Last Updated on Jun 23, 2026 @ 14:04:50 PM.
Summer Game Fest has been and gone, but for many, it was the introduction to a whole selection of upcoming games they weren’t aware of, including The Pines. Sent on a retreat by his overly creepy therapist, Edward arrives at The Pines, and uncovers something deeply unsettling about the whole place. Investigations, combat, betrayal and more awaits for players when it finally releases next year, but before then, we spoke to the sole developer, Kevin Jochems, all about the game.
For those not aware, could you explain who you are, and your path to starting Studio Abattoir?
My name is Kevin Jochems and from a very young age, I’ve been making films and videos. 7 years ago I started Studio Abattoir as a video production company where I do a lot of client work. Commercials, business videos etc. And while this is fun and pays the bills, I did miss being completely creative.
3 to 4 years ago, I had to do a 3D animation in UE5 and by accident I pressed the play button. Out of nowhere there was the UE prototype character and I could walk around in the scene I created. I’ve been a gamer all my life and while never thought of exploring the field of game development, this really sparked my interest. And so my learning began. And while I still do some video productions right now, my main focus is developing The Pines.
With The Pines being the studios first game, is it your first game? If so, that makes this all the more impressive. If not, what other titles have you worked on?
Nope, The Pines is my first game.
The inspirations for The Pines is evident, with Twin Peaks and the Alan Wake franchise being two obvious ones. What else has inspired the game?
Yes, Alan Wake and Twin Peaks have been a great inspiration for me. But to be honest, I take inspiration from a lot of different games and films. Film directors like Edgar Wright, Scorsese, Fincher, Tarantino, they all have a lot of things I take inspiration from. And I’ve played A LOT of games from all different genres. So I also really look up to games like Bioshock, Fallout, Obsidian Games, Larian, Silent Hill… So I think a lot of different titles inspired me.
“You have for example the perk: Here’s Johnny which will make you more experienced with an axe, but will also give you the ability to bash through certain doors. Perks will also give certain dialogue options.”
You’re developing the game in Unreal Engine 5, what prompted that choice over other Engines?
Well, I knew a bit about the film side of UE5 and I really like the way that Blueprints work in the engine. So it was mostly just picking something that I already knew a bit about.
As you mentioned Blueprints specifically, and from what you said presumably used them on The Pines, what is your opinion on the recent UE6 news that they’ll be getting deprecated and no longer usable in time?
Personally I don’t like the decision but I am curious about where Unreal will go in the coming years and maybe they’ll surprise us. And the good news is that you can always use older versions of Unreal to develop your game.
Many open world games on UE5 have suffered from poor optimisation, with many gamers (unfairly) complaining about the engine. How are you approaching development to ensure The Pines doesn’t suffer from a similar issue?
I’m testing a lot on different rigs and setups. Every friend I have with a PC or laptop tests the game every once in a while and they range from lower end hardware to top of the line. I’m also testing it on a Steamdeck on lower setting to make sure it runs well on as many systems as possible. But, there is still a lot to do!
The Steam page and press release both mention choices, branching dialogue and shaping Edward’s journey. Does this mean that there are multiple endings to the game? How many? Is it as binary as good and bad endings?
I won’t go too much into detail on this yet. But there will be different endings and they won’t be binary as good or bad.
A ‘unique stalker system’. Can you talk more about this? How does this present in-game?
The stalker system really reflects the choices you make as a player during investigations and dialogue. But not only that. Also actions you take can make certain NPC’s start to stalk you or trigger a stalker. The feature is still being actively developed but I will share more about this soon.
It’s been a while since we’ve had a proper detective, investigative game on a deeper level. What made you want to include these mechanics, and how are you ensuring you stand out with your version?
It’s mostly about stories. As a player myself I just love the feeling of discovering a piece of story that I could have easily missed. It makes it more part of MY journey if you know what I mean. How deep you investigate different scenes is really up to the player and it’s a nice balance between going just deep enough and too deep.
Combat is prevalent throughout the trailers, and the game clearly has a humorous aspect to it. With that in mind, what’s the most ridiculous weapon you can use? Please say it’s a rubber ducky.
There will be some ridiculous weapons. Which weapons will spoil a fun investigation line so I won’t go into detail.
There’s a ‘deep skill and perk system’ mentioned. Can you give us an example of what skills and perks would be available, and how they can affect both gameplay and the story?
You have for example the perk: Here’s Johnny which will make you more experienced with an axe, but will also give you the ability to bash through certain doors. Perks will also give certain dialogue options.
“How deep you investigate different scenes is really up to the player and it’s a nice balance between going just deep enough and too deep.“
AI is a contentious subject, especially in the gaming industry, and yet, it’s a discussion we have to have. Have you used AI for any part of the development of The Pines so far? If so, what, and why?
AI isn’t used in anything the player will see or play. But I do use AI to scan the internet for certain forums on topics I need for the game. This is much quicker than googling and searching for it myself. But AI isn’t used in coding or generating art for the final game.
What was your reasoning with not using AI for the creative aspects of The Pines?
The same as with video. Clients ask me frequently if I can do things with AI. But I just won’t. I refuse to prompt and click to see stuff someone else created and make it mine. It’s a really false sense of creativity that I don’t like. I like creating stuff myself and using AI just takes the fun out of it.
Regardless of whether you’ve used AI for The Pines, how do you feel it’s changed the development of video games in recent years?
Well, players see it if it’s used in a game and I think the majority of the players hate it, including myself. But if used right by smaller devs with little to no budget, I don’t really mind. But we’ll see what the future brings. I don’t believe people will buy AI generated stuff and will always prefer another human’s story. But I could be completely wrong. We’ll see.
Fast forward to 2027, The Pines has released. After a deserved rest, what is in store for you then? What’s next? A potential sequel? DLC? Something else completely?
I really like the way CDPR handles their post launch on games with free updates etc. and larger expansions. But we’ll see how it goes!
Last question… there’s something off about the therapist, right?
No comment 😉
For more from us, check out Two Point Musuem’s free 10th Anniversary gift to players, or what items God Save Birmingham has included in its latest update before the Closed Beta test.
Luke Addison is the Founder and Editor-in-Chief of Thumb Wars. Having previously been a part of multiple outlets over the years, including building an entire gaming team from nothing to something, he thought it best to forge his own path and answer only to himself. As likely to be found playing the latest game as he is in the kitchen relaxing (by cooking), he always brings the same bold and brash attitude to everything he does, with a heavy leaning on sarcasm and dry wit!
