The Outlast Trials’ initial playtests went poorly: Designer says 6-year development took ‘a f**king long time’ and ‘a s**t-ton of prototypes’

Red Barrels spent six years developing *The Outlast Trials*, with early playtests going badly and the team building many prototypes before settling on the game’s direction. Designer Darek Szymanski’s account illustrates how the co-operative horror game’s eventual form emerged through extended experimentation.

The project began in 2017, and Szymanski described development as taking “a f**king long time” and requiring “a s**t-ton of prototypes”. The article says the initial tests did not work well, prompting the developers to try different ideas as they shaped the experience.