TVGB grabbed a coffee (or maybe two) with the minds behind DEAD LETTER DEPT., that spine-tingling indie horror game—Mike Monroe and Scott McKie of Belief Engine. So yeah, based way out in the Pacific Northwest, but right now inspiration’s coming from their extended stay in Japan. Go figure.
TVGB: So, Belief Engine’s been around a while, like 12 years, right?
MM: Yep, 12 years. We kicked it off thinking, let’s make this happen. Turned full-time in 2020. Seemed like the right move. I was itching to dive back into indie gaming full-time.
Moved to Washington, you know, to hit up DigiPen. From Colorado. Back in 2004.
SM: Me? I was at Massachusetts College of Art for Fine Arts, did a BFA. Dreamed of pairing it with Computer Science. Eight years in school later, bam! Realized, hey, money’s a thing. Needed a gig. Maybe not the best plan… but here I am.
MM: School was a blur of video games and 3D art. Somewhere along the way, I thought, “Why not make a game together?” Took forever, with lots of trial and—um, well, a ton of error.
TVGB: Any games that gave you that “Aha!” moment?
SM: We vibe over a lot but differ, too. Belief Engine’s more a sandbox for our personal stuff. DEAD LETTER DEPT. is really Mike’s baby. Though, yeah, I helped, it’s his gig. The rest’s kind of solo adventures.
MM: Love the setup. Scott’s into niche; I’m into niche. It’s this strange mix—you know, cross whatsyourthing-er-pollination? Watching him play is oddly fascinating.
TVGB: How’d the whole James Alcock thing influence DEAD LETTER DEPT? Concepts, ideas, all that?
MM: Not really in this game. Theme’s more about leaving home, finding what “home” means. Lost mail, new places… the anxiety’s real, especially with how housing was going nuts.
Friends moving for better prospects, you know? Military town grow-up, wanted a change. A big one.
TVGB: So, Scott, about that college data entry gig—that flavor the game?
SM: Oh, totally. Boston life, catching trains to nowhere, spending nights at this eerie-looking warehouse. Cross tracks, enter addresses. Didn’t chat much, might’ve been a rule, no clue really.
Loved it, though. Mind wandered, especially during college projects. Who knows why, but it stuck with me.
MM: Crafting a game with a flow state—that’s what did it for me. Like Tetris. It’s that space you sink into while doing routine stuff, you know, dishes? Enter zombified yet Zen gaming.
TVGB: Weirdest part of the game-making journey?
SM: That weird transformation—prototype to DEAD LETTER DEPT.—got a mind of its own.
MM: Right before it, we were on a different game groove. Everything felt symbolic, like secret rituals. Stuff got bizarre when, uh, unexpected code did spooky things. I had no idea how. Instead of ghost hunters, it was code hunters.
TVGB: Why first-person POV? Ever thought about different angles?
MM: It was the easiest immersion. P.T. was fresh on my mind—such a feel! Avoided third-person to keep it lean. Immersion over everything—slashed anything breaking that spell. Tutorials in Post-it form, so, y’know, not drowning in confusion.
TVGB: Excited for anything right now?
SM: Working on a language game. Top-down RPG style, learning Japanese monsters—it’s a big plan. Hard juggling complex play with simple, learning flow… a struggle worth struggling.
TVGB: Anything else before we wrap up?
MM: Next projects are in the pipeline. Soundtrack for DEAD LETTER DEPT.—yeah, a bit delayed but still on. Told Scott to beta-test blind to get raw reactions.
TVGB: What’s Japan exploring like?
MM: Creepy tunnels are my daily bread now. Tokyo and Kyoto adventures—seriously, ancient tunnels with cracked floors and underground echoes scream Silent Hill.
SM: Taking lots of snaps of quirky houses. Architectural gems hiding in plain sight. None of those cookie-cutter builds; each had its own pulse.
Museum trips got us out of the city—Kyoto’s bigger than you’d think. Famous holes, cultural lore. And hey, maybe a local driver’s our ticket.
Belief Engine’s Japan story’s just unfurling. These guys don’t just make games; they craft experiences. DEAD LETTER DEPT. is live on Steam—soundtrack drop’s a wait, worthy of the ears!
