Written by El Joe/La Boveda
When horror meets vulnerability, something uniquely human emerges from the darkness. Confronted is a gothic survival horror experience that challenges players not just to escape monsters, but to face the unseen horrors of domestic abuse, all within the eerie walls of a cursed castle.
We sat down with the game’s creator to discuss the inspirations behind Confronted, the balance between safety and fear, and how crafting your own hideouts can become an act of survival and resistance.
We had the opportunity to have a Q&A session with the Developer, and here is what he had to say:
Q: To start, what inspired you to create Confronted, and what was the core idea that sparked the project?
A: It grew from a web of ideas; a particularly strong one was wanting to build a horror that expanded the act of hiding that became building your own hideouts with different resources.
I love castles, so that became the setting.
And I wanted a meaningful story, which took on the topic of domestic abuse.
Q: The game is set in a gothic castle where survival depends on exploration and evasion. How did you craft this setting to feel both immersive and threatening?
A: I used realistic references such as Corvin Castle in Romania to build a believable space, then adjusted and broke the environment to fit the story and tone of a cursed castle.
It’s all about creating a place that feels real enough to ground the player but cursed enough to unnerve them.
Q: How did you approach the mix of survival mechanics like crafting hideouts with horror elements? What was your philosophy in balancing safety and tension?
A: We all love and hate hiding in horror games. So I made the act of hiding more dynamic you craft your hideouts.
It takes time. You must choose when and where!
Safety comes from having a hideout nearby. Tension comes from asking, “Can I build one in time?”
I playtested this loop as much as possible in early iterations to get the timing and spacing just right.
Q: Horror relies heavily on atmosphere and sound. How did you design the audio to heighten fear and suspense?
A: The atmospheric ambient sound is crucial.
Don’t you hate going into a house in Phasmophobia and just hearing… air?
It’s terrifying when the sound of wind or water prevents you from hearing the enemy.
So I made sure there’s always a base layer of eerie ambiance then added distant creaks, shifting noises, and unsettling monster sounds to build real dread.
Q: Confronted combines exploration, resource management, and evasion. How did you ensure the gameplay pacing keeps players engaged without breaking immersion?
A: I follow a classical pacing formula: rest or low tension → build-up → high tension → repeat.
Then I integrate believable puzzles and objectives that fit the castle’s logic.
It’s an 18th-century cursed castle filled with monsters yet players still question why the candles are lit, or how long they’ve burned.
That’s part of the charm: bending realism just enough to make fantasy believable.
Q: What were the biggest technical or creative challenges you faced while developing the game as a solo developer?
A: Everything besides level design!
I don’t code, so I use visual blueprint scripting.
Doing the AI and save system was a real challenge.
Making the monsters feel scary and clever enough without a team of programmers was tough but rewarding.
Q: The game features dynamic threats and unpredictable encounters. How did you design enemy behavior to maximize suspense?
A: Confronted uses a mix of scripted and unscripted AI events from simple entrance and exit scenes to patrols and randomized “rage” or “hunt” behaviors.
The enemies can hear certain actions, and they’re more likely to spawn if you run or play on harder difficulties.
That unpredictability keeps the fear alive.
Q: In terms of storytelling, how do you reveal the lore and mysteries of Radu Castle to players while keeping tension high?
A: I use storybook cutscenes for pacing breaks and key narrative moments.
Safe spaces reveal plot details without too much threat, and reading journals pauses the game.
That way, players can absorb the lore without losing tension or flow.
Q: What role do the environment and visual design play in conveying the horror narrative? Were there any particular visual inspirations?
A: I drew from many European castles especially Corvin Castle in Romania and Château de Beynac in France.
To bring horror into the visuals, I added mood lighting, ivy-covered walls, spawn holes, burned kitchens, and collapsed corridors.
It’s about showing the castle as something once grand… now diseased by the curse within.
Q: Confronted is being released in chapters. How do you plan to expand the gameplay and story across future updates?
A: By expanding the crafting mechanic adding new layers of strategy for hiding, distracting, or even warding off monsters.
Each chapter will deepen the story, with more backstory, surprises, and lore to uncover.
Q: What kind of emotional or psychological experience do you hope players take away after playing?
A: The game’s core theme is domestic abuse.
I want players to experience that journey from the perspective of a victim to feel the helplessness, the anxiety, and the slow reclaiming of control.
Ultimately, I want them to understand the relentlessness of an abuser’s twisted ambition.
Q: Looking forward, what development milestone or feature are you most excited to share with the community next?
A: Chapter 3 : the finale and full release!
But before that, new official trailers are on the way. I can’t wait to show players how far the project has come.
Quick-Fire Questions
Q: Favorite survival horror game of all time?
A: Alien: Isolation.
Q: If you could make a movie about Confronted, who would direct it?
A: James Cameron.
Q: Torch or flashlight?
A: Torch.
Q: Solo development : love it or challenge accepted?
A: Challenge accepted.
Confronted is a gothic survival horror game where building your own hideouts is key to survival.
Developed solo and released in chapters, it blends emotional storytelling with relentless fear inside the haunted halls of Radu Castle.
Wishlist it now on Steam and prepare to face the darkness before it finds you first.
Get it on:
Trailer:
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