Exploring the Belief Engine with Mike Monroe & Scott McKie

Sure thing! Here’s a rewired version of that article that should feel more like a raw human touch, with all its little quirks and digressions:

So, get this: I’m chatting with these two guys, Mike Monroe and Scott McKie, over at Belief Engine. They’re this dynamic duo behind a super intriguing indie horror game called DEAD LETTER DEPT. Picture typing and horror rolled up into one, right? They’re based somewhere in the Pacific Northwest, but at the moment, they’re chilling in Japan. Who knew, huh?

Okay, rewind a sec. TVGB was curious about how Belief Engine came to be! Something like 12 years of existence? Yeah, 12. Mike’s like, “We weren’t sure it’d work, but hey, why not!” Full-time it became in 2020. From Colorado to Washington, chasing the game dev dream at DigiPen, he says. Then Scott pops in, all artsy and techy, from Boston to Washington. Eight years of schooling! Soooo much debt, and zero cash – been there!

Games games games! They were glued together by this idea of making cool games. Took ’em a while to hit that right note, tons of trial and error. One can only imagine the chaos—but hey, sometimes chaos breeds the best creations.

“Inspirations?” TVGB asks. Scott chimes in, reminiscing about nights of data entry. You have to imagine it—a creepy warehouse, past train tracks. Sounds like it should be another game in itself. Anyway, he enters addresses while his mind roams. No talking to coworkers, just… wandering thoughts. Imagine doing spreadsheets while thinking of ghosts. Maybe?

Mike has this whole “flow state” thing going on, something about being zoned out but alert. Tetris players might get it. Forget washing dishes. Typing horror game? Sounds bonkers, but he wasn’t letting go of the idea once it stuck.

Alright, pivot back! DEAD LETTER DEPT. was born from game tinkering and happy accidents. Kinda like finding treasure in your code? Stuff started going bump in the night. Not that Mike planned it, just there in the guts of the code. “Haunted” codebase, they joked, but it played out spookily well.

Bringing it back to gameplay, first-person mode was a no-brainer. Thank P.T. for that. It’s about the immersion, isn’t it? Don’t want unnecessary layers peeling back the realism. Post-it notes? Genius, if you ask me—simple and fuss-free instructions. And who loves pop-ups, anyway?

Their next move? Japan’s creepiest spots. Mike is all about exploring tunnels in Tokyo, with murky water and old PA systems. What even? Probably scarier than any story he could spin—real life sometimes out-creeps fiction, right?

As they bounce from project to project, there’s Scott diving into something Japanese—did someone say RPG? It’s ambitious, this language-learning, monster-battling concoction. Feeling retro vibes, he’s chasing aesthetics from old-school Japanese games. A bunch of nostalgia, some cultural explorations—without getting lost in translation, hopefully!

So, what’s next? For them—it’s about soundtracks and more adventures. For us—we’re left with the sonic tease of DEAD LETTER DEPT.’s tunes, set to maybe drop on Steam’s summer sale. Who knows when, but it’s in the pipeline.

Feeling inspired? Or just curious about their Japan exploits? Keep an eye out, Steam’s loaded with surprise hits like theirs. Meanwhile, don’t mind me while I ponder the eeriness of those Japanese tunnels. Maybe they’ll end up in a game. Creepy good!