Routine is now available on PC and Xbox platforms, including Xbox Game Pass, introducing players to a tension-driven sci-fi horror experience set on a moon base shaped by a 1980s interpretation of future technology. Developed by Lunar Software in partnership with Raw Fury, the game blends atmospheric environments, analogue-inspired design choices, and minimal UI to create a grounded and immersive world.
When Lunar Software began shaping Routine’s setting, the team focused on how to keep the world relatable while still maintaining its futuristic identity. Rather than redesigning every object to appear high-tech, the developers retained the functional nature of everyday items. Chairs, consoles, and tools were kept practical in design to reinforce the idea that even in a future lunar facility, basic objects still serve simple purposes.
This focus on familiarity is important to the game’s atmosphere. The team recognised that overly stylised environments can distance players from the experience, especially in a horror setting where immersion is essential. By grounding the environment in recognisable shapes and materials, Routine’s lunar base feels more believable and easier for players to understand at a glance.
A central element of Routine’s identity comes from its reliance on analogue technology and design inspirations from the late 20th century. CRT monitors, mechanical switches, durable plastic housings, and devices with visible wear help establish a distinct sense of time and place. Instead of adopting modern sleek technology, the game imagines how engineers, designers, and filmmakers in the 1980s might have envisioned a functional lunar outpost.
This approach creates a world that carries character through its shapes, textures, and mechanical components. Routine also includes environments beyond industrial structures, such as resort areas and commercial spaces that reflect how people in the 1980s might have planned a future settlement on the moon. These details help the game present a cohesive interpretation of a retro-futuristic vision.
Routine takes a notable step away from common game design practices by removing most on-screen interface elements and navigation aids. This decision required extensive testing, as modern players often rely on waypoint markers and objective icons to progress. Instead, the game encourages players to observe their surroundings carefully, learn the layout, and follow environmental cues.
The PDA system serves as the player’s organisational tool, accessible only through specific Wireless Access Points scattered throughout the lunar base. It stores objectives and useful information without disrupting the environment with constant pop-up prompts. This approach supports the development team’s goal of encouraging slower, deliberate exploration while keeping players engaged with the world around them.
Routine avoids relying on sudden scares, choosing instead to build tension through pacing, sound design, and the gradual introduction of threats. While the earlier trailers revealed robotic dangers, the game’s launch materials hint that there are deeper and more disturbing elements hidden within the base. These threats are intentionally revealed slowly to keep players uncertain about what lies ahead.
The design team aimed to create an experience where fear grows naturally from the environment rather than from rapid shocks. Through lighting, sound, and the unpredictable nature of encounters, Routine maintains a steady sense of unease throughout its progression.
Routine has been in development for more than a decade. First announced thirteen years ago as a small project created by a three-person team, the game took on a larger scope as Lunar Software partnered with Raw Fury to rebuild and refine the experience. The process involved years of iteration and testing to achieve a world that matched the team’s original vision.
Throughout this long development cycle, community support played an important role. The developers have acknowledged the ongoing messages, encouragement, and patience shown by players waiting for the full release. With the launch now complete, the studio reflects on the project as the result of years of commitment and collaboration.
Routine is now accessible on PC, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, and Xbox Game Pass. Players can explore its atmospheric lunar base, experience its 1980s-inspired technology, and uncover the mysteries hidden within its corridors. With its grounded world-building, reduced UI design, and tension-focused horror, Routine offers an experience built on immersion and careful attention to detail.
The game invites players to navigate its environments at their own pace, discover clues through environmental storytelling, and unravel the dangers that await beneath the moon’s surface.
