Turkish indie studio Pokuch is making its debut withBlind Descent, an ambitious survival crafting game that aims to take the genre to new heights — and new depths. While many survival games focus on Earth-based settings and historical periods,Blind Descentwill instead see players diving into the lush and expansive Martian underground, a world filled with unusual life and surprising terrain. With a mix of carefully balanced survival elements and rewarding dungeoneering, it’s a game that appears ideal for fans of thesurvival crafting genrewishing for something more exploration-focused.
Game Rant recently sat down with Pokuch CEO Emrehan Şeyihoğlu to discussBlind Descent’s features, design philosophy, and content. During the interview, Şeyihoğlu weighed in on some of the game’s most important features: its game-changing mutations and thehandcrafted dungeonswhere players are likely to discover them. According to Şeyihoğlu, exploring compelling dungeons and obtaining these impactful rewards is the core ofBlind Descent’s identity as an exploration-first survival game.
Blind Descent’s Mutations are Game Changers
Şeyihoğlu describes ‘infections’ that players may interact with throughout the game, and these grant players special mutation abilities. In a way, theyresemble Metroidvania upgrades: some of these mutations may open up new paths for exploration or additional tools in combat. He says:
“As you start exploring different parts of the game, you’ll come into contact with something we call infections. These infections will, in some ways, affect the player’s genome, and that’s what grants new abilities.
In terms of gameplay, it’s a way to introduce fun, interesting elements—especially since we have a lot of dungeons with creatures. We don’t just want players to use their standard weapons, like a sport bow, to fight enemies. We want to add more variety to the experience, and these mutation abilities help with that.
They’re also very important for progression—things like wall running and other superhuman skills. They add a lot of value to the map too, because they give you reasons to explore. There’s always something interesting to find in the corners of the world once you gain those abilities.”
It’s an interesting dynamic to introducein a survival game, as the genre usually handles these sorts of milestones by rising up the crafting tiers. WhileBlind Descentdoes feature crafting, these mutation abilities serve as an added layer of progression that leads to potentially more exciting upgrades than an improved pickaxe or stronger armor.
Blind Descent’s Dungeons Are Its Centerpiece Content
AlthoughBlind Descentis primarilyan open-world experience, the game is punctuated by more linear, story-heavy dungeons for players to explore. It’s here that players will interact more deeply with the game’s traversal mechanics and uncover its narrative, while dungeons also offer some of the game’s greatest rewards. Şeyihoğlu says:
“The dungeons are different from the open world—they’re a bit more linear. You’ll find creatures, rooms, loot, story pieces—the most important content is concentrated in these areas. But to get there, you need to do the work in the open world first. You have to prepare—gather food, water, armor so you don’t die right away when you take a hit, weapons, and so on. Some players will want to go in very prepared—they’ll bring grenades or other gear.
These dungeons will give you story progression, new mutations, combat encounters, and a lot of fun elements that directly impact your overall progress. So in that sense, the dungeons are definitely a core part of the gameplay.”
Survival crafting gamesoften suffer from a lack of focus, with players struggling to decide what to do next or where to go.Blind Descentappears to tackle this challenge through dungeons that encourage players to improve their equipment to survive them, which also progresses the game’s narrative. Thanks to this smart approach,Blind Descentlooks to be one of the more accessible games the genre has seen recently.
