Routine Is Finally Here After 13 Years, And It Delivers

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2025 is shaping up to be a fantastic year for gamers! We’ve been really enjoying Routine, a unique indie horror game that took a long time to develop. We’d almost lost hope it would ever come out, which makes playing it now even more rewarding.

It’s been thirteen years since this game was first revealed, and a lot has changed during development. What makes it so captivating that we’re eager to finish it – or at least see one of its endings – before the year ends?

We’ll be taking a close look at this game, and explaining why it’s worth checking out, especially if you enjoy scary games or experiences that really pull you in. Come with us as we explore a title that’s been a really nice discovery.

A Warm Welcome

We first learned about Routine at Gamescom in 2012, and it immediately caught our attention. It was a passion project by lead designer Aaron Foster, who wanted to combine his love of classic horror media into a unique game. As he grew his team, Lunar Software was created to bring his vision to life.

In the game Routine, you play as a silent character exploring a lonely base on the Moon. You’ll have to overcome intelligent robots who are determined to stop you from discovering what happened there. We’ll explain why we think it’s so good shortly, but first, let’s look at the long, thirteen-year journey it took to finally release this game to players.

Routine initially generated a lot of excitement when it was first announced in 2012, but it soon faced the first of many delays. After almost four years and several revised release dates, a March 2017 launch was finally set. Just like today, we were incredibly eager to play this game, as it looked fantastic in all the previews.

Fans faced another setback in April 2018 when the developers admitted they weren’t happy with how the game’s story ended, leading to another delay. The team couldn’t agree on a satisfying conclusion, so development of Routine was put on hold until 2020. Because the project was largely self-funded by the developers themselves, money also became a concern at this time.

After development restarted, the game switched to Unreal Engine 5, and our initial experience suggests this was a great decision. Previous announcements and details are now outdated. The game was re-revealed at Summer Games Fest in 2022 and we’re now able to play it.

Sci-Fi Scares

Okay, so this abandoned space station in Routine? It’s seriously creepy. But it’s not just scary for the sake of it. The designers did a really smart job making the whole place interactive, so exploring feels unpredictable. It’s pretty well-balanced – they didn’t go too crazy with the threats, but it definitely keeps you guessing and on edge the whole time. It’s a fun kind of tense, you know?

It took some getting used to, but I learned to stay alert as I explored. The station’s security doesn’t want visitors and sends robots to kick you out. At first, I was glad it only sent one robot at a time, but that didn’t last long.

The unpredictable activation of robots, combined with ever-changing levels, creates a tense game of hide-and-seek where you’re definitely the one being hunted, and at a significant disadvantage. Just hearing a robot’s footsteps is enough to get your heart pounding as you desperately search for a way to stay safe.

Despite being the studio’s first game after a difficult time, Routine boldly breaks from typical gaming conventions. It does this by omitting a heads-up display (HUD) and featuring permadeath – meaning a single mistake can end your game – creating constant tension as you explore and try to understand your surroundings.

The game has a strong, clear goal: to immerse you in a harsh world determined to keep its secrets hidden. While it provides tools to help you survive, they require careful planning to use effectively against your opponents. Plus, limited power means you’ll always need a backup plan when engaging in combat.

Routine could have become a repetitive grind – constantly collecting items for your next goal, and failing meant doing a lot of tedious backtracking. Luckily, the resources you need are usually nearby, but you’ll have to actively search for them.

Playing Routine is a genuinely thrilling experience. The game keeps you on edge with constant danger, and it’s made even better by its striking visuals and imaginative design.

An Unreal World

The Moon was the perfect setting for this game, captivating Foster and effectively conveying a feeling of isolation and ruin as players piece together a mysterious story. While it’s too early to say how the narrative will conclude, the game is incredibly engaging, unfolding deliberately and immersively. This is largely thanks to its unique art style, which blends retro aesthetics with futuristic elements to create a convincing world. The enemy designs are also fantastic – the robots are powerfully built and incredibly fast, and getting caught by one results in a convincingly brutal, ragdoll-like experience.

Honestly, this game really gets under your skin. I felt genuinely vulnerable playing it, and a big part of that is how they don’t tell you how much health you have – it makes everything feel so real and intense. Visually, it’s stunning. And the sound design? Forget about it! There are these long, quiet moments, then BAM! Something jumps out and scares you half to death. It’s brilliantly done.

Honestly, the way the levels are designed is amazing. The enemies aren’t just there – they’re hidden so well, and they don’t just sit around! They really try to make your life difficult. And they’re smart, too – they hunt you down relentlessly and will even check your hiding spots. It’s frustrating, but in a really good way, because it means you have to be constantly on your toes if you want to survive!

The atmosphere in Routine is incredibly effective, creating a constant sense of tension where even small mistakes can be disastrous, as death feels genuinely threatening. Lunar Software’s decision to make the gameplay so intense has resulted in an experience that lives up to the hype and has been well worth the anticipation.

You cautiously sneak past a deactivated robot, desperately hoping it stays off. Just when you think you’re safe, another robot suddenly appears and attacks, taking you by surprise while you were focused on the first one.

After thirteen years in development, this game truly delivers. It’s unusual for projects stuck in ‘development hell’ to succeed, but Routine is not only good—it’s genuinely fun and engaging, a testament to the smart choices made during its creation.

It looks like those choices were the right ones, and we’re excited to see what more Routine has in store as we tackle its increasingly difficult obstacles. With the year almost over, we’re also curious to see if 2025 will bring even more fantastic games.

Please be aware that the opinions shared in this article are the author’s own and don’t reflect the official stance of GamingBolt.

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2025-12-10 20:13