A Mentor in the Shadows
The survival horror landscape might look very different today if not for the influence of Amnesia: The Dark Descent. For the developers at Red Barrels, the creators of the iconic Outlast series, Amnesia served as more than just an inspiration—it was a beacon that confirmed a viable market existed for their ambitious project.
Pitching a new survival horror concept to publishers had proven to be a difficult hurdle for the team. However, they found encouragement in the success of Frictional Games’ title. They realized that because few studios had attempted to follow in Amnesia's footsteps, there was a prime opportunity to carve out their own space in the genre.
Understanding the Steam Market
A pivotal moment occurred when the Red Barrels team attended a conference session led by Frictional Games co-founder Thomas Grip. During the presentation, Grip revealed that Amnesia: The Dark Descent had moved 400,000 units in its first year—a figure that immediately became the benchmark for the upcoming Outlast.
When Outlast finally hit the market and its initial sales momentum began to stabilize, Red Barrels co-founder Philippe Morin reached out to Grip for insight into the platform's volatility. Morin recalled the advice offered:
«He explained to us the dynamic of Steam, and when you do promotion, it spikes back up, [then] goes back down, and basically your sales curve becomes like a roller coaster.»
A Lasting Legacy
The guidance proved invaluable. Outlast not only hit its initial commercial targets but generated enough revenue to provide the development team with substantial bonuses. The success of the original game laid a sturdy foundation for the entire franchise, leading to millions of copies sold across its expansions, sequels, and multiplayer iterations. Ultimately, the advice helped transform a singular horror concept into a gaming phenomenon.