I Hate This Place is an isometric survival horror game that very intentionally uses a lot of comic book–infused design choices. With the launch of the game today on Xbox Series X|S, I’d love to take this moment to dive a little into the how and why this was done to help create I Hate This Place.

Living Alongside the Original “I Hate This Place” Comics

The first obvious reason for the comic aesthetic is that our game is set in the same world and universe as the award-nominated comic series “I Hate This Place” by Kyle Starks and Artyom Topilin. But since we were always going to be making a standalone story with our own characters, we decided that keeping that connection to the comic series alive was important, but it had to be in a way that wasn’t just parroting the original look.

Below are some examples comparing the game to the comics so you can see where and how we stayed true to the source while also allowing our team to make the art style and overall feel our own. Elements such as proportions, the vibe of the setting, sticking more to realism vs a totally cartoony approach, were all taken from the original comics. Where we chose to diverge was things like in the shading, line thickness, and the use of a wider color palette.

Bringing the 80s Back

Since the original series takes place in the 1980s, both the comics and the game lean heavily into that strong, stylized comic book aesthetic inspired by that decade. This is not a muted or realistic take on horror. Instead, it is loud, a bit graphic, and unapologetically over the top.

Visually, that again meant thick black outlines, bright and punchy colors, and heavy contrast and saturation throughout the world. Shadows are deep and deliberate, highlights pop, and there is, of course, plenty of VHS-style static.

Sound You Can See

While comic-inspired visuals are the most obvious choice, we also wanted the gameplay itself to have comic flair. One of the most distinctive design choices in I Hate This Place is how sound is communicated visually. Instead of relying purely on audio cues, the game translates sounds into comic book-style callouts that appear directly in the world.

For example, your footsteps are represented on screen as bold “thud” effects and are color-coded to communicate volume. Green footsteps mean you are quiet, crouched, moving slowly, and minimizing danger. Yellow footsteps signal normal movement and moderate noise. Red footsteps mean you are running or being loud, effectively becoming a beacon for nearby threats. This is especially important because many of the monsters in I Hate This Place also hunt by sound, not just sight.

Weapons follow the same philosophy. Guns don’t simply fire out an audio crack. Instead, they visually rattle across the screen with bold “bang!” and “ratatat!” effects. Creatures also announce themselves with jagged, unsettling visual screech callouts, reinforcing their presence just as they are about to attack. As a result, sound becomes something you read just as much as hear, much like in a comic panel.

Dialogue in Bubbles, Not Boxes

Another way we ramp up the comic book presentation is through character communication. Dialogue in I Hate This Place appears in speech bubbles above each characters’ heads rather than as traditional subtitles at the bottom of the screen. This keeps conversations grounded in the feeling that you are playing through a graphic novel rather than watching a cinematic overlay.

Available Today on Xbox Series X|S

At its core, I Hate This Place is about honoring the comic while finding ways to make its visual language interactive. The thick lines, vibrant colors, on-screen effects, and speech bubbles are not just stylistic flourishes. They are intentional design choices meant to shape how you read the world and make it feel like both a game and a comic book at the same time.

Thanks so much for reading. I Hate This Place is out today on Xbox Series X|S, and we really hope to see you out there on our twisted, haunted ranch!

I Hate This Place

Feardemic

☆☆☆☆☆

★★★★★

$29.99

$23.99

Get it now

Enjoy your stay in the worst place on Earth.

I Hate This Place is an isometric craft-based survival horror game set in a cursed land filled with reality-bending nightmares and terrifying creatures that thrive in the dark. You’ll need to scavenge, build, sneak, and fight if you want to make it out alive.

Classic Craft-Based Survival Horror

Scavenge every corner of Rutherford Ranch to stay alive. From haunted forests, a derelict town, to infested bunkers. Explore a world teeming with danger as you gather vital resources, craft essential gear, upgrade your campsite, and rebuild outposts to have somewhere to hide.

Day Prepares You. Night Hunts You

A dynamic day-night cycle that changes the world. Use daylight wisely to explore, scavenge supplies, craft what you need, and prepare for what’s coming. When night falls, the real nightmares come out to play. More enemies appear, stronger and more aggressive than before. The landscape becomes harder to navigate with just your flashlight. Sometimes your best hope is to find shelter and hunker down till morning.

Deadly Silence Goes A Long Way

Stealth and combat go hand-in-hand here as many of the twisted creatures in Rutherford Ranch hunt and stalk you by sound alone. Brute force will often just land you in an early grave. Use sound to your advantage, luring creatures away from your path or cleverly leading them straight into deadly traps you laid.

80’s Vibes Meets Comic Book Flair

Inspired by the award-nominated comic book series created by Kyle Starks and Artyom Topilin, I Hate This Place comes to life with bold colors, a punchy retro comic book style, and a heavy dose of ’80s flair. A unique blend of horror, dark humor, and just the right touch of camp and gore where unsettling dread meets stylized charm.

Developed and published by Broken Mirror Games – founded in 2024, co-development horror label under Bloober Team S.A. Broken Mirror Games and Bloober Team are registered trademarks of Bloober Team S.A. in US and/or other countries. “I Hate This Place” and all related logos, characters, names, and related indicia are © 2025 Skybound Interactive LLC. “I Hate This Place” is based on the comic book by Kyle Starks and Artyom Topilin. SKYBOUND, SKYBOUND GAMES and any related logos are registered or otherwise protected trademarks of Skybound, LLC. All other copyrights and trademarks are the property of their respective owners. All Rights Reserved.