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What is Frictional Games?
Frictional Games is an independent game developer and publisher known for first-person horror games that emphasise atmosphere, sound and psychological tension over combat. Its best-known series is Amnesia, alongside SOMA and the Penumbra games. The studio also maintains its own HPL game engine, which it has used across multiple titles and released for community modding.
What the studio does
- Develops and publishes horror games: The Amnesia series spans The Dark Descent, A Machine for Pigs, Justine, Rebirth and The Bunker, and SOMA is a separate science-fiction horror title.
- Supports modding: The site features mod jams built around the HPL engine, including a 2024 "Escape Room Edition" and a 2026 jam themed "What Is Reality?" with an ASUS ROG hardware prize.
- Maintains its games after launch: Patch notes, such as the 1.31 update for Amnesia: The Bunker, are published on the site.
- Publishes behind-the-scenes material: Amnesia: Design Works is an announced book covering the writing, design and art of all four Amnesia games.
- Sells merchandise: A Simon Jarrett plushie from SOMA is available.
Who it suits
Players who want dread and discovery rather than action, and modders interested in building on the HPL engine. Someone deciding where to start could try Amnesia: The Dark Descent for the series' foundation or SOMA for its philosophical science-fiction angle, then check the site's news feed for updates and community jams.
Which games has Frictional Games developed, and what order should I play them in?
Frictional Games' own site shows a catalogue spanning Amnesia, SOMA and Penumbra, with the Amnesia series named as four games: The Dark Descent, A Machine for Pigs, Rebirth and The Bunker Frictional Games. That is the clearest development history the page gives; it doesn't list every title or release date, so treat the sequence below as practical advice rather than an official order.
A sensible playing order
- Amnesia: The Dark Descent — the natural starting point. Its slow, puzzle-led horror establishes the studio's house style and makes later refinements more appreciable.
- Amnesia: A Machine for Pigs — a shorter, more narrative-driven follow-up. Play it second if you want the full Amnesia arc, but it is the most skippable entry for players who prefer mechanics over atmosphere.
- SOMA — the strongest standalone recommendation. Its underwater setting and philosophical science-fiction premise suit players who want ideas and story more than chase sequences. The site even sells a Simon Jarrett plushie, a sign of how central that character is Frictional Games.
- Amnesia: Rebirth — returns to the desert-and-ruins style of the first game with a more emotional story. Best after The Dark Descent, since it plays with familiar series expectations.
- Amnesia: The Bunker — the most systems-driven entry, built around a semi-open bunker and a persistent creature. Its 1.31 update focused on quality-of-life and stability improvements, so it is a good choice for players who want tension plus resource management Frictional Games.
Choosing by taste
| If you want… | Start with |
|---|---|
| Classic horror and puzzle-solving | The Dark Descent |
| A self-contained science-fiction story | SOMA |
| Replayable tension and improvisation | The Bunker |
| A short narrative experience | A Machine for Pigs |
The Penumbra games predate Amnesia and are worth visiting if you enjoy seeing the studio's earlier engine work; the site's mod-jam posts reference the HPL engines used across these titles Frictional Games. For a first session, pick The Dark Descent or SOMA depending on whether you want puzzles or philosophy, then branch into The Bunker once you know you enjoy the studio's pacing.
How can I get the Simon Jarrett plushie from SOMA?
The Simon Jarrett plushie is sold through Frictional Games' own announcements and store links rather than a single fixed product page. The most reliable route is to check the studio's site for the announcement post titled "Simon from SOMA plushie available now!" and follow the purchase link it provides. Frictional Games Frictional Games is the official source for this item, so start there rather than with marketplace listings.
Practical steps
- Open the announcement post on the Frictional Games site and look for a "buy" or "order" link in the body text.
- If the post's link is dead or out of stock, check the studio's newer posts for restock notes, since limited-run merchandise often returns in batches.
- When buying secondhand, confirm the seller shows the actual plushie with tags and packaging, because unofficial SOMA merchandise exists.
What to expect
This is a collector's item tied to a specific character, so availability tends to be intermittent and stock can sell out quickly after an announcement. If it is currently unavailable, the realistic options are waiting for a restock announcement or buying from a reseller at a higher price. Set a reminder to revisit the studio's news page periodically rather than relying on search results, which may surface outdated listings.
