I had this chat with the folks behind this wild indie horror game called DEAD LETTER DEPT. It’s one of those typing games but twisted with suspense — makes you question if you’re even rooted in reality. The brains behind it? Mike Monroe and Scott McKie from Belief Engine. PNW peeps, with a little Japanese flair since they’re chilling there for a bit.
So, Belief Engine, right? Been around for a dozen years now — yeah, twelve! Mike figured he had to jump back into the indie scene in 2020, like “Hey, time to make some games again!” He moved from Colorado to Washington way back in 2004 — DigiPen was calling! Scott’s journey… oh boy, started in Boston with a Fine Arts degree. Then a detour into Computer Science — but man, college isn’t cheap! So, jobs, right?
Now Mike and games… Dude was all about video game art during school. Meanwhile, Scott was juggling those Fine Arts and Computer Science dreams. They clicked. It took forever, and they tossed around a bunch of prototypes — but voilà, games!
Got to ask them about inspirations, and Scott was like, “Yeah, Belief Engine was just a way for us to publish our projects.” DEAD LETTER DEPT.? Mainly Mike’s baby, but obviously, Scott had a hand in it. They tinker with lots of things, but solo adventures are their jam.
Now the concept — leaving home, losing yourself, or finding yourself. Seriously, mail, moving, anxiety. That’s the stuff they’re toying with. Mike’s seen friends move around, grappling with what home means. Moving from a super conservative spot and wanting new vibes — I get it.
And gosh, Scott’s nights during college were weirdly inspiring. Overnight job in Boston, entering addresses in this legit creepy spot. Train rides, sunrises, quiet coworkers… it was a whole vibe. And bam, that becomes part of a game.
Mike wanted this “flow state” — like playing Tetris while your mind wanders. And horror? He wanted to interrupt that mind flow — thanks, Scott, for that spooky typing job story! They started with some leftover project bits, things that just creeped them out.
Coding weirdness hit, too. The game’s twists and turns? Sometimes pure accidents. I mean, discovering haunted code — both a nightmare and amazing. It’s like an adventure into the unknown. Scott likes designing intricate systems but sometimes misses some structure. His project manager? Paid in cookies. True entrepreneur spirit, right?
Mike’s jamming on the game’s soundtrack — aiming for it to drop with the Steam summer sale. Music makes it pop, and Scott’s been vibing to it on his walks. Alongside playtesting, of course — important stuff!
Now, onto Japanese escapades. Tunnels, weird spots, Silent Hill vibes. Mike’s recording strange noises over there. Scott’s snapping pics of quirky Japanese houses — real eclectic stuff. Planning epic museum trips, too — honestly, who knows how they’ll get there, but that’s the excitement.
Exploring Japan without fluent Japanese? A gutsy move. Mike and Scott, though — they seem like they can tackle it. Thanks, guys, for laying it all out from behind those scenes at Belief Engine. Oh, and DEAD LETTER DEPT.? That’s on Steam. And keep your ears out for that soundtrack release!
