Betrayer doesn't fit neatly into an existing genre. On the surface, it's an FPS set in open, pristine American wilderness that happens to be crawling with undead conquistadors. But the game's monochromatic art direction, gloomy tone, and sense of mystery distinguish it from other indie and horror projects.

The story of Betrayer is expressed through scattered clues-gravestone engravings, artifacts, notes, and other evidence that you find in the world. Assembling these clues pieces together the truth of what happened to an abandoned British settlement. One of colonial history's greatest mysteries, the Roanoke colony, was among the inspirations for this premise, says creative lead Craig Hubbard. "The social situation of that time was really interesting," says Hubbard, formerly the lead designer on Shogo: Mobile Armor Division, F.E.A.R., and the NOLF series. "I don't know if you've read about what it was like to be in the Pilgrim colonies, like if you broke the law, but they'd like...pile stones on you until you died. It was just brutal and horrific and that’s great subject matter for an atmospheric and eerie game."