Picking up right where the first instalment left off, Home Sweet Home: Episode 2 is due for release later this year and promises to one of those rare sequels that utterly wipes the floor with its predecessor. The dev team, YGGdrazil, has clearly taken onboard all the criticisms they received and used this as a starting point for making improvements.

Having played a few early chapters of the game, we can confirm that they have basically fixed all the obvious problems and even tweaked some things that weren’t in such dire need of refining. Not to mention, they’ve managed to retain all that bizarre Thai folklore that made the first game so appealing and unique.

We’re very optimistic about what we’ve seen so far and can’t wait to play the full thing. In the meantime, we were fortunate enough to sit down with the game’s director, Saroot Tubloy, to chat about all the changes they’ve made and what it’s like introducing these Eastern legends to the rest of the world.

Bloody Disgusting: Since the release of Episode 1, you’ve had some time to look over player feedback and reviews. Based on this reception, were there any refinements or tweaks that you specifically wanted to make going into the second episode?

Saroot Tubloy: Anticipation levels were very high for our follow-up and we wanted to make sure that it lived up to expectations. To do this, we complied all of the comments we received for the last game to see what we could improve upon.

We noticed that some players had problems with the balancing and difficulty curve. They would get stuck in one location for too long, or struggle to overcome a particular section, and got frustrated. So, our number one priority for episode 2 was to make it a little easier and more player-friendly.

The other complaint we had was that the first game often felt like a ‘’walking simulator’’ [in which] the player didn’t get too interact much, other than by just escaping ghosts. Which is why we’ve diversified the gameplay activities here, introducing combat, booby traps and better-quality puzzles. Then we also just overhauled the graphics as well.

BD: On a similar note, is there anything that audiences seemed to latch onto with the first game that you wanted to expand upon here?

ST: We definitely think that we have a strong atmosphere, one that makes the audience feel oppressed and like they cannot escape. Plus, we realized that people liked problem solving in horror games, so we’ve tried to capitalise on that as well, coming up with even more complicated and tricky puzzles this time around.

BD: Speaking of puzzles, that’s one element that always seems to pop up in horror games. From the perspective of a developer, why do you think that is? What motivated you to include them in Home Sweet Home?

ST: We implemented puzzles for several reasons. Often they feed directly into the backstory of characters and the world, giving the player more [insight] into what’s going on, without needing to watch a cutscene.

Meanwhile, they also give you a much-needed break from the horror! We’ve found that, if you’re subjected to scares for too long, then they start to lose their impact after a while. Puzzles are a good way of giving players something else to do, so that they don’t get bored. And it’s just rewarding to solve them.

BD: That makes sense. You want to be able to pace the horror, but you also want to give the players something to do in those slower moments.

ST: Yes, exactly.

BD: You briefly teased the Dancer ghost at the end of the first game. What can you tell us about her as an enemy? Where did you draw your inspiration from and how does she differ from Belle (the first game’s antagonist)?

ST: We introduced the Dancer because it’s a big part of our folklore. In Thailand, this kind of spirit is the most commonly reported in ghost sightings and the idea has been ingrained in our culture for such a long time. Dance is also just one of those things that everyone identifies with our country, alongside Muay Thai and temples [Laughs] By including it here, we are letting everyone know right away that this is an authentic Thai game!

As for what makes her special as an enemy, we’ve tried to make it so that every ghost is different this time around. Each chapter of the game has its own unique enemy, with separate behaviors and abilities. For example, unlike Belle, you can’t really predict the Dancer’s patrol route, as she’s allowed to roam more freely.

BD: You just mentioned that there’s going to be a greater variety of ghosts this time around. Roughly how many can we expect to see in Home Sweet Home: Episode 2?

ST: About 7 or 8.

BD: Oh wow! That’s a lot more than in the first game.

ST: Yes. It’s one of the main improvements we wanted to make.

BD: In Episode 1, a lot of the plot was communicated through diaries, letters and newspaper articles. Based on this preview slice, it seems like episode 2 is going to feature a lot more cutscenes and in-game storytelling. Why did you make this change?

ST: As you said, we used items and documents to tell a lot of the story in Episode 1 and this was mainly down to budgetary reasons. However, we discovered that it [inadvertently] added a sense of mystery that was kind of fun. Because the player had to piece it all together through these hidden clues. However, for Episode 2, certain parts of the narrative were just too difficult to communicate in this way and we needed to use cutscenes to adequately get across what was happening.

BD: For a lot of western audiences, much of the Thai Folklore in Home Sweet Home will be entirely unfamiliar, such as the Preta or the Krasue. Is the prospect of introducing them to this new world exciting for you as a storyteller?

ST: Definitely! We believe that every country across the globe has its own interesting beliefs and legends that people should know about. Yet, for some reason, we end up seeing the same stuff over and over again, like zombies and vampires. Everyone already knows about them! The video-game marketplace doesn’t have much in the way of Thai ghost stories though, and we’re very excited to bring that to the rest of the world.

BD: Following on from that, there’s a lot of rich folklore for you to pick and choose from. How did you filter that down and decide which parts would make into the game and which wouldn’t?

ST: In Episode 1, we mainly stuck to ghosts because they’re quite well known, but now we want to go further. We want to go for more niche myths! That’ll be more exciting for everyone.

BD: When it comes to representing these legends, did you ever take creative license, or did you strive for authenticity?

ST: With the amount of legends we are dealing with, it was always inevitable that some of them would be altered. Usually, this was to either make them scarier, or just to fit them in with the story we were trying to tell.

BD: To wrap up, what are you most excited for players to experience with the new title?

ST: We hope our fans are looking forward to Episode 2, because we’ve made enhancements to just about every aspect of the experience. From the graphics, to the puzzles, right down to the number of enemies and of course, the new combat mechanic! We’re really proud of our work and know that we’ve made a better game.

Home Sweet Home: Episode 2 will be coming to PC later this year.