Unveil the design concept and character setting of Parasitoid.
Greetings, Survivors and Killers!
It’s time for the last killer in the Terrorscape 2 core game, Parasitoid. You’ve learned its spectacular features of gameplay in the previous update. Now, let’s dive into the design concept and character setting.
Story
It had always been said that life began in the dark embrace of the ocean. In the abyss, life grew in strange and twisted ways.
The scientists eagerly drilled deep below the surface and retrieved an ancient block of ice. What kind of secrets could it hold? It took months for it to thaw and what they found terrified them. What should have been the corpse of a prehistoric fish looked like anything but. The fish was malformed, contorted with tentacles and multiple limbs. Within its body they found a small sample of unknown organic matter that seemed to indicate a kind of…parasite. A sense of unease fell over the scientists, what was this parasitic substance and how did it find its way into this fish?
It is unknown how the infection took root but the signs were quiet at first. Clumps of hair and skin were reported in the showers, then bloody finger nails hidden in the floorboards under people’s beds and finally teeth found floating in their soup. In cries of terror and pain, the Parasitoid revealed itself. A malformed creature of human and monstrous DNA feeding on the organic material of others. It no longer needed to hide, there were plenty of warm bodies nearby and nowhere to run.
In their paranoia, allies became enemies and any abnormality became a sign of infection. If anyone could be the Parasitoid? Who could they trust?
Style
We wanted to create a parasitic lifeform studied within the Polar Station, a killer that feels both ancient and biologically unsettling. To achieve this, we set its origin as an ancient organism frozen within prehistoric ice, drawing inspiration from marine creatures such as the hydra (a cnidarian). Hydras are among the oldest lifeforms on Earth, nearly immortal in their regenerative ability, armed with stinging tentacles that can retract, extend, and inject venom.
This influence shaped the Parasitoid’s design. Its tentacles echo the hydra’s, both in appearance and function. They are not only grotesque weapons but also instruments of infection, reaching out to assimilate survivors, transforming them into extensions of its hive-like body. Those who fall victim don’t just lose control of their bodies; they risk becoming another vessel, another screaming face within the Parasitoid’s mass.
Originally, the creature itself was small, crab-like, and dependent on parasitism to reproduce, feeding off other organisms in order to grow. Before it was frozen, it had already absorbed traits from multiple ancient marine species. Once thawed and accidentally unsealed by scientists in Polar Station, it found a new, fertile host—a human body.
Discovered too late, the conflict broke out. In its desperate struggle, the parasite killed several people and used their flesh to mutate into the horrific form you see now. Its current body is a terrifying amalgamation: part ancient parasite, part human host, reinforced with the remains of those it consumed.
This is why the design emphasizes both raw flesh horror and human suffering. Within its mass, you can clearly see distorted human forms, twisted faces screaming in agony, permanently trapped and unable to reclaim control of their bodies. The Parasitoid doesn’t merely wear human flesh; it enslaves it, making its own victims part of its horrifying presence.
Distinction from the Unidentified
It was important to separate the Parasitoid’s identity from the Unidentified of Season 1. The Unidentified rapidly evolved by absorbing genetic material, displaying traces of whatever DNA it consumed. The Parasitoid, however, does not simply copy; it uses the human body directly, molding it into its own shape. Its horrific design emphasizes assimilation rather than adaptation, leaving behind a grotesque monument of all it has claimed.
Hidden Among Us
Another key element is its ability to mimic humanity. Once it infects a host, the Parasitoid can maintain a human form, walking unnoticed among others until the moment of revelation. But when direct conflict is inevitable, it unleashes its true nature: warping bones and flesh into weapons, selectively mutating offensive organs.
In gameplay, this translates into a killer that is slow but immensely strong. Its true victory condition is not just slaughter, it craves to infect, to blend in, and ultimately to smuggle a living parasite host out of the Polar Station.
Its design reflects this duality:
- Rear tentacles (derived from its marine ancestry) are used for infection, spreading the parasite.
- Frontal mutations are pure combat tools—jaws, claws, and weapons of flesh designed to tear apart anyone standing in its way.
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Terrorscape Season 2 launches September 9th on Gamefound.
Follow the campaign, and grab the all-in like Parasitoid does for humans!
