In welcome news, Failbetter’s gothic RPG Sunless Sea, where you command a ship across the gloomy Zee, releases this Friday. Take the helm of your steamship and set sail for the unknown! Sunless Sea is a game of discovery, loneliness and frequent death, set in the award-winning Victorian Gothic universe of Fallen London. Betray your crew, marry your sweetheart, sell your soul to a Devil. Survive long enough and you might achieve your life’s ambition. Die, and your legacy will live on…

“Players create a dynasty of sea captains who explore, romance, smuggle, battle and inevitably die. Foolhardy bravery is often rewarded; it’s a game of risks, choices and rewards,” says Alexis Kennedy, Chief Narrative Officer and co-founder of Failbetter Games. Sunless Sea contains over 250,000 words of hand-crafted narrative. Every island you visit has a different story to tell, as do your crew.

“You walk the line between light and dark, terror and madness: stray too far from civilization’s light sources and your crew will grow fearful and eventually lose their sanity,” Kennedy continues. “Your captain will die. Pass on resources from one generation to the next. Acquire a family home and a hoard of heirlooms. Build up your own story across generations of zailors who braved the sea and lost – or won…”

Sunless Sea features real-time combat against ships and Zee-beasts – including spider-crewed dreadnoughts and sentient icebergs. You can upgrade your steamship with powerful engines, cannons and pneumatic torpedo guns.

Check out the launch trailer for the game below and you can check out our preview of Sunless Sea right here: