Origame Digital is set to release its psychological horror game, Penguin Colony, on PC and Nintendo Switch 2. The game's concept, developed by founder Naphtali Faulkner, was inspired by various sources including the 2006 animated film Happy Feet, HP Lovecraft, the 1982 film The Thing, and the works of David Lynch.
In Penguin Colony, players will body-switch between different species of flightless birds. Their objective is to piece together cryptic clues while following a Nazi expedition in Antarctica. The game specifically draws on Lovecraft's novella, At the Mountains of Madness, and incorporates historical research on the Ahnenerbe group.
The visual design of Penguin Colony adopts a low-poly aesthetic, reminiscent of the PS2 era. Faulkner stated this choice was partly due to the studio's financial situation and the recent games crash, allowing for a more cost-effective development approach. The game features an open-world Antarctic setting, where enigmatic notes, photographs, and soundbites are hidden for players to discover.
Penguin Colony also includes an insight system, similar to that found in Bloodborne, which allows players to interpret the game's otherworldly elements with greater clarity based on their gameplay. Faulkner noted that certain in-game elements are presented in an alien language, requiring players to decipher them.