Steel Seed: Preview And Interview With Game Director Carlo Ivo Bianchi

Story Highlights

Steel Seed is an upcoming stealth action adventure with a great blend of narrative and gameplay.
I recently attended a preview event where the game’s director showcased its key features and held a brief Q&A.
Storm in a Teacup has clearly expanded its vision with Steel Seed, pushing the boundaries of its game design approach.

I recently had the chance to go hands-on with Steel Seed, the upcoming stealth-action adventure from Storm in a Teacup, and it’s clear this is a project fueled by passion. The team previously made Close to the Sun, a game known for its rich narrative, and with this title, they wanted to take that storytelling strength and pair it with much deeper gameplay.

It’s no small feat, especially when stealth is at the core, but from what I played, they’ve managed to strike a compelling balance. Navigating the game’s hostile underground world requires patience, strategy, and adaptability, making every encounter feel tense and rewarding.

Players take on the role of Zoe, an advanced AI in a humanoid body, accompanied by KOBY, a small but incredibly versatile drone (and surprisingly not annoying like other gimmick companions). The facility she explores is vast, with towering industrial halls and eerie biodomes, each hiding dangers that demand careful planning.

Stealth is the preferred approach, sticking to the shadows, avoiding detection, and using KOBY to scout ahead or disable threats, but the game doesn’t force a single playstyle, which is something I appreciated as someone with a more aggressive playstyle. The game’s combat offers a fast and tactical alternative, though charging in headfirst isn’t always the best idea, and I learned that the hard way. The enemy AI reacts dynamically, and if they find a body, expect a much tougher fight.

The level structure follows a linear progression, but some areas open up, allowing for different routes and strategies. Platforming also plays a significant role, letting Zoe wall-run and climb through the environment in a way that adds fluidity to exploration. KOBY isn’t just a tool; it’s essential to puzzle-solving, traversal, and even combat. The more you experiment with its abilities, the more creative you can get with approaching encounters.

With BAFTA-winning writer Martin Korda shaping the narrative and a strong focus on player-driven gameplay, Steel Seed is shaping up to be a unique and ambitious entry in the stealth-action genre. It blends careful strategy with high-speed parkour and intense moments of combat, keeping you engaged from one challenge to the next. While it can feel slow at times, it doesn’t last long enough to make you feel bored, especially when you take a more aggressive playstyle like me.

Whether it fully delivers on its vision remains to be seen, but from what I played, it’s definitely one to keep an eye on. I also had the privilege to ask the Game Director, Carlo Ivo Alimo Bianchi, several questions right after the special preview event. The transcript of this short interview is below.

The studio wanted to take the narrative marvel of Close to the Sun and add as much gameplay as possible for Steel Seed (correct me if I am wrong). Has the game met those expectations for the team so far?

Close to the Sun was a real step forward for the company, but we were few people. We loved the product that we developed, but we knew we had to do much more on the gameplay side of things, and this is why Steel Seed is really a work of love and passion. It is something even big companies don’t do today. For Steel Seed, we wanted to focus on two assets: Narrative and Sealth. The narrative is a real pain to do for game development, and stealth is a real time consumer. However, we found the right balance and believe we have done a great job at adding both of those critical assets.

Stealth is a core part of the gameplay, but is it possible for players to have a more aggressive playstyle with the least stealth? Something similar to Hitman.

You can be a stealth assassin, and it is a choice. However, it depends a lot on how you use KOBY, and we advise all our players to use KOBY as much as possible since it is a central part of the game. We have seen people use KOBY and Zoe in creative ways, and it has allowed them to adopt different playstyles.

Will there be multiple endings? Are players given much choice in certain parts of the game?

I can’t reveal too much about this, but I can say that there is a lot of focus on the narrative in a way that there aren’t multiple endings in the way you imagine.

Will the gameplay be mostly focused on the facility? Is each level or mission going to be in a closed-level design with some freedom, or is it completely linear?

The game design is very linear, with each level being seriously huge. In each of these, you will also find some level of freedom. This doesn’t mean that some levels are overworld, but you will find that some areas are more open than others.

Could you tell us a bit about the enemy AI design? What is their behaviour like and what can players expect to see?

One thing I can tell players is that if enemies see a dead body, they will be a huge problem, so do dispose of the body to avoid that.

Steel Seed is a sci-fi stealth adventure developed by Storm in a Teacup and published by ESDigital Games. It will be released on April 10, 2025, on PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, and PC. We extend our gratitude to Carlo Ivo Alimo Bianchi, Ilia Svanidze, and Mike Giegerich for inviting us to the event.

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