Scottish Fish and Chip Shop Inspires Horror Game Grease Trap '99

James Muirhead's horror game Grease Trap '99 draws on his experience working in a Scottish fish and chip shop, featuring Gaelic dialogue and a Cthulhu-inspired monster. Funded by Creative Scotland, the game blends cultural authenticity with nostalgic graphics.

Inspiration Behind Grease Trap '99

James Muirhead, a game developer, has drawn inspiration from an unconventional source for his latest horror video game: working in a Scottish fish and chip shop. He explained that he sought a culturally Scottish setting and identified a fish and chip shop as the most representative cultural location.

"I wanted a culturally Scottish place, and the most Scottish cultural place I could think of was a fish and chip shop,"

James also has personal experience in this environment, having worked in a fish and chip shop in Perth immediately after university before entering the games industry.

"I also worked in a fish and chip shop myself in Perth before I worked in the games industry. It was the job I had straight after university."

James Muirhead Screenshot from a horror computer game showing the interior of a fish and chip shop called Mac’s Fish Bar, with fryers in the foreground, a menu board on the wall, a yellow “Caution Wet Floor” sign on the tiled floor, and a red-lit doorway glowing ominously at the back of the shop. — Grease Trap '99 is set in a small town chippy where all is not as it seems

Funding and Game Concept

The 28-year-old developer recently received £10,000 in funding from Creative Scotland to assist in the creation of Grease Trap '99. This video game features Gaelic dialogue and challenges players to fulfill customer orders while a monster grows in the basement of the chip shop.

"Some creepy things start happening inside the chip shop while they're working," James said.

The monster is described as reminiscent of Cthulhu-style seaside horror, characterized by octopus-like tentacles and a slimy, grotesque appearance.

"The monster itself is very Cthulhu-esque seaside horror - octopussy, tentacles, slimy, gross - that kind of thing."

James also cited his residence in the East Neuk of Fife as an influence on the game's premise, which involves a "spooky mystery happening in this small sedate seaside town."

The game's visual style is inspired by early PlayStation graphics, contributing to an uncanny atmosphere.

"The homely comfy environment like a chip shop that people are familiar with, and nostalgic old-school graphics really helps lean into an uncanny dreamlike feeling."

James Muirhead Screenshot from a horror computer game set inside Mac’s Fish Bar, showing a row of metal fryers with baskets of chips under bright heat lamps, blue-handled fryer baskets resting on the counter, red-and-white tiled flooring, and a dark back doorway illuminated by an ominous red light. — Players will have to juggle customer service with increasingly nefarious goings-on

Incorporation of Personal Experience

While the monster is a fictional element, aspects of James's former job have been incorporated into the game. The menu, for example, draws heavily from the chip shop where he worked.

"The menu is very inspired by the menu of the chip shop I used to work in,"

He noted that although frying Mars Bars is often associated with chip shops, it was not part of his experience and is more of a tourist attraction. However, the "pizza crunch"—a supermarket pizza folded, battered, and deep-fried—was a popular item and will feature in the game. Additionally, "scraps," small pieces of batter that float in the fryer and are served atop chips, will also appear.

"I don't think I fried a single Mars Bar when I worked in a chip shop, I feel like that's more for the tourists, but the thing that shocked me that a lot of people get is the pizza crunch - the supermarket pizza that's folded up, battered and deep fried. That will definitely be making an appearance, as well as scraps - the small bits of batter that flake off things and float in the fryer, and then you fish them out and then serve them on top of the chips."

A man in a dark coat and cream turtleneck stands on a harbour pier on a grey day, holding a battered sausage in one hand and an open fish and chips box in the other. Lobster pots and stone harbour walls are visible behind him, with the sea in the background. — James says the menu items in the game have been inspired by his own chip shop experience

Scottish Specificity in Chip Shop Culture

Although fish and chip shops are common across the UK, James emphasized that his game reflects specifically Scottish experiences. He remarked on differences he observed when living in England, such as the absence of the Scottish system distinguishing between a "single" (an individually fried item) and a "supper" (the item plus chips).

"They don't even have the Scottish system of a single - which is like the individually fried item and then the supper which is the item plus chips,"

He also commented on the variety of items available in English chip shops, including kebabs and pizzas, which he found unusual.

"It's chaos down there, they've got kebabs and pizzas in the fish and chip shops, which is insane. We're pioneers in the systemic ordering of chip shop menus, which is actually quite handy when you're making a game, because it's this easy to use system where it's just like, 'this plus this', add different scriptable objects - it all comes together very nicely when you're programming it."

Gaelic Language and Cultural Influence

James was inspired to include Gaelic dialogue in his game after playing the indie horror game Sona 2000, which features Finnish language and tasks players with heating a sauna. This experience fostered an appreciation for Finnish culture and language, motivating him to create a similar experience for Gaelic.

"I came out of it with this appreciation for Finnish culture and the Finnish language that I didn't have before, and it just sort of seeped into my subconscious and I thought, 'wow, it would be great to do something like that for Gaelic'," James said.

He is currently learning Gaelic to assist in the game's development, a process supported by the Creative Scotland funding.

"The funding is completely game-changing. It means I can work on it full time. I don't have to worry about bills as much which is great, but it also means I can start taking Gaelic classes in person. I've just been learning with apps and stuff now I can actually go to in person Gaelic classes. It also means I can work with contractors and other artists and I can compensate them."

Development and Promotion Plans

In addition to game development, James is actively promoting Grease Trap '99 through social media and by submitting it to games festivals. He aims to have a playable version available by the summer.