Developer Wrong Organ, known for its narrative-driven horror title Mouthwashing, is shifting focus to a different genre with its next project, Carcass Clad. This upcoming game is a co-op roguelike tank simulator set in a troubled city. While scripted narrative elements will be de-emphasized compared to Mouthwashing, the studio is exploring ways to incorporate storytelling and worldbuilding into the tank-centric gameplay.
Jeffrey Tomec, a developer at Wrong Organ, explained that each game is built around a central idea. For Carcass Clad, this core concept is the experience of being within a tank and how that feeling can convey meaning. The challenge lies in integrating narrative in a way that complements multiplayer gameplay, avoiding the pitfalls of storytelling that can be ignored or feel intrusive in a co-op environment.
"We haven't fully discovered exactly how much we can push it," Tomec stated regarding the integration of overt narrative into Carcass Clad. "Our temptation is always to go and start putting that in our games, and I think we're gonna have to see how much of that fits in here before we start. We strongly believe that narrative shouldn't feel forced."
Wrong Organ, self-described as a writing company, aims to ensure that any narrative elements enhance the player's experience rather than feeling like extraneous additions. The team is carefully considering where to introduce story to ensure it adds value.
Carcass Clad will feature an entirely new setting, separate from that of Mouthwashing. The World War 2-esque tank battles do not connect to the lore of the Tulpar crew from the previous game. This world, however, is not entirely new to the studio, which has been discussing the setting and developing potential stories for it. Tomec indicated that there is a wealth of lore that may not be fully explored within the playable experience of Carcass Clad, potentially appearing in other future projects or within the broader universe.
"There is a lot of thought that's gone into the setting and story," Tomec said. The Steam description for Carcass Clad hints at a dark and mysterious world, stating, "The city's saint, long since laid to rest, walks again—gilded and defiled." The game does not yet have a release date but is available to wishlist on Steam.