Bad Cheese may look fairly straightforward on the surface with its horrific twist on the Steamboat Willie aesthetic, but in speaking with its creator, we learned just how deep the rabbit hole truly is.
On January 1, 2024, one of the most iconic characters in human history entered the public domain. One of the original versions of Mickey Mouse, Steamboat Willie, became free property for all creators to use as they desire.
Much like we saw with other similar IPs such as Winnie-the-Pooh, it wasn’t long before poor old Mickey was the subject of vile torment. Adopting a child-like creation and morphing it to suit a horror experience quickly became a popular trend, and that’s where Bad Cheese comes into the mix.
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On the surface, you’re getting a creepy, body-horror-infused tale with a character eerily similar to Steamboat Willie. But as we learned, that really is just the beginning. There’s a deeper meaning to this fascinating indie project, one you wouldn’t suspect just from looking at it.
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What is Bad Cheese?
BAD CHEESE – RELEASE WINDOW TRAILER is here!
Step into the tiny paws of a mouse spending the weekend at home with a dysfunctional Dad while Mom’s away.
KEEP DADDY HAPPY and WISHLIST now! 🧀 pic.twitter.com/J8CWvkV3Sf
— Bad Cheese 🧀 DEMO AVAILABLE NOW! (@BadCheeseGame) May 24, 2025
At a glance, Bad Cheese is a first-person horror game leveraging the visual style of 1920s animation, and of course, Steamboat Willie in particular. Playing as a troubled mouse, you need to be on your best behavior when cleaning up the house, so as not to make your father mad.
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From a pure gameplay perspective, this involves first-person shooting mechanics, plenty of jump scares, and a bit of exploration as you unravel the mystery at the heart of it all.
But as we’ve mentioned, that barely scratches the surface. The visual style is enough to draw you in, but the narrative is what will leave a lasting impression.
Bad Cheese is a deeply personal game, as solo creator Simon Lukasik told us. It tells the story of a “disturbed child in a household with an abusive father.”
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Stemming from Lukasik’s experiences growing up with an alcoholic parent, the game reflects much of his personal trauma. In a sense, portraying his own story has been a form of “game dev therapy.”
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What the solo dev says about it
A horror game in the “clothes” of Steamboat Willie
“I think with Mickey Mouse – in my game we refer to him as Keymick – He’s overweight, has eating disorders, he’s coping. These were excellent clothes to put on this idea because they create a contradiction. On one side, you’ve got innocent children; on the other, you have this abusive household drama.
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“His childhood doesn’t allow him to become the lighthearted guy that we expect. That’s the trauma of children in abusive households.”
FeardemicMickey, or Keymick here, isn’t quite the same cheery mouse we all know.
“The most common issue of going with this style is that people see it as a cheap cash grab. Something is released into the public IP, let’s make a horror game!”
“We were aware of this issue and discussed it from the very beginning.”
Working through childhood trauma
“There are three layers to the story. The first, it’s a horror in the style of Steamboat Willie. We hope that can draw someone’s attention. Then you go to the second layer, it’s a story about an alcoholic, abusive household. Then the third layer, the deepest layer, it’s a depiction of my personal story.
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“It’s all very personal. It’s the story of a disturbed child in a household with an abusive father. Trying to navigate his life, trying to survive in an alcoholic household.
“You never know what condition your [parent] might be in on a given day. In some cases, you need to become invisible. To basically not provoke them. This is important drama that many can relate to.
“I don’t think many games touch upon this topic. It’s a very dark story, and very weird, but eventually, it’s about hope.”
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FeardemicBad Cheese pulls no punches with its demonic enemy designs.
Disney meets body horror
“I went crazy with it. Making ‘Daddy’ change his appearance every level. I didn’t want anything to hold me back with crazy ideas. I really got a free hand, no one was interfering with the vision.
“At one point, there is a Binding of Isaac reference where you cry. You can use your tears to attack, but ‘Daddy’ feeds on your fears and your pain.”
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“It’s a little bit BioShock-y. There’s a sock cannon, a potato gun where you’re creating French fries to fire at enemies. Each section has its own unique tool and set of activities. 10 different sections in the game to play around with.”
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FeardemicEach level brings new mechanics into the fold.
Bad Cheese is set to release this Summer across both PC and PlayStation. You can wishlist the game here and play an early demo.