What is the Frictional Mod Jam and how do I enter?
The Frictional Mod Jam is a community modding competition run by Frictional Games, the studio behind Amnesia and SOMA. Entrants build original mods around a set theme, and the studio highlights selected entries and winners on its site.
What the current jam involves
According to the announcement on Frictional Games, the 2026 edition runs from 27 May to 25 August under the theme "WHAT IS REALITY?" It is aimed at HPL engine modding and uses a submission link for entries. The stated prize is one ROG Xbox Ally from ASUS ROG. The studio's framing—"things stop lining up"—suggests it wants mods that unsettle perception or blur what is real, though the theme is broad enough to interpret creatively.
Earlier editions show the format varies: the 2024 jam was an "Escape Room Edition," so check the current announcement rather than assuming the rules carry over.
How to enter, practically
- Read the current jam post in full on the Frictional Games site and follow its submission link.
- Build your mod in the HPL engine (HPL1, HPL2 or HPL3, depending on which game you are modding) and keep it within the stated theme.
- Submit before the deadline—25 August for the 2026 edition—using the official link rather than sending files another way.
If you are new to HPL modding, the studio's own games are the best starting point: Amnesia: The Dark Descent and SOMA both ship with tools and documentation, and the jam's categories suggest the community works across all three HPL versions. Budget your time around the deadline rather than around polish; a finished, atmospheric short mod usually reads better than an ambitious unfinished one.
Is it for you?
The jam suits hobbyist modders and small teams who want a deadline and a prompt, and who are comfortable working within Frictional's engine and horror-adjacent tone. It is less suited to people who want to mod other engines or ship commercial projects. If you are deciding whether to join, the key criterion is whether the theme sparks a concrete idea you can scope to the available weeks—if it does, entering is mostly a matter of building and submitting through the official link.
Does Amnesia: The Bunker still receive updates, and what did patch 1.31 change?
Yes. Amnesia: The Bunker has continued to receive updates, and version 1.31 is described on Frictional Games' site as a quality-of-life release aimed at a smoother, more stable experience. The site's patch note points readers to the Steam patch log for the full list of fixes, and the excerpt shown does not itemise individual changes—so anyone deciding whether to return to the game should check that log for specifics rather than assume new content.
What the evidence supports
- Updates continue: The 1.31 patch is presented as a current update to the game, not a one-off launch fix.
- Focus of 1.31: Stability and quality-of-life improvements, addressing listed issues to improve overall gameplay.
- Where details live: The linked Steam patch log is the place for the exact fixes; the announcement itself is a summary.
Practical next step
If you are a returning player, read the Steam patch log before reinstalling so you know whether your specific frustration—performance stutters, save behaviour or general stability—was addressed. If you are new to the game, treat 1.31 as evidence the developers still maintain it, but judge the game on its core design rather than on patch notes alone.
For studio context and related announcements, see Frictional Games.
What does Amnesia: Design Works cover, and is it worth buying for fans of the series?
Amnesia: Design Works is a behind-the-scenes book covering the writing, design and art of all four Amnesia games—The Dark Descent, A Machine for Pigs, Rebirth and The Bunker—according to Frictional Games' own announcement on Frictional Games. The post frames it as "another descent into darkness," chronicling development from Castle Brennenburg down to the Bunker, so expect a development-history and art book rather than a strategy guide or lore compendium.
Who it suits
- Long-time fans who want to see how the series evolved across four very different games, from the 2010 original to the more systems-driven The Bunker.
- Design-minded readers—writers, level designers, artists—curious about how atmosphere and dread were built in practice.
- Art-book collectors who value concept art and commentary alongside text.
It is a weaker fit if you mainly want walkthroughs, hidden-lore explanations or in-game content; the announcement points to writing, design and art coverage, not play advice.
Deciding whether to buy
Ask yourself which you want more: a making-of record or a reference for playing. If it's the former and you've finished at least a couple of the games, the book's span across the whole series is the main draw. If you've only played one entry, check whether that game gets enough space to justify the purchase for you—the announcement doesn't break down page allocation per title.
As a practical next step, read the full announcement post on the studio's site before ordering, and see whether the publisher or retailer lists a contents page or sample spread; that will tell you faster than any summary whether the balance of art versus text matches your taste.
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