How to Read This
We split creatures into shown (seen in official trailers, the gameplay showcase, or named by the developers) and expected (drawn from the Lovecraft novella the game is based on, likely but not yet confirmed in-game). We'll move entries up to "shown" as they're verified.
One thing the developers have been clear about: The Mound is not a wave-based shooter. Each creature has its own behavior, its own triggers, and its own way of ruining your expedition — and the deeper and longer you go, the more of them appear. Knowing what's out there, and what sets it off, matters far more than firepower. Here's everything we can reasonably catalog before launch.
Creatures shown so far
The Tue-Tue (Chonchón) shown
The most specific creature named so far, and a great example of ACE Team — a Chilean studio — weaving in regional folklore alongside Lovecraft. The Tue-Tue, or Chonchón, comes from Chilean and Mapuche legend: a flying head adorned with feathers, tied to dark sorcery and said to be an omen of death. Expect an aerial threat that announces something very bad is coming.
Maddened humans shown
Not every threat is inhuman. The deep drives people insane, and you'll contend with maddened humans as well as demonic creatures — a grim echo of what the expedition could do to you and your own crew if your sanity gives out.
Supernatural forces & hallucinations shown
Some "enemies" aren't creatures at all. Otherworldly forces in the ruins distort your perception — testing your senses, blurring reality and illusion, and turning teammates into apparent monsters. These tie directly into the sanity system and may be the most dangerous "creature" of all, because they make you the threat.
Expected from the novella
The game is built on Lovecraft's novella "The Mound", which is full of horrors tied to the three realms. These are strong candidates to appear, but treat them as expected until confirmed in-game:
Y'm-bhi — corpse-slaves expected
In the novella, the immortal people of K'n-yan reanimate and mutilate the dead into y'm-bhi — corpse-slaves bound to their masters' will. Few things fit a cosmic-horror extraction game better than blind, reanimated sentries shambling through ancient halls.
The reptile people of Yoth expected
Beneath K'n-yan lies Yoth, the red-litten ruins of a fallen serpentine civilization that worshipped Tsathoggua. Whether as living threats or ophidian remnants, the reptile people are a natural fit for a deeper, more alien layer of the descent.
The formless spawn of N'kai expected
Deepest of all is N'kai, the lightless abyss and origin of the toad-god Tsathoggua, where shapeless, dark spawn are said to dwell. If the game takes you this far down, expect its most nightmarish encounters here — the kind even the underworld's own inhabitants sealed away in fear.
How creatures get deadlier over time
Whatever shows up, remember the golden rule: threats escalate the longer you stay. A quiet early run becomes a nightmare if you linger, as more numerous and more dangerous creatures arrive to punish greed. That pressure is the whole reason extraction timing matters — something we cover in the beginner's guide.
FAQ
What is the Tue-Tue in The Mound?
The Tue-Tue (Chonchón) is a creature from Chilean and Mapuche folklore — a feathered flying head linked to dark sorcery and seen as an omen of death — confirmed as one of the game's threats.
Are there zombies in The Mound?
Not "zombies" exactly, but the source novella features y'm-bhi — reanimated corpse-slaves — which are a strong candidate to appear in some form. We'll confirm at launch.
How many creatures are in the game?
A full roster hasn't been revealed. We'll catalog every confirmed creature in our bestiary as they're shown and tested.
For the full, evolving catalog, see our creature bestiary. To understand the force that turns your own crew into monsters, read the sanity system explainer, and get the world's backstory in our lore guide.