ROUTINE News

[p]Hey again, [/p][p][/p][p]It’s Aaron, Jemma, and Pete here, from Lunar Software. We are still busy wrapping up work on ROUTINE, but we realized it’s been a few weeks since we last shared some news on the game. [/p][p][/p][p]For this update, we thought it might be a nice idea to cover the topics that you’re most curious about, so we recently asked you to share your questions about ROUTINE with us on our social channels.  [/p][p][/p][p][/p][p]Here is a selection of those questions and answers.[/p][p][/p][p]▼[/p][p][/p][p]Q: When will the game launch? [/p][p][/p][p]A: ROUTINE will launch late 2025. We don’t have a specific release date to share just yet, but we will have more information on this soon. [/p][p][/p][p]Q: How much of the original idea for ROUTINE has changed throughout the development of the game? [/p][p][/p][p]A: The biggest change since the Unreal Engine 3 version of ROUTINE is where we focused our time and how far we were able to push the project’s quality bar.[/p][p][/p][p]When we restarted development in Unreal Engine 4 and then moved to Unreal Engine 5, we really wanted to double down on things that we loved but felt we could have done better, like the C.A.T., and push them beyond what we achieved previously in UE3.[/p][p][/p][p]There were also aspects of the design and narrative that we weren’t satisfied with before. This time around, we wanted to make sure that every aspect of the game received equal attention and love across the board.[/p][p][/p][p]Q: Did the long wait for a re-reveal discourage the development team, or was it an incentive to continue forward?[/p][p][/p][p]A: There has never been a moment when the team was discouraged from working on ROUTINE. It’s our love for the project that has kept us going all this time.[/p][p][/p][p]It hasn’t been an easy journey, and definitely not a short one, but nothing could stop us from bringing ROUTINE to the finish line. 
[/p][p]The re-reveal during the Summer Games Fest 2022 was extremely nerve-racking, but seeing the response from everyone made the whole thing very special for us.[/p][p][/p][p]Q: Was it challenging to pick up development on the game again after pausing work for a while? [/p][p][/p][p]A: We never truly stopped working on ROUTINE, not really, and fully picking it back up in Unreal Engine 4, and eventually 5, didn’t feel challenging at all.[/p][p][/p][p][/p][p][/p][p]Q: Will the game be available on PlayStation after launch? [/p][p][/p][p]A: Right now, we are focused on launching the game on Steam and Xbox platforms. We may announce more platforms in the future, but we currently can’t make any guarantees. [/p][p][/p][p]Q: Is Mick Gordon still a part of the project? [/p][p][/p][p]A: No, as we shared in the blog post here, Mick made the difficult decision to leave the project in July 2024 because of conflicts in his schedule. Much of his incredible work will be included in the final game, but the rest of the audio and audio implementation in ROUTINE is being done by other people.[/p][p] [/p][p]Q: Is the entire lunar base handcrafted, or does it include any random generation for environment, enemies, etc? [/p][p][/p][p]A: The game is fully handcrafted, though there are some randomized elements, mainly related to puzzle solving, such as keycodes. [/p][p][/p][p]Q: What films or other pieces of media have most influenced the atmosphere and the game mechanics during the development of your game? Please give me your most unexpected answers if possible. Thank you![/p][p][/p][p]A: Because you asked for more unexpected answers, I will shy away from the more mainstream references.[/p][p]There have been some amazingly beautiful movies that, while not a major inspiration, absolutely had an impact on us as creators, such as Eraserhead, A Clockwork Orange, Outland, Scanners, The Rover, Paperhouse, and Space: 1999, to name a few.[/p][p][/p][p]▼[/p][p][/p][p]Thank you so much to everyone who submitted their questions. They were all fantastic, and it’s been really helpful to see which areas of the game and development you are most interested in.
[/p][p]While we didn't cover all the questions in today’s post, we are planning to do more of these in the coming weeks and will continue answering them.
[/p][p]Thank you for still being with us. We really do appreciate your support. [/p][p][/p][p]The wait is almost over.[/p][p][/p][p]-Lunar Software
[/p]

