ROUTINE: A Long-Awaited Sci-Fi Horror Reemerges After 14 Years in Development

The sci-fi horror title ROUTINE, from developer Lunar Software and publisher Raw Fury, is shaping up to be one of the most ambitious entries in the genre in recent years. Fourteen years in the making, the project has evolved through multiple restarts, engine changes, and creative shifts since it first began development in September 2011. Initially built on Unreal Engine 3, the game later transitioned to UE4, and finally to Unreal Engine 5. With the support of a publisher, the development team significantly expanded its vision to deliver a richer and more immersive experience.

Set on a deserted lunar research station bathed in a retro-futuristic 1980s aesthetic, ROUTINE blends nostalgia with dread. The once-bustling facility — complete with living quarters, shops, and communication hubs — now lies silent, inhabited only by eerie mechanical entities. Players must uncover the truth behind the station’s downfall while navigating an atmosphere thick with isolation and fear.

In the spirit of Dead Space, ROUTINE minimizes its interface, integrating all HUD elements seamlessly into the environment to heighten immersion. The experience is further enhanced by a chilling soundtrack from Mick Gordon, whose work adds a haunting, liminal quality to every corridor and echo.

Players will rely on the C.A.T. (Cosmic Analysis Tool) — a multi-purpose blaster capable of scanning environments, hacking terminals, and fending off threats. However, its true potential remains one of the game’s many mysteries.

ROUTINE is scheduled for release on December 4 for Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, PC (via Steam), and will also be available through Game Pass.