Solo Developer Combines Deduction and Survival in Horror Roguelike I'm not a Psycho Invader

Max Soloha is developing I'm not a Psycho Invader, a first-person horror roguelike that fuses deduction gameplay with survival mechanics. The game puts players in a university they've seized, with escape requiring navigation through locked doors and barricades while managing a cast of hostages whose true identities remain hidden.

The core mechanic centers on discovering each hostage's role through interrogation and search. Every hostage serves a specific function, and players must identify the right character to solve obstacles blocking their path. To remove a security mesh, for example, the player needs to find and eliminate the janitor carrying bolt cutters. Time functions as currency, forcing decisions rather than allowing exhaustive investigation of every person.

Soloha drew inspiration from two distinct sources. No, I'm Not a Human provided the deduction framework and paranoia-building mechanics of identifying hidden threats among a group. Buckshot Roulette contributed its item system, which Soloha adapted to provide information through searches and interrogations that gradually narrow down possible roles.

The game frames itself as a confined death-game scenario similar to manga and anime like Future Diary, Darwin's Game, and Danganronpa. Rather than relying on jump scares, horror emerges from atmosphere and the weight of risky decisions. Story develops gradually through calls and messages from an unknown contact on the player's phone, eventually revealing why the protagonist seized the university and how the caller knows their moves.

Soloha works solo using Unity for development, Blender for 3D assets, and Photoshop for character work. The visual style relies on simple models with public domain textures, unified through custom model shaders and post-processing effects including pixelation and CRT filtering. Each run spans one building divided into procedurally generated floors with randomized rooms and inhabitants. Death returns the player to the ground floor to attempt escape again.

Obstacle design uses scripted introductions that hint at necessary roles or required items. A desk barricade remains active while the Negotiator lives, directing players toward specific targets. Soloha notes that storytelling integration with procedural generation remains in early development.