Unsolved Mystery of the Titanic Submarine Sparks Unprecedented Surge in Popularity for Indie Horror Game

The ongoing search for the lost Titan submarine has resulted in a boost in sales for indie horror games like Iron Lung by David Szymanski. On June 18, the OceanGate submersible, with five passengers on board, lost communication with its control center while diving to the Titanic shipwreck off the coast of Newfoundland. Despite a four-day search, the submersible remains unfound, and currently, it is estimated that there is only one to two hours of oxygen left inside.

In March 2022, developer David Szymanski released Iron Lung, a short horror indie game that immerses players in a claustrophobic experience aboard a small, rusty submarine. However, instead of traversing regular waters, the vessel embarks on a journey through an alien moon's blood-filled ocean, following an unspecified event that has disrupted the natural world. The game's simplistic gameplay effectively instills a growing sense of fear and isolation.

The creator of Iron Lung recently shared an image on Twitter, revealing that the game's sales have nearly tripled since June 19. Szymanski expressed discomfort with this increase, attributing it to the disappearance of the Titan submersible. This observation is reinforced by the recent reviews on Steam, where players mentioned using a Logitech F710 gamepad to steer the Titanic submarine in the game. Similar comments have been made, reflecting a similar sentiment.

Since June 18, other indie games have also garnered more attention. Monad, one of the developers of Full Fathom, expressed a similar feeling on social media. The oceanic survival horror game has been added to an increasing number of wishlists, which Monad finds off-putting due to its association with the Titanic submarine disaster. The notion of benefiting from the presumed deaths of individuals adds to the uncomfortable nature of the situation. Like Iron Lung, Full Fathom immerses players in a deteriorating submarine as it navigates through the ocean, playing on their thalassophobia.

While some may find the jokes amusing, Szymanski clarified in a later tweet that he had intentionally created Iron Lung to be the most terrifying concept he could come up with, and the realization that real people are currently living in such a situation is deeply disturbing. It is understandable that this situation is uncomfortable for everyone involved. On one hand, indie game developers are experiencing unexpected sales numbers, but the circumstances surrounding these sales dampen any sense of joy they may have.

Recently, it was announced that Iron Lung will be adapted into a film set to release in 2023. The movie will feature popular YouTube personality Markiplier, which in itself would have attracted a significant audience. However, its unintentional connection to the plight of the Titan submarine will likely draw even more viewers.

Iron Lung is currently available on PC.

Source: Steam