The Midnight Walkis the first major project of MoonHood Studios, a company co-founded by Klaus Lyngeled and Olov Redmalm. Gamers might be familiar with some of the duo’s previous projects, such asLost in Random,Stick it to the Man,Flipping Death,Ghost Giant, andFe. While there are some similarities,The Midnight Walkdistinguishes itself from past titles with darker themes and a more mature tone.
In this first-person title that seeks tounite the cozy and horror genres, players will take on the role of The Burnt One, a protagonist entrusted with the task of bringing fire back to the world. They won’t go on this journey alone, however, as they’ll immediately be joined by a small lantern creature named Potboy. To learn more about Potboy, his origin, and his role inThe Midnight Walk, Game Rant sat down with Klaus Lyngeled and Olov Redmalm.
The Midnight Walk Focuses on Light and Darkness
The Midnight Walk Began With Potboy
MoonHood Studios has handcrafted and scanned over 700 pieces of art to bring theworld ofThe Midnight Walkto life. While some are made from clay, others are made from cardboard, newspaper, and various materials that give the game its unique aesthetic. Klaus expressed the importance of having a companion in a first-person title likeThe Midnight Walk, but noted that Potboy actually came first. Olov discussed the origins of both the character and the game itself:
“Klaus came to me with the first model of Potboy two and a half years ago. So, we started brainstorming a story and a pitch! A little lantern creature with a flame coming from its head was so tantalizing. It begged for interesting gameplay and engaging storytelling. It all kind of created itself from there. We were both looking to reignite our creative spark after a long and exhausting project like Lost in Random, and we did it quite literally with Potboy’s flame.”
Potboy is a known quantity within the world ofThe Midnight Walk, as other characters will recognize him while The Burnt One makes their way to Moon Mountain. Players will also be joined by a character named Housy, who is a walking home that accompanies the players on their journey. Together, these traveling companions give the player a sense of comfort in the darkness of the larger world.
Fire Plays a Crucial Role in The Midnight Walk
Inspired by stories likeThe Nightmare Before Christmas,Over the Garden Wall, andHowl’s Moving Castle,The Midnight Walkfeatures a main road that intertwines with five different fairy tales players will take part in. While the tales draw inspiration from poems and texts about fire and light, Olov and Klaus stated that the stories are primarily original ideas that the duo came up with. Olov explained the importance of Potboy when imagining how the larger story would take shape:
Well, a fire coming from a main character’s head begged for gameplay where one could light things on fire. With that came discussions about the story and what that meant. What is a good amount of fire, what is too much, and is it good or bad? Mostly good, right? So, the gameplay became about lighting up a dark world and bringing back warmth to its denizens. But there are more elements we haven’t shown yet that display a darker side to fire and light.
Klaus explained that they wanted to play with the idea that fire both gives and takes. A little can be a good thing, while too much can prove to be disastrous. This is at the heart of the title and the stories players will encounter along their journey. Gamers looking toget their hands onThe Midnight Walkwill be able to do so when it launches on May 8.
