Most people show gratitude to their parents through phone calls or heartfelt cards. However, indie developer Christopher Yabsley is honoring his mother by creating Heathen, a dark fantasy dungeon crawler centered around a terrifying descent into madness and ancient horrors.

While the game's atmosphere is grim, its origin story is surprisingly heartwarming. Yabsley recently shared a devlog video on YouTube—noting it was primarily made for his mother—to explain the personal inspiration behind the project.

The Diablo Inspiration Behind Heathen

The spark for this project dates back to 1998. Yabsley recalls bringing home a PlayStation copy of Diablo after discovering the console port allowed for local co-op play. In a move that defines maternal devotion, he asked his mother to join him in the game, despite her having never played a video game before.

Together, they descended beneath Tristram cathedral as a warrior and rogue duo. Yabsley describes the experience as a fever dream of:

  • Smashing barrels and killing monsters
  • Dodging The Butcher
  • Collecting endless amounts of loot

Despite the late hour, the pair eventually vanquished Diablo at 3:00 AM on a schoolnight. "She played it just to connect with me," Yabsley said, "and it's a memory I'll always cherish."

Combat and Atmosphere in This Descent Into Madness

While the inspiration is sweet, Heathen looks significantly more brutal than its backstory suggests. The game is a first-person dungeon crawler that blends several distinct mechanics to create a unique experience:

  • Vermintide-inspired melee combat for visceral encounters.
  • ARPG-style randomized loot to keep runs unpredictable.
  • Dark Messiah-style kicks, where players can swap boots to change damage types.

The game leans heavily into a grim, oppressive atmosphere. According to its Steam description, the air "thickens with the stench of death" as players navigate a void where they are nothing more than a flickering lantern against unspeakable creatures.

Online Co-op and Future Plans

Although a specific release date has not been announced, Heathen is slated to launch in early access. Yabsley has confirmed that online co-op will be a core feature of the experience.

He intends to keep his family traditions alive once the game is live. "The game will have online co-op," Yabsley said. "And you can bet that when it's all done and finished, I'll be calling upon my trusted dungeonering partner—my mom—to delve into the dungeons once again."

You can wishlist Heathen on Steam now to follow its development.