Developers Wrong Organ, known for the 2024 horror title Mouthwashing, have announced their next project: Carcass Clad. This new game shifts genre to a co-op tank simulation, set in a city devastated by conflict, drawing loose inspiration from the 1939 Winter War between Finland and the Soviet Union.
In Carcass Clad, three players will work together to pilot a single tank, engaging with enemy machines that are described as being covered in "divine livestock." Each player assumes a distinct role within the tank crew. The Commander is responsible for scouting via periscope, plotting navigation routes, and managing radio communications. The Driver handles the tank's steering, monitors fuel consumption, and allocates power. The Gunner's role is to aim, fire, and reload the main cannon as efficiently as possible. Adding to the challenge for international players, all in-game tank controls will be presented in Finnish.
Wrong Organ's previous title, Mouthwashing, was a well-received singleplayer horror game praised for its narrative depth. The studio's pivot to multiplayer with Carcass Clad was a deliberate choice, according to gameplay lead Jeffrey Tomec. "We had to ask some pretty existential questions about what Wrong Organ should do next as we finished up Mouthwashing’s development," Tomec stated. He further explained that while they love narrative games, they aim to avoid being confined to a single genre, seeking to demonstrate their range and create gameplay-driven experiences. Tomec likened Mouthwashing to SOMA and Carcass Clad to Amnesia: The Bunker, emphasizing a move towards more mechanical gameplay with less direct storytelling, though the studio affirms they will continue making narrative games.
While Mouthwashing explored themes of interpersonal conflict, Carcass Clad is designed to foster collaboration. "Carcass Clad is all about teamwork, the tension comes largely from learning how to work effectively as a unit while under pressure," said writer and art director Johanna Kasurinen. She elaborated that the game's fantasy is built around the idea of a crew functioning as a well-oiled machine, but that miscommunication can quickly lead to mistakes. Kasurinen noted that playtests were most successful with groups accustomed to working together, suggesting that the game could serve as a test of collegiality under duress.
Tomec acknowledged that Carcass Clad might be categorized alongside recent co-op games like Lethal Company and Peak, which often feature emergent, sometimes chaotic, gameplay. However, he differentiated Carcass Clad by describing it as a more directed and difficult experience, with mechanics designed to create an "oppressively brutal" challenge rather than a free-form social one. He suggested "FriendSweat" as a fitting descriptor, highlighting the necessity for the team to operate as a single unit for any progress.
The tank itself is named the Yksiö, a Finnish word meaning "one bedroom apartment." Kasurinen, who is Finnish, embraced the potential for humor derived from mispronouncing Finnish terms. The game also aims to explore aspects of Finnish culture and history not frequently depicted in media. The developers have incorporated Finnish voice actors and in-game text, including for the tank's controls, which feature long Finnish words.
Technical designer Dave Van Egdom described the Yksiö as an amalgamation of military hardware and custom technology, designed for an experience characterized by limited visibility, loud machinery, and large cannons, where crew coordination is paramount. Inspiration was drawn from multi-crew vehicles in realistic military games and films like Fury. The Yksiö features proprietary systems for players to learn and utilize, including manual operation of the 158mm cannon's loading process and a V10 engine that requires a blank to be fired to start.
The "carcasses" in the game's title refer to the "divine livestock" used by the enemy, the Green Lion cult, as improvised armor. This living, grotesque plating presents a unique challenge for the player crew to overcome. Carcass Clad currently has no release date.