Ah, Scheiße.

Pentiment, the latest game by Obsidian, is garnering attention not just for its gameplay but for an unusual issue. During a GDC talk, Director Josh Sawyer revealed that characters unintentionally started swearing due to a procedural error system that ran amok.

In Pentiment, players navigate text dialogues presented in various artistic fonts according to the characters’ social standing—priests use a gothic script, peasants scribble, and the town printer’s dialogue appears in bold block letters. This dialogue system, however, has a quirk where it can mistakenly generate incorrect letters, leading to unexpected results.

“Letter replacements became the thing that we did,” Sawyer stated, reflecting on how this feature, initially seen as simply a stylistic choice, became a comedic element of gameplay. He noted that the missteps often resulted in funny, albeit inappropriate, swearing that surprised both the developers and players.

The initial intention of the letter replacement feature was to enhance the immersive text interactions in the game. Unfortunately, it resulted in amusing mishaps where phrases intended to keep the game wholesome instead turned into comical obscenities.

For instance, if the procedural system mismanaged letters in common words, it could lead to unexpected and humorous outcomes, prompting frantic corrections.

Sawyer emphasized that while some words were certainly unintended, the team saw the benefits in identifying and correcting these errors earlier rather than later, which subsequently led to a growing list of sensitive terms to avoid in future developments.

This quirky revelation showcases Obsidian’s innovative approach to game design and highlights how unexpected outcomes can enrich the gaming experience. As Sawyer aptly put it, this occurrence teaches valuable lessons for upcoming developers regarding the often unforeseen successes of early adjustments.