Of course, there’s a fine line to straddle in such instances, and ILL isn’t interested in a stingy atmosphere that’s too punishing. When Insider Gaming asked if it’s as difficult as it looks, Team Clout responded, “When it comes to difficulty, we don’t want to overly punish players, but we also don’t want them to feel like an unstoppable action hero who can just brute-force through every obstacle.

“Players will need to carefully and tactically manage their resources, which will be incredibly scarce, and makeshift melee weapons, like pipes ripped straight from the walls, will degrade and break over time.”

Going into further detail, it sounds like your average survival-horror gameplay loop made famous by genre greats like Resident Evil and Silent Hill (which is one of the game’s inspirations). “You’ll have to think on your feet: deciding which resources to use now, what to save for later, and assessing the specific types of monsters in front of you to properly leverage the environment and your position. So yes, players will need to stay sharp and adapt, but we don’t want the experience to be frustratingly difficult.

“First and foremost, we want the action to be fun, even amidst the unfolding bloody nightmare. For us, it’s all about striking that perfect balance between survival horror and action.”

Which is easier said than done, and it wouldn’t be surprising if ILL offered varying difficulty settings for those who want a more story-focused experience while retaining the horror. Meanwhile, seasoned veterans who prefer a punishing experience with scarcer resources can take their skills to the limit. How well will the default difficulty sit in the middle of these two figurative options? That remains to be seen.

For now, Team Clout has plenty of time to polish ILL, which is currently targeting a 2027 release for PS5 and PC. For even more of its gruesomeness, check out the first disturbing trailer here.

ILL puts players in the shoes of a man who was initially hospitalized before a massive explosion changed everything. After having spent some time in a coma, the protagonist wakes up to find that they have essentially become surrounded by horrifying creatures that, at some point, may have been human. Armed with a few guns and the support of fellow survivors, the player must figure out how to escape from the hellish scenario.

Along with giving us a closer look at the body-horror-inspired title, the trailer has also confirmed that ILL will be coming to PC and PS5 in 2027. In the meantime, its store pages are now live so fans of horror games can add it to their wishlists.

The developers behind ILL – namely aartists Maxim Verehin and Oleg Vdovenko – have previously spoken about some of the other stories that inspired the studio when it came to designing its horrific creatures. Chief among the inspirations were classic horror movies that came out between the 1970s and the 1990s. Along with these, games like Silent Hill, Resident Evil, and Half-Life 2 were also major inspirations.

“In games, it’s Half-Life 2, Silent Hill, and the Resident Evil series – titles where the world felt alive and dangerous, where the horror wasn’t just visual but systemic,” said Verehin. “We were especially drawn to that feeling of being trapped somewhere real, reacting moment to moment with limited resources. From the beginning, we wanted to build something that felt grounded but deeply disturbing, an experience that doesn’t just scare you, but unsettles you long after you’ve put the controller down.”

Vdovenko spoke about the inspirations behind the grotesque creature designs in ILL, revealing the studio took inspiration from classic horror movies from between the 1970s to the 1990s. He brought up how the movies of the time relied largely on practical effects, and how this lent the creatures in those movies with unique imperfections that only added to their creepiness thanks to clever lighting and direction.

“Mostly old horror films from the 1970s to the 1990s,” said Vdovenko when asked about how Team Clout was inspired for the creature designs in ILL. “Everything was done with practical effects and quality animatronics. The imperfections were hidden with smart lighting and strong direction.”

When it comes to other games that might have served as inspirations, Verehin mentioned classic titles like Half-Life 2, Silent Hill, and Resident Evil. He especially brought up the fact that the worlds in these games felt “alive and dangerous”, and while the there was a visual element to the horror, there were also gameplay systems that supported the horror.

“In games, it’s Half-Life 2, Silent Hill, and Resident Evil series – titles where the world felt alive and dangerous, where the horror wasn’t just visual but systemic,” said Verehin. “We were especially drawn to that feeling of being trapped somewhere real, reacting moment to moment with limited resources. From the beginning, we wanted to build something that felt grounded but deeply disturbing, an experience that doesn’t just scare you, but unsettles you long after you’ve put the controller down.”

