It’s been over seven years since Limbo and Inside developer Playdead first began teasing its mysterious third project, and now – nearly five years since Eurogamer last has cause to write about a sneaky bit of concept art – the studio has shared a handful of new images, confirming (in case there was any doubt) the project is still alive and well.
A first enigmatic bit of concept art for Playdead’s untitled third game was shared by the developer in 2017, around six months after Inside launched to critical acclaim. At the time, the studio confirmed work was underway on its “next adventure”, with the accompanying artwork pointing to a lonely adventure with sci-fi undertones.
Since then, further bits of atmospheric concept art have sporadically surfaced – first on social media in 2018, then buried in some online job listings in 2019, then on LinkedIn last year – all seemingly pointing to an adventure in which a lone space traveller wanders a desolate planet strewn with abandoned tech. About all we’ve conclusively learned of the mysterious project in that time, again thanks to Playdead’s jobs page, is that it’s a “third-person science fiction adventure set in a remote corner of the universe.”
Currently, the Copenhagen studio is advertising a substantial number of job openings – ranging from VFX artist to technical director – and it’s now re-promoted its jobs page on social media with a lovely new bit of concept art for project number three, this time showing our tiny protagonist looking slightly aloof next to something resembling farming equipment. A second new bit of art, appearing on both the jobs page and in Playdead’s X header, shows a stretch of pipes and looming cylindrical buildings in a bleak blanket of snow.
None of this get us closer to learning anything more tangible about Playdead’s persistently enigmatic game, of course, but it’s reassuring to know things are still ticking away behind the scenes. And let’s not forget, Inside also had a long gestation period – its development took around seven years, beginning shortly after Limbo’s release in 2010 – and that was definitely worth the wait. Obviously, since Inside’s arrival, designer Jeppe Carlsen (who was also responsible for Limbo) has departed Playdead to form Geometric Interactive – and the studio’s first game, Cocoon, is another treat, being named our Game of the Year in 2023.