They Speak From the Abyss – Interview with Indie Developer

It’s safe to say that in video games, trips to Hell have become somewhat commonplace. From classics like Doom to Diablo, gamers have dived into the belly of the beast to contend with demons and the damned so often that it’s practically a commute. Just take the ten o’clock train, stop by the lake of fire and be back in time to watch Bake Off. But indie developer Nikki Kalpa has created a new vision of hell in her debut game They Speak From the Abyss, also known as the succinctly ominous They Speak. In this horror-tinted dungeon crawler, players take on the role of Vanessa, a woman who has been flung into the bowels of hell by a self-proclaimed “Demonic Therapist” named Germain. 

But Nikki’s vision of hell is a far cry from the lakes of fire or horned devils one might come to expect. The floors and walls are made from living flesh which, depending on your location, may be covered in oozing wounds, weeping infection, or patches of frostbite. 

Hell is not just alive, in They Speak, it’s wounded. 

And its residents are far from imposing. Instead, they are pathetic, with pale, malformed bodies and gaping, toothless mouths. After the game’s successful demo in the Haunted PS1 Collection: Spectral Mall, It’s no small wonder that indie publisher 2 Left Thumbs picked this game up for full production.

Despite the visceral environment and bleak themes, Nichole “Nikki” Kalpa is a surprisingly genial person who was eager to sit down with us and talk over Discord. And after a few questions, we came to learn more about her and why she felt compelled to create this truly unique vision of The Abyss. 

G:So, what would you say were your major inspirations for this game?

N: “(…) The Playstation’s Baroque and Shin Megami Tensei ports. Classic dungeon crawlers that are, sadly, a dying genre. Other than that, the works of Clive Barker and Junji Ito also shaped the game.

G: I agree entirely. Horror RPGs haven’t been much of a thing for a while. The last I can remember playing was Parasite Eve.

N: I guess They Speak was born from me asking the question to myself ‘what if SMT was more… horror?’ There are a lot of things the game was born from, though.

G: Oh?

N: The game kind of arose from several different things. At the time, I was developing an SMT (Shin Megami Tensei) fangame, which I decided to scrap because it was much bigger than I had anticipated and my skill level just wasn’t there. Not only that but the fan game scene, in general, is very volatile. So I decided to make something original. 

But the game had roots in more than just fandom. The themes of body horror and psychological struggle sprouted from somewhere deeper for Nikki; A place deeply personal to her.  

N: (…)I was struggling from heavy and severe gender dysphoria at the time, and I needed an outlet to express those feelings of hate and anger.

G: So would you say developing this game has helped you come to terms with your dysphoria?

N: I still have dysphoria but this game (…) gave me a healthy way to express my emotions and develop my art style. Making power out of your weaknesses and stuff like that.

G: Funneling powerful emotions into art is a practice as old as art, and that’s usually where some of the most stirring pieces come from.

N: I’m glad you agree.

G: Dungeon crawlers and RPGs in general tend to be much more methodical than other genres. With so many modern horror games using timing or quicker paces to build tension and scares, how do you intend to use a traditionally turn-based genre to build that sense of dread? 

N: The main idea for increasing the tension is only giving the player a health bar, and having that be the sole resource they need to manage in battle. Mixing that with an active-time battle system would make the battles more intense! As for when monsters chase you, you’re locked to a grid, but the monsters aren’t. Usually, if you’re being chased by a demon they have an easier time getting to you than you do them. If you’re low on health, or the monster is much stronger than you you’re going to want to choose to run away instead of fight

G: What would you say this game is about, thematically speaking?

N: Thematically, the game is about overcoming your fears and trauma and trying to become a stronger person.

G: Certainly the kind of story we could use more of. (…)Well, I can’t wait to play this. Do you have anything else you’d like to share with readers?

N: Probably that, if you had a project you were working on, but gave up on because you didn’t think it was good enough or that you held yourself back because ‘I’m not that good’ or ‘I could never make something like that’ My best advice is to do it anyway. No matter what there will be people who love what you’re doing, and making art and games has done more for my mental health than I could ever explain.

They Speak From The Abyss is set to come out in 2023. A demo build is currently available for free download on Itch.io or on the Haunted PS1 Demo Disk: Spectral Mall. Players can also wishlist They Speak From The Abyss on Steam. Players who want to support They Speak From the Abyss can back it on Kickstarter.