Developer Diary #1: Welcome to Whisper Mountain
[h3]Reporting in, Agents.[/h3]
This is one of many entries where we will take a look at some behind the scenes content and interviews with the developers. You might learn some new insights on how to survive the outbreak. Expect a new diary entry every month, each featuring a variety of interesting discussions!
For this month’s entry, Kashuur, the community manager at Toge Productions, having a chat with one of the crew members working on Whisper Mountain Outbreak — Kriswin Yuniar. From building the lore and shaping the atmosphere to designing characters and environments, Kriswin plays a huge role in bringing the game to life.
Grab a warm drink, equip your flashlight, and proceed with caution. Let’s venture together into the creative depths of Whisper Mountain Outbreak!
A close look at our latest key art. What evil forces lie beyond the fog?
💬"Hi, Kriswin! So glad to have you with us today! I know for sure, a lot of people are curious to know more about you. So, we maybe should start from there first."
[h3]Who are you, and what do you do on this project?[/h3]
Kriswin: "Hi, I’m Kriswin, the supervising artist at Toge Kediri—formerly known as Tahoe Games, before joining the Toge Productions family. I lead the visual direction for Whisper Mountain Outbreak, ensuring that everything, from character sprite designs to environment styles, aligns with the tone we’re aiming for.
Basically, everything you see on screen goes through my review before it’s approved by the game director. I also work closely with our narrative team to help shape the game’s lore and worldbuilding."
[h3]Footage from older iterations.[/h3]
[h3]Footage from recent iterations.[/h3]
[h3]Enemies wearing different type of clothes.[/h3]
[h3]Samples of character models and objects.[/h3]
💬"I see... That’s kind of like saying you’re the secret boss behind the game, right? Just kidding! But that does bring up an interesting point. Since I know many people in the community are really hyped, let’s talk a bit about the game."
[h3]From your perspective, what is Whisper Mountain Outbreak?[/h3]
Kriswin: "Whisper Mountain Outbreak is our love letter to fellow fans of classic survival horror, especially those who hold the Resident Evil Outbreak series close to their hearts. We recognize that RE Outbreak was a franchise ahead of its time. Even today, it still has a passionate fanbase that longs for its return from the grave.
As longtime fans ourselves, we felt compelled to create our take on what a modern Outbreak experience could be. Of course, we don’t intend to and could never hope to replace the original series. However, with this game, we aim to contribute to the growing library of co-op survival horror titles and offer a little something to ease the lingering nostalgia that many of us share."
More footage from our latest update.
💬"Hey, I’m also a big fan of zombie games, you know? That’s why I’m super excited for Whisper Mountain Outbreak! But here’s the tricky part.. As a player myself, I’m always on the lookout for something new to play, and with so many zombie games coming out soon, it’s tough to choose. So..."
[h3]What makes Whisper Mountain Outbreak stand out from other zombie games?[/h3]
Kriswin: "The first thing that stands out about Whisper Mountain Outbreak is definitely our visual direction. We combine 2D pixel-animated sprites with 3D environments, all presented through an isometric camera angle. While part of this choice was due to our technical limitations, it was also a deliberate decision to evoke a nostalgic retro vibe, while still feeling fresh and relevant in the era of modern game technology.
We wanted to stand out in a sea of games chasing hyper-realistic graphics. Instead, we focus on style, mood, and the core experience of teamwork and survival.
At its heart, Whisper Mountain Outbreak emphasizes cooperation: protecting each other, sharing resources, and solving puzzles together. The game is deliberately designed to be difficult to beat if players act selfishly. That said, we also give players full freedom in how they play each character. We believe this freedom creates room for unexpected, emergent gameplay moments that feel unique in every session.
In later iterations, we added meta roguelite elements to enhance replayability, encouraging players to try new strategies and playstyles each time they start over."
Zombies will bother your investigation — clear them out before proceeding.
💬"You got me at the vibes. I played the demo before, and everything just felt right and tight. Now I’m really curious about the lore — when I played, I found some leftover notes from previous survivors and bits of info in the mission briefing..."
[h3]Where did the outbreak take place? And can you share any interesting details about how it all started?[/h3]
Kriswin: "Whisper Mountain Outbreak is set in the fictional city of Daha in 1998. The name “Daha” is a nod to our hometown, Kediri. In ancient Java history, Kediri’s royal capital was known as Dahanapura. We took the name "Daha" from that historical root.
We chose Kediri as the inspiration for Whisper Mountain Outbreak’s setting because in real life, Kediri lies between Mount Wilis and Mount Kelud, while in the game, Daha is overshadowed by the mysterious Mount Bisik.