[p]It’s now been exactly one month since ROUTINE was featured in gamescom Opening Night Live, where we announced that the game will launch later this year on Steam and Xbox. This was a really exciting moment for us so we just wanted to take the opportunity to look back, and appreciate everything that happened during the event. [/p][p][/p][p]Here’s a quick recap of some of the highlights and coverage from the past month.[/p][p][/p][h3]IGN Coverage[/h3][p]Matt and Dale from IGN got hands-on with ROUTINE’s gamescom demo, and shared their thoughts in the video below. (Don't mind the old Unreal Engine 3 footage)[/p][p][/p][previewyoutube][/previewyoutube][p][/p][p]Following that, they released a video showcasing new gameplay footage from ROUTINE’s gamescom demo, taken in the Mall area of the lunar base.[/p][p][/p][previewyoutube][/previewyoutube][p][/p][h3]Future Game Show[/h3][p]The folks at Future Game Show were kind enough to feature us in their ‘Best of Show’ wrap-up feature, which included an interview with Aaron who shared some new information about ROUTINE.[/p][p][/p][p]\[Timestamp: 15:05][/p][p][/p][previewyoutube][/previewyoutube][p][/p][h3]CGMAGAZINE Preview[/h3][p]Brendan Frye from CGMagazine also played the gamescom demo and shared his experience in a great write-up.[/p][p][/p][p]LINK: https://www.cgmagonline.com/articles/previews/gamescom-routine-horror/[/p][p][/p][h3]Xbox Wire Post[/h3][p]We also published a blog post over on Xbox Wire here. If you’ve never come across ROUTINE before, then this is a nice introduction to the game and its world. [/p][p][/p][p][/p][h3]New Screenshots[/h3][p]We also released a few new screenshots, which can be viewed on the main Steam page here[/p][p][/p][p][/p][h3]Release Window Trailer[/h3][p]And finally, in case you missed it, here is the trailer that we revealed during the showcase.[/p][p][/p][previewyoutube][/previewyoutube][p][/p][p]That covers most of what happened during gamescom and the following weeks.[/p][p][/p][p]We also just want to say thank you for sticking with us, we appreciate the dialogue, theory crafting and general discussions going on about ROUTINE.[/p][p][/p][p]We are almost there

After more than a decade of anticipation, Routine was finally shown in full force at gamescom 2025—and it looked very promising. Lunar Software, the small UK-based team behind the project, offered players a genuine look at what happens when patient design, uncompromising aesthetic choices, and pure suspense converge within a digital lunar wasteland. 

Months of speculation came to an end as the public was given hands-on time with a title that had eluded release since its initial unveiling in 2013—a development cycle marked by multiple engine changes and years of radio silence, broken only by determined updates and the loyalty of its audience. Despite that long and winding history, the team appears to have nailed the concept. If the demo is any indication, Routine is shaping up to be a horror experience well worth exploring.

For anyone who hasn’t followed the game over the past decade, Routine centres on survival within an abandoned lunar base. Even with a familiar premise,... Read more

[p]Today we are very happy to share another update on ROUTINE, along with a new trailer which we were lucky enough to debut this evening during Gamescom Opening Night Live.[/p][p][/p][previewyoutube][/previewyoutube][p][/p][p]That’s right, ROUTINE will launch in late 2025 on Steam and Xbox platforms. It’s been a long ride, but we’re almost there. [/p][p][/p][p]Thank you for being patient with us. We are still busy working on the game but we're excited to share more from the world of ROUTINE with you again soon. [/p][p][/p][p]-Lunar Software[/p][p][/p]

We’ve already posted about one cursed moonbase game this week, but I am a creature of multitudes and always have room in my heart for another - particularly when it’s been in development for almost as long as I’ve been posting. Routine is still alive, baby! Development team Lunar Software have finally posted an update about their first-person 80s-themed space horror, which had Craig Pearson rhapsodising about Kubrickian smoothies back in 2012. Let's all celebrate by re-watching the last trailer.

Read more