Creating a horror game that balances fear with cooperative play is a daunting task, but for Atlantis Studio, it is the primary focus of their upcoming project. Beyond the Dark: Nightwatch, currently in development as a Nintendo Switch 2 exclusive, is designed to turn the isolation of horror into a shared experience through asymmetrical gameplay.
A New Kind of Co-op Horror
Creative director Nico Augusto describes the title as an experience where two players navigate the same adventure from completely different perspectives. One player enters the “House” in a first-person view, searching for clues while evading a mysterious creature. Meanwhile, the second player acts as the explorer's eyes from a distance, using the 1980s-inspired WB-86 surveillance device to monitor cameras, identify threats, and relay critical information.
"Neither player can complete the adventure without constantly communicating with the other," Augusto explains. The game is built specifically for the Switch 2, leveraging the console's unique features—most notably, the GameShare system. This allows a second player to join the game using a separate system without needing to own a second copy, a feature Augusto says was essential to the studio’s goal of making the game accessible and intuitive.
Learning from the Past
For Augusto, Beyond the Dark: Nightwatch represents a significant shift in philosophy following the cancellation of his previous project, Seasons of Heaven. "Seasons of Heaven was probably the greatest lesson of my career," he says. "When you're young, you believe that passion and good ideas are enough to build a game. They aren't. That experience taught me that discipline, production, communication and surrounding yourself with the right people are just as important as creativity."
Atlantis Studio is now prioritizing an agile development process to ensure the project reaches completion. Augusto confirms that the team is currently focused on polishing the asymmetric mechanics and expanding the mystery of the House. While he notes that the team has a target release window in mind, they are keeping the specific date under wraps for now.
Environmental Storytelling and Inspiration
The game draws from a wide variety of influences, ranging from the works of Hayao Miyazaki and H.P. Lovecraft to modern horror films like Pascal Laugier’s Martyrs. Augusto emphasizes that the House itself is intended to function as an additional character rather than just a setting. Every room contains clues to a mystery spanning centuries, with the goal of creating a lasting impression through shared problem-solving rather than relying solely on jump scares.
"We don't want players to remember Beyond the Dark because of a single jump scare," Augusto says. "We want them to remember the conversations they had together while trying to understand what was really happening inside the House." For those familiar with his previous work, the developer also hinted that players might find subtle nods to the past hidden within the environment as a thank you to those who have followed the studio's journey.