A real-life shoot in Kediri, the developers' hometown.
Instead of taking a sci-fi approach, we leaned into supernatural horror. The outbreak in Daha is caused by the growing influence of an ancient entity that has been unleashed from deep within the mountain. Its power brings about strange phenomena, causing the dead to rise again, driven by rage and bloodlust.
We drew inspiration from the Necronomicon lore in The Evil Dead series, particularly in Evil Dead Rise, where disturbing something ancient leads to terrifying consequences."
Hence the gory environment you now see in the demo.
A sample poster we made in Bahasa Indonesia, explaining how to avoid anomalies.
💬"Oh my, that’s so cool! You guys actually used your hometown as a reference? It reminds me of how Mojiken based A Space for the Unbound on their hometown too! I’m really invested in the setting — it’s not your typical bio-zombie story. Since we’re talking about your hometown, I’d love to ask a bit more about you personally..."
[h3]Tell us a bit about the developers behind Whisper Mountain Outbreak! [/h3]
Kriswin: "We’re a team of eight developers from Toge Kediri, with one additional member from Toge Productions HQ. Back when we were still known as Tahoe Games, we partnered with Toge to publish our game Rising Hell (2021). That collaboration eventually led to our acquisition by Toge in early 2022, after they took an interest in our roguelite portfolio, particularly Rising Hell.
[h3]An action roguelite where you need to rise up and fight through hell! [/h3]
https://store.steampowered.com/app/657000/Rising_Hell/
When we were offered the Whisper Mountain Outbreak project, it was a big challenge for us. This is our first time working on an online multiplayer game, as well as our first 3D title. We’ve learned a great deal throughout the development process, and what you’ll be playing is the result of our team’s hard work. Something we’ve poured our hearts into and are truly proud to share."
[h3]A recent selfie from the developers at the studio in Kediri.[/h3]
💬"Just that small number of devs making a game of this scale? You guys must’ve worked extra hard to achieve something like this. It’s absolutely amazing, and I can’t even begin to comprehend how you guys pulled it off! With the game just a month away from Early Access, everyone must be wondering how long you’ve been working on it."
[h3]When did the development of Whisper Mountain Outbreak begin and how is it going so far? [/h3]
Kriswin: "Development for Whisper Mountain Outbreak began in early 2022. During the pre-production phase, we initially considered setting the story within the same universe as Toge’s Infectonator franchise. However, we eventually decided to separate the two, allowing us to create a darker, more serious tone for world-building.
In the early iterations, the game focused on a group of strangers forced to work together to survive while trying to escape a spreading curse in the city. But later, our game director proposed a new premise: the survivors are now anonymous recruits, brought in by the leader of a secret government agency to continue an investigation and find a way to stop the ancient entity’s influence from spreading beyond the city of Daha.
Character artwork design for the agents.
We believe this shift gave the game a stronger direction. Players are now free to define their character. At the start of the game, they can choose a background class or job, each with unique skills. They can also fully customize their character’s appearance, as the design was intentionally kept identity-neutral to allow more immersion. This way, players can truly immerse themselves in their chosen role.
The secret-agency theme also ties in nicely with modern horror and new weird fiction, drawing inspiration from works like the FBC in the Alan Wake universe and the SCP Foundation."
Logo of the Bureau of Research and Investigation of Metaphysics (B.R.I.M.)
💬"You guys definitely pulled this one off with the new changes. I see our community members are even more hooked with the current iteration! I wish you all the best of luck with the preparations leading up to the August release. Also, thank you so much for taking the time for this interview. And... "
[h3]Before we wrap up, is there anything you’d like to say to the community? [/h3]
Kriswin: "We hope you enjoy our game! Grab your friends, siblings, partner, or even your spouse and play together. If you're looking for people to team up with, feel free to join our Discord. Who knows, you might make some new friends too.
While we all wait for an official remake (if it ever happens), there’s no harm in giving our game a shot!"
[h3]Wishlist and play the limited-time demo now![/h3]
https://store.steampowered.com/app/1953230/Whisper_Mountain_Outbreak/
Don't forget to wishlist us so that you can be informed of any upcoming updates!
Be prepared for the outbreak, agents!
Do keep in touch for a new mission briefing.
Stay sharp, and keep surviving! 🧟♂️💥
— B.R.I.M. Support Division
[h2]Join the Survivors Network![/h2]
If you encounter any bugs or want to give us feedback, feel free to join our community!
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