John LittleHere at PSX Extreme, we have had the pleasure to interview the two-man studio behind upcoming indie survival horror game, She’s Leaving, with co-founder Sam Griffiths more than happy to talk inspirations, messages and themes, the future of Blue Hat Studio, and more. It launches December 2 on PS5.
John Little: How would you explain your game ‘She’s Leaving’ to those who might not have heard about the game before?
Dev: Imagine someone with Dexter Morgan’s forensic skills navigating a space as tense and eerie as the House Beneviento. It’s a mix of investigation, puzzle-solving, and survival, all wrapped in a story-driven thriller.
JL: What are your main influences that inspired you whilst you were developing the game?
Dev: We drew a lot of inspiration from the first seasons of True Detective and Dexter: New Blood. The Last of Us was also a key influence, particularly in how it handles emotional depth and the bonds between characters.
We [also] looked closely at the House Beneviento segment in Resident Evil: Village and the R.P.D. station in Resident Evil 2. Both taught us how to build tension and atmosphere through exploration and carefully designed puzzles.
JL: How did your sources of inspiration influence the gameplay?
Dev: When it came to designing Charles’s main mechanic, the blood spatter analysis, you might assume Dexter was first point of inspiration, but it actually started with Cyberpunk 2077. While exploring Night City, I saw crime scenes where robots projected digital lines to replay what had happened. That instantly reminded me of Dexter’s way of reconstructing crime scenes.
JL: How did your sources of inspiration influence the storytelling?
Dev: When I played The Last of Us, I was really struck by the way Joel and Ellie talked to each other. That inspired me to make sure the characters in She’s Leaving really get to interact and talk as much as possible.
We also want players to think for themselves, piece together clues, and come to their own conclusions rather than being given everything outright.
JL: Your game includes crime scenes and forensic elements. What did you do to make sure this was as accurate as possible?
Dev: We looked into how the blood spatter analysis is used in real life crime scenes, we looked into early cases where it was used as primary evidence in court. From there it was a lot of googling and reading forensic reports from those cases and then creating something that would translate to gameplay.
JL: What kind of messages and themes do you want to tell your audience?
Dev: How far would you go to prove yourself right? She’s Leaving explores that question in depth, examining how loneliness and obsession can spiral into dangerous territory. The story also touches on themes of death and mortality, forcing players to confront the fragility of life. Religion and belief play a subtle role, influencing the choices characters make and how they seek meaning in difficult circumstances. At the same time, the game carries threads of hope, showing that even in dark situations, people can find purpose, connection, and closure. It’s a story about the consequences of obsession, but also about the possibility of redemption.
JL: What are the challenges of being a two person dev team?
Dev: For me and Josh, my partner at Blue Hat, when we started the project, neither of us really knew how game engines worked, so we were constantly learning as we went, often through trial and error.
But along the way, we connected with some incredible developers, mentors, and collaborators who shared their expertise and helped us solve problems we never could have tackled alone. Being a two-person team meant that every victory, no matter how small, felt monumental, and every setback was a chance to learn something new together. It was challenging, exhausting at times, but also incredibly rewarding. Without the support of the people we met along the way, we would not be just a few weeks away from releasing the game.
JL: What are the benefits of being a two person dev team?
Dev: One of the biggest benefits of being a two-person team is how streamlined communication is. There are no long meetings or weekly reports. We just call each other up and discuss what needs to be done next. We imagine that kind of openness and speed of decision-making would be harder in a larger team, though we have never actually worked in one so we cannot say for sure
JL: What is the aspect of the game you are most proud of?
Dev: Maybe it sounds a bit cliché, but honestly, I am proud of the game as a whole. We started with a completely blank project in Unreal Engine back in March 2020, and seeing how it has grown over the years is incredible. We have poured everything we possibly could into this debut title, and we hope players feel that effort and passion as the credits roll.
JL: What kind of games do you enjoy and find yourself going back to?
Dev: I have a long list of favourites but I’ll keep it short:
Croc: Legend of the Gobbos – I remember my brother Lee showing me this game when I was young. I was completely in awe of the 2D background art that wrapped around the world. Just imagining what could be beyond those painted green hills and castles made it feel magical. It’s such a cozy game.
Resident Evil 4 – Again, my brother showed me this one, and I was instantly obsessed. To this day, I don’t think there’s a game as perfectly designed as it. Every aspect of it is just incredible.
Cyberpunk 2077 – I can’t get enough of the story and the world in this one. It’s probably the game I’ve been most immersed in, and it’s influenced how I think about narrative and character design in games.
The Last of Us – I was a bit late to this one and played it around 2018. I finished it within 24 hours of buying it because I just couldn’t put it down. I don’t think I’ll ever get over Joel though.
JL: What have you done to make sure that She’s Leaving stands out from other Survival horror games?
Dev: We wanted to take a more grounded approach, so we left zombies and ghouls out of the game. Instead, we focused on something scarier – humans.
JL: How would you encourage players of mainstream survival horror to give indie games a chance?
Dev: Indie games tend to take more creative risks which can be refreshing from the mainstream formulas, I think a lot of the times these games from small teams really showcase the passion behind them due to the smaller teams.
JL: What have you learnt from this project that you hope to take with you to future projects?
Dev: From designing our first level to working on level design, voiceover direction, and everything in between, we have really had to dive into every part of game development as a two-person team. There have been major ups and downs along the way, but everything we have learned will carry over into our next project.
JL: What inspired you to become game developers?
Dev: Our love for games is what inspired us to become developers. I’ve always felt that video games as an art form are still in their early stages, and we wanted to contribute something meaningful to it. We wanted to be part of the medium’s growth, to create experiences that leave an impression, and to look back knowing we added our own voice to the art form.
JL: Is there anything you want to note to our audience about your game?
Dev: I just want players to know that She’s Leaving is a labor of love. We have poured everything we have into making a tense, story-driven experience that blends investigation, puzzle-solving, and survival. We hope people enjoy exploring the world we’ve built and feel the care and detail that went into every aspect of the game.