeons and other key locations across the world.
The dungeons are different from the open world—they’re a bit more linear. You’ll find creatures, rooms, loot, story pieces—the most important content is concentrated in these areas. But to get there, you need to do the work in the open world first. You have to prepare—gather food, water, armor so you don’t die right away when you take a hit, weapons, and so on. Some players will want to go in very prepared—they’ll bring grenades or other gear.
These dungeons will give you story progression, new mutations, combat encounters, and a lot of fun elements that directly impact your overall progress. So in that sense, the dungeons are definitely a core part of the gameplay.
Q: Can you talk about some of the alien life forms on the planet and how players might interact with them?
A:We’re not going to see, like, green aliens or anything like that. Most of the creatures will resemble animals from Earth or sometimes more fantastical creatures, but still grounded in a biological, realistic way. Those are the kinds of alien lifeforms players will mostly encounter.
Sometimes they’ll be more unrecognizable—strange organisms. Other times, they’ll look more familiar, like animals. So, in terms of organic life, that’s what players will mostly see.
But we’ll also have remnants of a higher intelligence—what we call the mastermind. That presence will come through more culturally, through things like scripts, devices, and structures left behind. So even if you don’t meet them directly, you’ll see their influence in the world.
Q: Some survival games are very unforgiving, while others are fairly casual. How did you land onBlind Descent’s challenge level?
A:I think we’re aiming for something in the middle when it comes to difficulty. But we’ll definitely look at adding a harder mode as development progresses—maybe even after release, through an additional difficulty option.
Personally, I really enjoyed my experience playingSubnauticain Hardcore mode—I don’t remember exactly what it was called, but it was the one where if you die, it’s over. That added a lot of pressure, and I loved that feeling. I’m sure some players will be looking for that kind of challenge too.
So we’re definitely considering adding options like that in the future. But for now, the game will launch with a standard difficulty. It won’t be too casual, but it also won’t be overly punishing. We’re trying to find a balanced experience.
Q: What are some games that you feel are examples of having really done something well in this genre? Any ideas that really inspire you?
A:The first and most obvious inspiration isSubnautica. I love how refined and complete that experience is—the concept, the atmosphere, the reason you’re there, your purpose—everything lines up so well. It really makes you feel like you’re there. As you descend deeper into the ocean, it becomes more tense and dangerous.
And as you know, inSubnautica, survival elements like thirst and hunger are present, but they’re not the main focus. You manage them, of course, but the real point is exploration—discovering the world and progressing toward your way out of the planet. That’s a huge inspiration for us.
Another one isGrounded. That game also impressed us a lot. It has some of the same survival elements, but compared toSubnautica,Groundedleans more into combat. And that’s where we draw inspiration from it—especially in terms of having dungeons, creatures, and more direct combat interactions. That combat focus comes mostly fromGrounded.
Q: What can you tell me about combat inBlind Descent? What sorts of weapons do players have access to, and how might combat in the late game differ from earlier on?
A:As you’re stranded in this world, you’re not prepared for combat or anything dangerous—you’re completely on your own. You start by making makeshift tools—traditional stuff like a simple spear or a basic bow. But as you progress, you gain access to mutations and rare resources, which allow you to create better weapons.
For example, you might start with a very simple bow, but then you defeat a special creature and use its parts to craft a more advanced version. Or maybe you come across a giant creature with sharp claws, and you can turn those into a weapon—you’re literally looting the creatures for gear.
On top of that, we have things like grenades, explosive barrels, and other environmental interactions that add a fun layer to combat. And of course, we have mutations. These give you special abilities and also modify your traditional weapons. For example, your shield might start as a basic defensive tool, but with a mutation, it can also be used offensively.
So these mutations really open up creative possibilities. As you progress and become more symbiotic with the world—more a part of it—your body itself becomes a kind of weapon.
Q: Speaking of that progression, how do players progress through the game in terms of crafting? Do you research new blueprints, or discover recipes through finding ingredients?
A:Since this isan alien world, it’s not like you know everything from the start. There’s a lot that’s unfamiliar. One of the tools you have is a scanner—it’s part of your regular equipment—and it helps you learn about things you’ve never seen before.
The scanner gives you information and even unlocks crafting recipes. For example, you might come across a strange organism shaped like an egg, and when you scan it, you learn it can be used as an explosive material. Or maybe you kill a creature with a very durable shell—after scanning it, you realize it could be used to craft armor, or even something like a boat because it’s waterproof.
Since so much of the world is unknown, discovery plays a huge role. You can’t rely on prior knowledge. Progression comes through exploration—by scanning, experimenting, and visiting dangerous places, you gradually learn how to survive and thrive.
Q: What are you personally most excited for players to experience once they get their hands onBlind Descent?
A:I think players will love the overall experience, because as a survival player myself, I’m always excited to see more survival games. It’s something I really enjoy—and I always look for something different, whether it’s in the world, the goals, or the way the game unfolds.
So I think players will be excited to have something fresh—something they can explore for the first time. I’d say what will stand out most inBlind Descentisn’t just one specific gameplay element, but the overall atmosphere and experience of the game.
Q: What would you sayBlind Descentis ‘about?’ Is there something you hope players take away from their experience?
A:I would say it’s about adventure and exploration—going into something new, a kind of new frontier, I guess. I wouldn’t say we have a very deep philosophy behind it right now, but this sense of discovery and trying something new is something we really emphasize. So yeah, that’s probably what I’d point to.
Q: Is there anything you can tell me about post-launch plans or DLC?
A:We definitely have some really exciting things in the works, but I wouldn’t be able to reveal them just yet. We’ll see. All I can say is—this is just one underground world we’re showing… and who knows, maybe there are more.
Q: Any final thoughts you’d like to share?
A:I’d like to thank our community on Discord—they’ve always been with us, and I honestly love these people. And for anyone watching, I hope you like what you see. We’d be very happy if you feel inspired to start the game, join our community, and engage with what we’re building—because it really means a lot to us.
I also just wanted to mention one more thing. We’re accepting requests for the playtest on Steam, so anyone interested will be able to click the “Request Access” button and join the playtest queue.
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