When most people plan a trip to the UK, they think of Big Ben, Stonehenge, or maybe getting lost in the countryside while pretending they know how to read a map. But for the folks at Rebellion, the developers behind Atomfall, their dream getaway involved something a little more radioactive.
Now, most of us wouldn’t exactly call an old nuclear accident site a top-tier vacation destination. No theme parks, no luxury resorts, and certainly no all-you-can-eat buffets. But for the Atomfall team, this was the ultimate field trip. After all, if you’re making a survival-action game about a fictionalized version of a very real nuclear event, you might as well go all in.
One can only imagine the planning meetings leading up to this adventure. What better way to immerse yourself in game development than by physically standing in the very place that once had locals wondering if their cows were glowing in the dark?
The Atomfall field trip to end all field trips
There are school trips where you visit the local museum and listen to a guide talk about ancient pottery. And then there’s what the Atomfall developers did. You see, while other game studios might rely solely on books, documentaries, and the endless void of Wikipedia rabbit holes, Rebellion decided that the best way to capture the eerie essence of their game was to walk the actual ground where history got a little… well, extra spicy.
Of course, they weren’t exactly rolling around in radioactive soil like some kind of extreme historical reenactors. But they did make sure to take in all the important details, the landscape, the local architecture, and perhaps the distant sound of a pub owner saying, “Wait, you’re making a game about what?”
The goal was to bring authenticity to the game world, ensuring that every creepy fence, every abandoned signpost, and every ominous-looking hill accurately reflected the real-life setting. Modern-day Sellafield, formerly Windscale is a well-monitored nuclear site that no longer resembles a post-apocalyptic wasteland.
Yet, the developers took their inspiration from the region’s rich history. The idea was to imagine a world where things had gone just a little bit worse, okay, a lot worse. Because, let’s face it, when you’re making a survival-action game, mild inconvenience doesn’t quite cut it.
Atomfall and the curious case of a nuclear-inspired adventure
As exciting as it was for the Atomfall team to embark on this eerie expedition, you have to wonder what the locals thought. Imagine walking your dog and seeing a bunch of excited game developers furiously taking notes and snapping pictures of a fence post. Not exactly your average Tuesday.
Rebellion wasn’t just interested in the geography, though. They wanted to capture the culture, the quirky traditions, the charmingly weird British signposts, and, of course, Morris dancing. Yes, you read that right. Because nothing screams “post-nuclear survival” quite like men in bells and ribbons prancing about with sticks.
The team also learned about the area’s past, uncovering long-buried, hopefully not too literally, tales of the Windscale disaster. While Chernobyl, Fukushima, and Three Mile Island get all the global attention, Windscale has been more of a nuclear event deep cut. But thanks to Atomfall, more people might soon be saying, “Wait, what happened there again?” in between dodging mutant cults in the game.
Oliver Hodgson, a PR professional, has teamed up with developers to launch a £4 million gaming hub in Whitehaven. The plan? To transform the area into a digital powerhouse, equipping young minds with the skills to code, create, and conquer the gaming world. In an interview (via BBC News), he spoke about the incident. He said,
I think we should own it. The story of the Windscale disaster obviously isn’t a positive one but we can’t rewrite history. So acknowledging what happened and teaching and letting young people learn about that history, if this is what brings it into the classroom or on to young people’s phones or their social media, then so be it.
So, was this trip worth it? Absolutely. Atomfall promises a setting so immersive that players will practically be able to smell the slightly unsettling countryside air (minus any actual radiation, of course). And if nothing else, the team probably has some wild stories to tell at parties: “Oh, you went to Paris? Cute. I visited a nuclear disaster site for work.”
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