Director Phil Fish cites the explorer video games Myst (1993) and Ico (2001), the works of video game designer Shigeru Miyamoto (notably the Super Mario games and the Legend of Zelda games), and the works of anime director Hayao Miyazaki as an influence on the game's design.
Phil Fish watched Hayao Miyazaki films during development to get a good idea of the "feel-good" atmosphere he wanted the game to have.
Composer Disasterpeace drew influence from many scores for this game: Howard Shore's Lord of the Rings Shire theme, 1980s horror media, the soundtrack of demoscene game Jasper's Journeys, the Legend of Zelda dungeon music, the Mass Effect soundtrack, electronic music band Tangerine Dream, and minimalist composer Steve Reich.