However, Team Clout doesn’t have a strict “process” for its creature designs. The studio instead tends to be more freeform in its designs, from concept drawings all the way into the creature making it into the game. He also mentioned how creature design also often has to take gameplay into account, since players will get to fight these creatures as well.

“We don’t have a set process for creating a new monster,” Verehin explained. “Sometimes you have a concept drawing and say, ‘how can I make this concept art a playable character in the game?’ Sometimes you see a video online featuring a scary concept. ‘Can I make a monster like that?’ It sounds ridiculous, but sometimes it works. It’s inspiration that you got from your life experience.”

“You also have to consider the monsters from a gameplay standpoint. They have to be fun to fight. There’s a trial and error process. Some designs were rejected because they didn’t work in the game.”

Verehin also brought up how Team Clout was helped by Atomic Heart developer and ILL publisher Mundfish when it came to setting up the studio’s animation department. Thanks to this, the studio is equipped with plenty of experience when it comes to animating grotesque creatures in unique ways that make them look creepier.

“We’ve had big help from the team of Mundfish in setting up our animation department,” said Verehin. “We have a lot of experience doing animation, like making our own short horror animations that taught us how movement should work in order to scare you. We’ll have, for example, a monster that moves normally at first, but we’ll try and tweak it in ways to make it more unique and horrifying.”

Oleg also described the challenges involved in making these animations, especially when the studio is more used to doing them in 30 FPS. “Compared to 30 FPS, [60 FPS] animations can feel less cinematic,” said Vdovenko. “But over time, I got used to it—and now I actually like the feel of it.”

Verehin also revealed that, while there are plenty of creatures to be scared of in ILL, players will have tools to fight back. “You explore, you use resources, you find and upgrade weapons,” he explained. “You can use your resources to craft and update weapons. You’ll need to manage your inventory, of course, because resources are limited. There will be intense encounters — sometimes with single enemies, sometimes a small group, and cool moments when you fight waves of enemies and bosses.”

The weapons available to players in the upcoming title will range from shotguns, assault rifles, revolvers, and snipers. Verehin also noted that there also be “fun, crafty weapons”, as well as plenty of melee options.

ILL is currently under development for PC.

ILL is a first-person action horror game that takes place in a mysterious research fort. As the trailer shows, the game focuses quite a bit on the body horror genre, with grotesque enemies waiting around every corner to take players out.

According to the trailer’s announcement press release, Team Clout has previously garnered experience in working on horror projects by working with renowned directors on horror movies.

In terms of gameplay, ILL will feature an advanced dismemberment systems that players will have to make use of to survive against the grotesque enemies present in the game. The title will also make use of binaural audio to amplify atmosphere.

ILL will also be the first game to be published by Mundfish Powerhouse – the publishing label by Atomic Heart developer Mundfish.

ILL is coming to PC. The title also has a store listing on Steam.

Body horror very much seems to be the prime focus here, with The Thing serving as one of the game’s biggest inspirations, and it’s all on full display in this brief trailer, with plenty of environments, monstrous enemies, and more being shown off. Visually, too, it’s looking quite impressive, check it out below.

ILL is in development for PC, but there’s no word on when (or if) it will add console versions. There’s no mention of a release date or release window yet eirher.

ILL takes heavy inspiration from the recent first-person Resident Evil games, especially in its art style and atmospheric environments. The game apparently does not shy away from brutal violence. The lighting, textures, animations, and post-processing effects all look fantastic. The developers have also promised reactive environments and destructibility mechanics.

Details on the story front remain scant for now, although it’s confirmed that ILL won’t have overtly mind-bending plot twists (unlike some of its inspirations). The game will be releasing on PC, although no release dates have been mentioned as of yet. However, given the fact that the developers are working on the game part-time and that the game is currently funded through Patreon, it seems safe to assume that it’s not releasing anytime soon.

For more on Unreal Engine 5, check out our graphics analysis of The Matrix Awakens demo through here.