‘’We wanted it to feel 100% Thai’’, muses director Saroot Tubloy when talking about his upcoming project, Home Sweet Home: Episode 2. ‘’That’s why we included the Dancer enemy. People will see her, and they will instantly recognize where this game is from and who made it.’’

The spectral nemesis is certainly destined to become the face of Yggdrazil’s latest, having been plastered all over the marketing material and placed center stage in each of the trailers. Much like Pyramid Head in Silent Hill 2, or Mr. X of Resident Evil fame, the Dancer will be a constant, looming threat that stalks players throughout the imminent release. It makes perfect sense for her to fill this important role as well, because – as Tubloy points out – she taps into the indie horror’s greatest USP: its Thai heritage.

A cursory glance at the reviews for Home Sweet Home will demonstrate that – irrespective of whether critics actually liked the game – they were all unanimous about one thing. That the interesting cultural tidbits and creepy Asian mythology really helped give it a flavor that was entirely its own.

For the 2019 sequel, Yggdrazil has understandably doubled down on this strength, pouring through indigenous folklore and local beliefs, in order to unearth even more unsettling material with which to surprise Western audiences. When I met with the dev team in Bangkok, they were eager to show off this extensive research: pointing to how they had brushed up on old movies; studied Buddhist legends, and cheekily pinched ideas from neighboring countries like Cambodia.

When it came to creating their aforementioned ‘’Big Bad’’ however, they specifically drew inspiration from the world of Thai theatre, where there has been a long-standing tradition of dance and spiritualism intersecting. Leaving no stone unturned, they interviewed renowned experts about the artform’s origins, its ongoing legacy and the finer points of choreography, so that their depiction of the Dancer ghost would feel fleshed out and genuine.

Keen for me to understand how all this researched factored into the finished product, the devs arranged for me to meet with one of their primary sources, dance instructor Weerasin Changkhanoon. Here’s what I gleaned from our time together:

‘’Did Your Hands Get Cramps’’: Thai Dance and the Strive for Perfection

When I met Weerasin at the Joe Louis Thai Puppet Theatre, he gave me a brief overview of his profession. ‘’Our country [inherited] dance from India, roughly 700 years ago. Back then, our two nations were connected by a massive trade route, known as the Silk Road. It was mainly used for transporting goods, but other things [made the trip] as well.’’

Weerasin explained how, thanks to this cultural exchange, scholars were able to bring over various books and documents to Thailand. Among these imports were specialist manuals that broke down the nuances of Indian dance in highly prescriptive terms. They outlined 108 distinct poses and gave firm instructions that had to be followed to the letter, with little room for experimentation.

For their part, the Thai people were quick to embrace the rigid guides but crucially adapted them to be more freeing and expressive, whittling down the number of poses and making it so that movements needn’t be so precise. Yet whilst certain rules were relaxed, others were conversely made stricter. For example, a greater emphasis was placed on the physicality of dancers, who were now required to have perfect body symmetry at all times.

This meant that if their arms were too long, they’d be expected to contort them into the right position, or if their palms didn’t curve enough then they would need to forcibly bend them on a regular basis, until they became more supple. Meeting these exacting standards was obvious very tough and there’s no denying that the performers suffered for their art.

Home Sweet Home: Episode 2 seems to have latched onto this idea, as the backstory for the Dancer is clearly linked to the harsh tutelage she endured as a child. Throughout our preview, there were several opportunities to look through tiny peepholes in the walls and eavesdrop on conversing shadows. Echoing past events, these ethereal figures depicted a fledgling pupil who was desperately trying to impress her overbearing teacher.

At one point we hear that she is being chastised for having ‘’stiff’’ palms, with the instructor derisively asking if her muscles are too cramped. Meanwhile, we also see that she is unfavorably compared to her dance-prodigy sister, who happens to have the ideal figure and perfect body symmetry for the class.

It’s reasonable to assume that the Dancer’s origins can be traced to these flashbacks. After all, being subjected to that kind of pressure must surely have taken a toll on the girl’s mental state. Perhaps she was pushed too far and enacted vengeance upon her domineering teacher. That would create negative karma (disrespecting her instructor have been bad enough), potentially dooming the student to walk the earth as a spirit. Or maybe she murdered her sister out of jealousy and it’s this wronged sibling that now haunts the player. Either way, the demanding nature of Thai dance is at the center of the story.

Prayer, the Afterlife and Ceremonies: The Relationship Between Thai Dance and Spiritualism

Having caught us up to speed with the roots of Thai dance, Weerasin continued with his lesson: ‘’Originally, performances were reserved exclusively for royal occasions. To have them anywhere else would not only run [counter] to tradition, but it would be illegal. You see, our dances were more like prayers, intended to encourage rain for crops and things like that. This only changed when King Rama III ascended to power and the monarch showed little-to-no interest in [such] ceremonies.’’

Due to Rama’s apathy, dance troops were forced to make a living by taking their productions outside of the royal palace and onto the streets. In the process, they inadvertently discovered that the medium could be a lucrative form of entertainment and its purpose was changed forever.

The Dancer’s poses and movements have been authentically captured.

Yet even after its commercialization, dance managed to hold onto its spiritual links. ‘’The medium remains very sacred to the Thai people’’ confirmed Weerasin. ‘’In fact, many of us still pay our respects to the old, dead masters every time we put on a show’’.

