When Bangkok Awakens in Hell: VGTimes Interview with the Creator of The Earth Aftershock Horror

What if creatures humanity has long forgotten emerged from underground after an earthquake? At gamescom asia 2025, Thai studio Village of Light presented The Earth Aftershock — a survival horror where mutated dinosaurs and zombies appear on Bangkok's streets. Our editor-in-chief Rodion Ilin spoke with a studio representative to find out how this insane mix of conspiracy theories, apocalypse, and science fiction came to be.

VGTimes: Great! Tell us briefly about the project.

Wesley: Hi everyone! My name is Wesley, I represent Village of Light studio. We're working on The Earth Aftershock, which we plan to release in the first quarter of 2027. It's a survival horror set in Bangkok after a devastating earthquake. Mutated dinosaurs emerge from underground — along with a wave of mysterious effect that turns people into zombies.

VGTimes: Wow! How did such an idea come about? How many people are working on the project?

Wesley: We started this year, shortly after a major earthquake actually hit Thailand in March 2025. That event became our source of inspiration. We asked ourselves: "What if something bigger rose from underground?" That's how the idea for The Earth Aftershock was born.

VGTimes: Sounds extremely unconventional! How detailed is the city recreation?

Wesley: We're using real Bangkok locations. If you've ever been here, you'll recognize the streets. The first scene takes place at BTS Siam Center station — it's the city's central point, and we wanted to convey the atmosphere of a real metropolis plunged into horror.

VGTimes: Who's the main character of the game?

Wesley: The main character is a girl named Khao To. She's an ordinary person with no superpowers. She was sleeping during the earthquake and wakes up in a completely different world where most people are dead and creatures that shouldn't exist roam the streets.

VGTimes: What exactly happens after the disaster?

Wesley: First, mutated dinosaurs appear, but along with them comes a certain "effect" — which causes the remaining people who come into contact with the dinosaurs to turn into zombies. Khao To must search for survivors and escape while simultaneously learning the truth about what exactly awakened underground.

VGTimes: What can we expect in terms of gameplay?

Wesley: It's classic survival horror where caution is key. Players need to gather resources, hide from dinosaurs, find safe zones, and help other survivors. The mechanics are built around sound: dinosaurs are blind but have acute hearing. If you move too loudly — they'll hear you and attack. Sometimes it's better to stand still and wait for them to leave.

VGTimes: How many dinosaur varieties are featured in the game?

Wesley: We're planning six species for now. From small creatures the size of chickens to huge beings comparable to a T-rex. They're all mutated forms created as a result of strange experiments. According to the game's lore, these creatures were "restored" by aliens who created hybrid life forms underground. We've combined science fiction, conspiracy theories, and classic horror.

VGTimes: Can the T-rex be killed?

Wesley: Yes, if you find heavy weapons — like a shotgun or grenades. But defeating it will be very difficult, it's not just a "boss" but almost a natural disaster walking through the city.

VGTimes: Name three main features you're proud of.

Wesley: First is the weapon customization system. At special workbenches, you can assemble new weapons by combining found parts. Second is the ability to play not only as Khao To but also as another character — a police officer. Third is pets. Players can find and shelter a small dog or cat. This adds emotional depth, but also risk: animals make sounds that attract dinosaurs' attention. You need to decide — carry them with you or survive at any cost.

VGTimes: How many people are working on the project?

Wesley: There are only three of us — two developers and me, handling business development.

VGTimes: Ambitious. When can we expect the release?

Wesley: We plan to release the game in 2027. First on PC via Steam, and later, possibly, on other platforms.

VGTimes: Thanks for the conversation!

Wesley: Thank you! It was a pleasure to talk about our project.

The Earth Aftershock looks like a mix of Resident Evil, The Last of Us, and Jurassic Park, but from indie developers in a unique Asian setting. Real Bangkok streets, realistic sound mechanics, and the combination of science fiction with horror create a project that could be a surprising discovery. Best of luck to the folks at Village of Light!

Interview conducted by Rodion Ilin.

VGTimes has been operating since 2011 and during this time has attended dozens of exhibitions and festivals where our journalists gathered numerous exclusive materials. For example, in 2019 we attended a closed Cyberpunk 2077 showing at gamescom, in 2017 we prepared a photo report from WG Fest, in 2020 we were at Central Asia's largest gaming event CAGS, and we also visited "IgroMir" several times, where we saw Hideo Kojima and other famous developers. Last year, we traveled to the land of the rising sun for TGS 2024, where we were amazed by the scale of the event. And this year we saw with our own eyes one of Asia's major gaming exhibitions — ChinaJoy in Shanghai.