A new Gaelic language horror video game set in a fish and chip shop is set to ignite the gaming world. Or so its developer is hoping.
Following news of a video game launching next year where players control a sheepdog, Creative Scotland has awarded games developer James Muirhead £10,000 to work on the development of Grease Trap ’99.
The Gaelic dialogue’s gaming premise is that players take orders, batter fish, and deep fry pizzas while uncovering the mystery of a monstrous presence growing in the basement. It is a retro horror game that employs Gaelic voice acting, Scottish cultural settings, and PS1‑style horror aesthetics.
Twenty-eight-year-old indie games developer Muirhead has firsthand experience behind the counter, having worked in a Perth chip shop for a spell after graduating from university.
Curiously, he was inspired to use Gaelic in his game after playing a Finnish language horror game called Sona 2000 that’s based in a sauna.
In a news piece with AOL, the East Neuk of Fife games developer said: “I came out of it with this appreciation for Finnish culture and the Finnish language that I didn’t have before, and it just sort of seeped into my subconscious, and I thought, ‘wow, it would be great to do something like that for Gaelic’.”
He is now improving his Gaelic specifically to help with creating the game - something the money from Creative Scotland would help with.
He added: “The funding is completely game-changing. It means I can work on it full-time. I don’t have to worry about bills as much, which is great, but it also means I can start taking Gaelic classes in person.
“I’ve just been learning with apps and stuff, now I can actually go to in-person Gaelic classes. It also means I can work with contractors and other artists, and I can compensate them.”
As well as working on developing the game, Muirhead, who trades as Deep Crypt Games, is promoting the game on social media and working on a demo version for gaming festivals with a view to launching the finished game in the summer.
Image content - Deep Crypt Games