He then went on to detail an astonishing seance that he, and many other practitioners, perform to this day. Essentially, they will have a small area in the theatre that is roped off and consecrated by a scholar. The cast of the show – which will invariably consist of a man, a woman, a giant and ‘’the monkey’’ – will then get together to summon the relevant master (apparently there’s one for each dance).

Once the invitation has been accepted, the group will have to ascertain if the visiting ghost is legitimate, or if it’s just an imposter. They will do this by consulting an encyclopedia of dance, much like the ones from India, that contains all the information on each master. The spirit is then quizzed according to its own biography (they are typically asked to spell their name) and if it fails, then it will be promptly banished. However, if the ghost passes the test and proves itself to be one of the old masters, then the group will treat it with due reverence and make a food offering to secure its blessing.

Offerings and Rituals have always played a big part in Home Sweet Home

I’m pretty sure that the above is accurate and that nothing was lost in translation. I hope so anyway, because it was a really colourful bit of folklore that showcased the close relationship between Thai dance and the afterlife. Whether or not Home Sweet Home: Episode 2 will feature anything approaching this level of strangeness remains to be seen, but the series has set a precedent for depicting other unusual rituals.

One of the most memorable sequences from the first game saw players appease a towering Preta demon with dumplings and incense, and you would often have to distract enemies by making similar offerings. Hopefully this trend will extend into the sequel, as it’s a much more interesting way of dealing with ghosts, and there are clearly lots of fascinating superstitions left to explore. Especially when it comes to the world of dance.

I mean, if they include anything as out-there as that master ceremony, then it’s going to be novel to say the least!

Of Course There’s Going to be Puppets!

The connection between Thai arts and the supernatural run deeper still, however, as I discovered when Pisutr Yang-Keawsod, proprietor of the Joe Louis Thai Puppet Theatre, took me behind the scenes for a small tour of his venue. Pistur led me into an unassuming backroom, where I was presented me with an impressive display of ornate, handcrafted puppets – including one that had been inexplicably modeled after Elvis Presley. Some of these dummies were rumored to have mystical properties and as I surveyed the collection, I almost felt like I was in the Warren’s artefact room from The Conjuring.

Prior to the meeting, Yggdrazil tipped me off that one of the exhibits had a really good ghost story behind it and that hearing the tale might inform how I interpret their game. Itching to find out more, I asked if Pisutr would be able to single out the object in question and give me the details. The theatre owner responded by taking me to another room, where a model puppeteer was sandwiched between two marionette dancers. In its lap, there was an ominously hunched over doll, positioned in such a way so that I couldn’t see its face. Presumably this was our guy.

Pistur then related his first-person account of how the puppet ended up here, and why it is deemed so special. ‘’This is the only surviving [remnant] of my old theatre’’, said Pistor. ‘’The original venue burned down in an out of control blaze, destroying everything I owned except for him. Ever since then, odd things have been happening.’’

The first brush with the supernatural occurred when he was driving to put on a show in another province. ‘’In the car there was myself, one of my friends and the puppet, which we seated in the back. Everything was going fine until part way through the journey, when my friend exclaimed out in shock and I turned around to discover something quite creepy. You see, all Thai puppets have a band on their right hand, but somewhere along the way ours had switched to the left.’’

Interpreting this as an ill omen, the duo pulled over as soon as possible to investigate the strange phenomenon. Yet when they did, they discovered that the band had somehow returned back to its original place. ‘’It was a very spooky experience, but things only got weirder from there.’’

The aforementioned Elvis Puppet

‘’The next time I was on a bus to Southern Thailand in the early hours of the morning. Suddenly, out of nowhere, I saw a vision of the puppet [materialize] in front of me.’’ Pistur explained that the apparition warned him to grab onto his seat tightly and, right on cue, the vehicle began to swerve.

‘’I later found out that the coach was trying to avoid a stray cow that had found itself on the road. What was so frightening about this is that criminals in the region are known to unleash herds of cattle, with the hope of obstructing travelers and then robbing them. At this point, I realised that the puppet was not cursed and was actually trying to protect me from harm. To thank it, I promised that I would dress him in new clothes and give him pride of place in my collection.’’

From Left to Right: Weerasin Changkhanoon, Pisutr Yang-keawsod and me. At the back, you can see the special puppet.

An incredible story to say the least, I’ll admit it was hard not to chuckle at some of the extraordinary details. Nevertheless, Pistur seemed to wholeheartedly believe it and, according to Yggdrazil, it’s a textbook example of the kind of myth that inspired them to make Home Sweet Home. So, in that sense, I’m glad I got to hear it – especially since puppets are going to play such a huge role in the new game.

That’s right! As if ghostly schoolgirls and demonic dancers weren’t enough, you’ll now have to contend with haunted puppets too. They were a constant source of tension in my preview, as (much like in Pistur’s anecdote) they seemed to be possessed – albeit by a more sinister entity.

Not only did they have an alarming tendency to move whenever I wasn’t looking at them, but they also had world-altering powers and could change the geography of levels just by looking in a certain direction. Worst of all, the Dancer was able to use them as conduits and spawn points, whilst chasing me around the map, meaning that I could never feel safe in their presence. They’re a really great addition to the gameplay and I can’t wait to see what else is done with them.