Routine (video game)

Routine is an upcoming survival horror game developed by Lunar Software and published by Raw Fury. Set on a lunar base, the story follows an unnamed protagonist unraveling a mysterious incident that led to the base's decline. The game is played from a first-person perspective, with the player using a Cosmonaut Assistance Tool to fight hostile robots, interact with the environment, and perform other actions.

Announced in 2012, Routine is the debut title from Lunar Software. While initially slated for a spring 2013 release, the game saw several delays attributed to a protracted development cycle, financial hurdles, and the studio's decision to temporarily pause production due to dissatisfaction with the game's direction. Development resumed in 2022 with new publisher Raw Fury. The game is being developed using Unreal Engine 5, with music composed by Mick Gordon. Routine is scheduled to release for Windows, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.

Gameplay
Routine is a survival horror game played from a first-person perspective. The player controls an unnamed protagonist traversing a lunar base to unravel the mystery of its decline while encountering hostile robots. The player is equipped with a Cosmonaut Assistance Tool (C.A.T), a device used for both combat and environmental interaction, in addition to saving notes and tracking progress. Exploring levels with hidden areas, the player finds batteries, powering the C.A.T, and floppy disks which alter its specs, such as screen refresh rate and flashlight brightness. When used as a weapon, the C.A.T can temporarily stun the enemy. However, permadeath and the absence of first aid kits emphasize stealth and avoidance of direct combat. A visual wound system allows the player to monitor the protagonist's health by observing their body. Threats and environments within the levels are partially procedurally generated. The game features an alternate ending.

Development and release
Developer Lunar Software is based in the United Kingdom. Lead designer and artist Aaron Foster created small game projects and mods in his early years. He studied at the University of Central Lancashire, where he met designer and artist Jemma Hughes. After graduating in 2008 with a Bachelor of Arts in game design, Foster taught 3D modeling and creative thinking at the university while also working as a 3D environment artist at Eurocom. In his spare time, he developed various prototypes and ideas using Unreal Engine, with some eventually becoming the basis for Routine. The game's inspiration stemmed from a desire to combine his childhood passions—science fiction, horror, and the Moon. He also sought to "start pushing the reasons why people interact with a game," believing that games "should mean something more than pressing the right buttons to trigger cutscenes." Routine was influenced by films such as 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968), The Andromeda Strain (1971), Silent Running (1972), Alien (1979), and The Thing (1982), and the television series Space: 1999 (1975–1977). Video game influences included System Shock 2 (1999), White Day: A Labyrinth Named School (2001), and Doom 3 (2004).

In its early stages, Routine lacked enemies or interactive objects. Foster described this version as an atmospheric single-player experience similar to Dear Esther (2012). The project began to evolve with the addition of Hughes and programmer Pete Dissler, whom Foster encountered through the Mod DB website. Their collaboration led to the establishment of Lunar Software in September 2011. Working from a flat in Preston, Lancashire, the team used the living room as their office and hired freelancers for the game's art. The project was initially financed through the team's personal savings. The game's design underwent several revisions throughout its development. Following its re-announcement in June 2022, Lunar Software revealed that development had been previously suspended due to financial constraints and dissatisfaction with the project's direction. After a period of conceptual reassessment and securing a publishing deal with Raw Fury, development resumed. Raw Fury provided additional support for the game's art direction and narrative.

The selection of a lunar base as the setting for Routine stemmed not only from Foster's fascination with the Moon but also from its distance from Earth, its atmosphere of loneliness, and the in-game presence of enemies. The developers believed these aspects combined to make the Moon "a great setting for a horror experience." During development, the base's size was halved as the studio strove for level uniqueness and brevity. The number of endings was also reduced to two, impacting the overall nonlinearity originally intended. The developers decided not to explore the protagonist's personality and backstory to heighten the immersiveness and focus the player's attention on the game's atmosphere and plot.

The inclusion of permadeath was intended to heighten the impact of player actions. Foster explained that he "want[ed] to see if [... permadeath would] force people to care more about their actions rather than running around blindly thinking they can just reload the game." This feature, combined with the first-person perspective and lack of a heads-up display, reflected the developers' aim of maximizing player immersion. Procedural generation was employed to introduce variability to environments and events across playthroughs. However, the team aimed to avoid excessive randomization to preserve the integrity of the storyline. Striking a balance between variety and crafting a tense atmosphere at specific moments presented a significant challenge, according to Foster. Dissler designed the artificial intelligence of the game's enemies to adapt to and react unpredictably to the player's actions, cultivating a "fear of the unknown". The protagonist's primary device, a Cosmonaut Assistance Tool, was conceived early in development. A weapon mode was later incorporated, allowing the player to choose between stealth and direct combat. Foster characterized this as a risk–reward system, noting that its use did not always guarantee a favorable outcome.

Lunar Software began developing Routine using Unreal Engine 3, but later transitioned to Unreal Engine 4. Peter Bottomley, founder and head of White Paper Games, provided support to the developers, including access to more powerful computers for working with the updated engine. Subsequently, the studio opted to move development to Unreal Engine 5. While Lunar Software initially considered PlayStation 4 and Oculus Rift versions of the game, these plans were ultimately abandoned. Routine's visual style, inspired by 1980s retrofuturism, aimed to depict a realistically designed, abandoned lunar base. Foster described it as a "really high-tech [and] sci-fi" environment reflecting decades of human habitation and subsequent decline. The game's soundtrack, composed by Mick Gordon, known for his work on Wolfenstein: The New Order (2014) and Doom (2016), took cues from the 1980s music, as suggested by Foster. However, Gordon wanted to avoid synthesizer clichés found in soundtracks like that of Far Cry 3: Blood Dragon (2013). Citing the film The Shining (1980) as an influence, the developers sought to create a more "tangible and low-fi" sound.

Routine was announced in August 2012 at Gamescom with a teaser trailer. Later that year, the project was approved for release on Steam through the platform's Greenlight program. Initially scheduled for a spring 2013 release for Windows and OS X, Routine saw several delays. Lunar Software stopped providing development updates in 2017, but confirmed the project's continuation the following year, acknowledging some ongoing challenges. Routine was re-announced with a new teaser at the Summer Game Fest in June 2022. It is scheduled to release for Windows, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S, with availability also on Xbox Game Pass upon release.