Tenebris Somnia Does It Use AI? What New Blood Interactive Says

The Short Answer: No, Tenebris Somnia Does Not Use AI

If you have watched the live-action sequences in Tenebris Somnia and felt a flicker of doubt, you are not alone. The question "Tenebris Somnia does it use AI?" comes up again and again because the game pairs 16-bit-style pixel art with filmed footage of real actors — a combination that looks expensive for an indie production.

The good news is that "Tenebris Somnia does it use AI?" has a clear, on-the-record answer. New Blood Interactive, the game's publisher, has stated plainly that the live-action sequences were created with practical effects and VFX editing. In one social post, the studio closed the caption with two blunt words: "Not AI."

That matters. A horror game that sells itself on handmade, film-crew craft would lose its identity if those scenes were machine-generated. Here is what the publisher actually said, how the footage was made, and why the rumor spread in the first place.

Where the AI Suspicion Comes From

Tenebris Somnia is a 2D retro survival horror adventure game in the vein of Silent Hill or Resident Evil, adapted to an 8- or 16-bit aesthetic. The twist is that at certain key story beats, the game cuts away to sequences shot in live action with real actors and practical effects.

That format is unusual, and unusual formats invite suspicion. Pixel art and filmed footage sit at opposite ends of the fidelity spectrum, so when the live-action scenes look sharper and more cinematic than the gameplay around them, some players assume a generative tool must have been involved.

The Steam page describes these sequences as coming from "a completely different point of view" and being produced by "a professional and award winning film crew from Argentina." That framing is accurate — and it is also the reason the AI question keeps resurfacing.

What New Blood Interactive Has Actually Said

The publisher has addressed the rumor directly rather than letting it circulate unanswered.

• Instagram, November 19, 2025: New Blood posted a clip of the live-action footage with a caption stating that the sequences were "created with practical effects and VFX editing," followed by "Not AI." The comments underneath include players praising the studio for keeping generative tools out of the pipeline.
• Facebook, August 13: The studio published a video titled "Did we use AI to create the cutscenes in Tenebris Somnia?" — a direct, self-aware response to the exact question players were asking. The top-liked comment on that post thanks the team for avoiding AI, and the studio's own replies point viewers back to the Steam page.

Neither post is ambiguous. The publisher's position is that the cutscenes are physical, performed, and edited — not generated.

How the Live-Action Cutscenes Were Made

According to the game's Steam listing and its release announcements, the filmed segments were produced the old-fashioned way.

• Real actors on real sets, with practical effects created in-camera rather than painted in afterward.
• Traditional VFX editing layered on top of the practical work.
• An Argentine film crew described by the publisher as professional and award-winning.
• Roughly four years of combined game development and filming, per the studio's October 16, 2026 release announcement.

Andrés Borghi directed the project, with Saibot Studios developing and New Blood Interactive publishing. Borghi's background is in filmmaking, and the game's story leans on that: the protagonist, Julia, is searching for her ex-boyfriend Ivan, a film student whose short movie and festival trophies become central clues.

For players who want the full official description, the Tenebris Somnia Steam store page lays out the cinematic concept and the crew credits.

Tenebris Somnia at a Glance

Review counts and pricing above are dated snapshots from the Steam page as captured on October 20, 2026. Both change over time, so check the store listing for live figures.

Does the Gameplay Use AI?

There is no indication in any of the material reviewed for this article that AI generation was used elsewhere in Tenebris Somnia. The publisher's statements specifically address the live-action sequences, which are the part of the game most likely to trigger the question.

What the Steam listing does confirm is the core loop: you solve puzzles, manage inventory, combine items, and fight creatures across a shifting apartment building that gradually becomes something far stranger. The page's own summary is that you will "struggle to survive while solving puzzles and fighting horrible creatures," with the game's secrets hidden inside its cinematics.

Player experience from an early demo playthrough backs up the puzzle-heavy structure. One YouTuber described combining chemicals, blood, and sunlight to dissolve a sealed door, and later needing a thick rubber glove to shut off a fuse box — while noting that some solutions felt obtuse without a hint system. That is a design critique, not an AI concern.

Why the AI Question Keeps Coming Back

Three things keep the "Tenebris Somnia does it use AI?" search alive.

First, the game's hook is the live-action footage. Any time a small studio ships footage that looks like a short film, audiences now ask how it was made.

Second, the aesthetic mix is genuinely rare. Most retro horror games stay entirely in pixel art, so the jump to live action reads as either expensive or automated — and Tenebris Somnia is a modestly priced indie release.

Third, AI disclosure has become a buying decision for a vocal segment of players. Comment threads under the studio's posts make that clear, with players openly saying they were relieved to learn the scenes were shot practically.

The Bottom Line on Tenebris Somnia and AI

If you are weighing a purchase and the AI question is a dealbreaker, the publisher's public statements should settle it. The live-action segments were performed by actors, built with practical effects, and finished with standard VFX editing — and the studio has said so in its own words, more than once.

The remaining uncertainty is artistic rather than ethical: whether the cutscenes earn their place in a game that could have told its story in pixel art alone. That is a question only playing it can answer.

FAQ

Tenebris Somnia does it use AI for its live-action cutscenes? No. New Blood Interactive has stated that the sequences were created with practical effects and VFX editing, and captioned one post plainly "Not AI."

Who produced the live-action footage? An Argentine film crew working with director Andrés Borghi and developer Saibot Studios, with New Blood Interactive publishing. The studio describes the crew as professional and award-winning.

When did Tenebris Somnia release? October 16, 2026, according to the Steam store page. A demo is also available on the same listing.

Is there any AI-generated content in the rest of the game? Nothing in the sources reviewed for this article indicates AI use outside the filmed sequences. The publisher's public statements focus on the cutscenes, which are the element players most often question.