Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 almost had zombies before writers changed course

Before Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 became an elegant fever dream of existential horror, it nearly had zombies.

Also aliens. And, according to narrative lead Jennifer Svedberg-Yen, a completely different, “Victorian steampunk” setting.

Clair Obscur is a stylish, turn-based RPG set in a beautifully grim Belle Époque-inspired world. No zombies in sight. Yet. Players control the 33rd doomed expedition from the island of Lumière, where a magical artist called the Paintress erases people from existence every year.

But back in its concept phase it’d looked like foggy London, gaslights, and undead and little green men.

Clair Obscur Almost Had Zombies. And Aliens.

“This game was very different,” Svedberg-Yen told TheGamer. “It was set in steampunk Victorian England with zombies, aliens, and various things.”

Apparently, they’d spent six months on this version. Then an investor dared them to dream bigger.

So they did. Hard reset. Story, setting, and tone got scrapped. The gameplay loop stayed. A few character names survived the purge.

What rose from the ashes was something deeply personal. Inspired by a painting and a short story, Clair Obscur pivoted toward art, grief, and surrealist world-building. Guillaume’s mom helped.

As Svedberg-Yen shared: “He asked her, ‘What’s the worst thing that could happen to you?’ She said, ‘Losing a child.’ And the Gommage, the game’s terrifying central event, was born.”

And while the world is painterly, moody, and French, don’t mistake it for light fare. A certain character’s demise shocked players, but it was planned from day one. Svedberg-Yen insists plot twists were never improvised. “I need to have the answers,” she said. “It’s a pet peeve when writers wing it.”

She credits the game’s impact to a dream team cast: Andy Serkis, Charlie Cox, Jen English, Ben Starr, and others. They all bringing lots emotion to every line. “I had chills,” she said. “They made my words better.”