Developer Frictional Games has announced a new "Safe Mode" for 2015's Soma, intended to keep the title's horror atmosphere while removing the risk of in-game death.

Much like previous player-created mods like "Wuss Mode," Safe Mode will leave the game's monsters and puzzles intact. But while the Wuss Mode mod simply made players immune to damage, the official Safe Mode will also change the in-game monsters' behavior while protecting players from harm.

"Our goal has been for Safe Mode to not feel like a cheat, but for it to be a genuine way of experiencing the game," the developers wrote in an announcement. "So we’ve considered what each creature should be doing, given their appearance, sound, and voice."

In Safe Mode, players will no longer have to sneak past enemies stealthily, but "monsters might sound and act more threatening if they spot you, so there is still an incentive to being careful." Players will now be able to explore without a "fear of failure," Frictional write, and see the game's environments without risk.

In a way, this isn't a huge change for Soma's impact. Ars reviewer Steven Strom noted that the game's sense of existential dread is driven more by dialogue and story arcs than jump scares. "Death isn't much of a punishment here," Strom wrote. "The first one or two times you get caught in a section, you'll simply pick up where you last fell."

Or, as Frictional puts it, "the overall atmosphere that gets to you in a horror game—and, above all, the central themes... will still [leave] plenty to be scared of."

Frictional's announcement comes two months after Ubisoft announced that Assassin's Creed: Origins would be getting its own combat-free Discovery Tour mode early next year, letting players explore a detailed model of ancient Egypt as a "living museum." And Nintendo has been offering an optional "Super Guide" to push players through difficult challenges in many games since 2009

As games have grown past their quarter-munching arcade roots, the penalty for in-game death in many games has gone from a game-stopping wall to mere temporary annoyance . Now, more companies seem to be realizing the value of letting players simply remove that annoyance entirely if they want. A Safe Mode might not make sense for every title, but for games about exploration of detailed environments, why not let everyone have the option to see that whole environment without risk

Safe Mode will be added to the GOG and Steam versions of Soma today, as well as the newly released Xbox One version and the upcoming PS4 version.