Exclusive:Still Wakes The Deep: Oil rig horror game with ‘uniquely Scottish story’ now features Gaelic twist

The creators of an upcoming horror game set off the coast of Scotland have revealed that the title will be playable in Scottish Gaelic.

Still Wakes The Deep is a narrative horror set on the fictional Beira D oil rig in the North Sea, from developer The Chinese Room, the award-winning studio behind titles such as Dear Esther and Everybody’s Gone to the Rapture, and publisher Secret Mode.

Real oil rigs such as Ninian Central, Beryl Alpha and various Brent platforms inspired Still Wakes The Deep's fictional Beira D. | Secret Mode / The Chinese Room

To be released on June 18, players will be able to experience its gripping story with full Scottish Gaelic subtitles.

Just 2.5% of Scotland’s population have some Gaelic language skills according to the 2022 Census and despite an overall rise in the number of people who know the language, for the first time ever less than half of those who live in the Western Isles are Gaelic speakers.

Having been presented with a unique opportunity to promote Scottish Gaelic, developers decided to include full support for the language with translations also available in menus, tooltips and text boxes for certain interactive items.

The decision to support Scottish Gaelic goes hand in hand with the studio’s commitment to authenticity which John McCormack, the creative director of Still Wakes The Deep, stated was at the “core” of what they do.

As part of the game’s creative research, the team spent time digging through archival footage of real oil rigs from that period in time, as well as interviewing offshore workers to help craft a believable world for players.

‘Still Wakes the Deep is a uniquely Scottish story’

Also part of that process was ensuring that authentic Scottish voices were heard within the story. Glaswegian Alec Newman portrays the game’s main character Cameron "Caz" McLeary, with Neve McIntosh playing his wife Suze, while Karen Dunbar is also included in the cast.

McCormack said: “As a narrative studio, communicating with the audience authentically through language and character is core to what we do.

A screenshot from Still Wakes the Deep. | Secret Mode/The Chinese Room

“Our latest project, Still Wakes the Deep, is a uniquely Scottish story and, while it is set in a relatively contemporary period, there is something ancient and powerful at the heart of it.”

This feeling of connection to the past inspired the team to include traditional Gaelic song “Fath Mo Mhulaid A Bhith Ann”, which means “being here has caused my sorrow”, in the game’s soundtrack.

McCormack said: “After listening to ‘Fath Mo Mhulaid A Bhith Ann’ for the first time, it was clear that the game experience wouldn’t be complete without a full translation deeply connected to the history and people of Scotland.”

A screenshot of some of the horror in Still Wakes the Deep. | Secret Mode/The Chinese Room

Having been featured in the game’s launch trailer, Maggie MacInnes’ haunting performance of the song has played a key role in promoting Still Wakes The Deep.

She learned the song from her mother, the legendary Barra traditional Gaelic singer Flora MacNeil, whose version of the track led to its inclusion in the game. Speaking on the decision to use Gaelic in the trailer, MacInnes felt that the song transcended language barriers.

She said: "It is a pure example of music crossing all the boundaries and people not even needing to understand the language to get that message from the song."

Still Wakes The Deep will be released on Tuesday, June 18 on PC, Xbox Series X|S and PlayStation5. The game will also be available on GamePass for console and PC.