Summary
During opening night ofSummer Game Fest 2024, Blumhouse Games revealed a teaser showcase for its upcoming slate of new horror titles, and it looks like fans of the genre are in for a real treat. Blumhouse is known for blockbuster movies likeMEGAN,Five Nights at Freddy’s, andThe Black Phone,however, the publisher’s first lineup of games are a far cry from what I expected from Blumhouse, and I couldn’t be more excited.
Summer Game Fest’s Blumhouse trailer showcased six games in a very densely packed and exciting two minutes of footage. From what was shown, it looks like Blumhouse is intent on publishingsomething for every type of horror fan, which is a smart move in a genre that’s started to lack creativity outside of indie spaces. In lending its name to a host of smaller indie developers instead of releasing something based on its own IP,Blumhouse has definitely piqued my interest as a horror fan - and got me excited about the genre in a way I haven’t been for a while.
10 Biggest Reveals From Summer Game Fest 2024
Summer Game Fest has become the premier annual event for new games. Here are the biggest trailers, and new reveals from its 2024 opening night.
An Unexpected Horror Game Showcase From Blumhouse
No MEGANs In Sight
When Blumhouse first announced plans to move into game publishing, my expectation was movie tie-in games. Since we’ve seen a slew of multiplayer horrors based on big movie IPs recently - likeTexas Chain Saw Massacre, therecently-releasedKiller Klowns from Outer Space, and the ill-fatedFriday The 13th The Game, this is mostly what I expected to see except with Blumhouse IPs. This wouldn’t necessarily be a bad thing - movies likeMEGANhave a huge fanbase - but withDead by Daylightdominating the genre, it’s almost impossible to compete (as unfortunately seen with the now-endedFriday the 13th).
While I am a big horror fan, I much prefer a spooky single-player experience to an online one, soto say I was pleasantly surprised by Blumhouse’s Summer Game Fest trailer would be an understatement. At least from what was revealed, Blumhouse looks to be publishing a host of unique games with a vast variance in gameplay. With an FMV, a classic PS1-era survival horror callback, and other odd, esoteric, and unique-looking titles, Blumhouse really is starting off with a bang.
Of course it’s worth mentioning thatsome of the most creative and exciting horror games in recent years have come from indie developers,and while there’s a distinct lack of creativity in the AAA space, indie games have continued to experiment with horror in unique ways. Blumhouse becoming a publisher that amplifies some of these creators and enables more players to find their games, rather than working with its own movie IPs, is a great move for the horror genre as a whole.
Half Mermaid
Crisol: Theatre of Idols
The first game revealed in the trailer wasCrisol: Theatre of Idols. The game will feature a “twisted version of Spain where folklore and history come together to give life to Tormentosa, a mysterious town baptized by the sea.” While the game’s combination of horror and FPS immediately bringsBioShockto mind, it promises a unique gameplay mechanic, explaining: “your weapons are thirsty of blood instead of bullets.Sacrifice your own life to defeat the profane creatures that threaten you, but keep a constant eye on your health or you will bleed to death.”
Grave Seasons
Next to be showcased wasGrave Seasons,perhaps one of the most unique-looking games of the trailer.A pixelated farm and town sim game with serial killers sounds like an exciting premise that brings to mind games likeGraveyard Keeperand the tip-of-my-tongue lost horror game supposedly about the disposal of bodies, mixed with theDead by Daylightdating sim. It’s an intriguing premise for a bright and colorful horror that will hopefully stand out as a must-play.
Sleep Awake
Sleep Awakeis described as a “first-person psychedelic horror game set in the far future,“and it looks promising.Stylistically it has somevisual similarities toIn Sound Mindwhich is no bad thing, and I’m keen to see more. Currently the officialEyes Outwebsite doesn’t have much further detail on the upcoming release.
The Simulation
Next isThe Simulation, which is perhaps the game I’m most excited for. Its mix of visual styles and its apparently fourth-wall-breaking narrative are things I’m very keen to see more of. The teaserseems to suggest the game’s protagonist - a game designer - is able to manipulate and change the world around them, which was one of my favorite mechanics ofAlan Wake 2. Details are thin on the ground for this one too, but it’s definitely one I’m watching closely.
Fear The Spotlight
Blumhouse’s initial release will beFear the Spotlight, which first launched in 2023 before being pulled from Steam to make way for a “significant update.” The game’s official description reads as follows:
Fear the Spotlightis an atmospheric third-person horror adventure with a disturbing mystery to unravel. Sneak into school after hours with Vivian and Amy, survive a séance gone wrong, solve tactile puzzles, and, whatever you do, stay out of the spotlight…
The game is reviewed onSteamas “Very Positive” and has been praised for its nostalgic survival horror gameplay, though users did note back in 2023 that it was a short experience. Perhaps the promised update will beef it out with some new content when it’s ready to re-launch sometime this year across PC and consoles.
What Is Project C?
The Final Game Of The Blumhouse Trailer
According to theSteampage,Project Cis an FMV horror game, but not much else is known. The Steam page features blocks in place of text to create a redacted summary, though we do get the following cryptic tease:
For now we see through a glass, darkly;
but then face to face: now I know in part;
but then shall I know even as also I am known.
Notably, the upcoming game is from the visionary minds of Sam Barlow and Brandon Cronenberg.Barlow is already known for the FMV genre thanks toHer Story, but has also worked on twoSilent Hillgames:OriginsandShattered Memories; while Cronenberg is also extremely familiar with the horror genre as the director ofhorror sci-fi movies likeInfinity PoolandPossessor. He is, of course, also the son of movie legend David Cronenberg himself.
Project Calready has some promising names behind it, but the Steam page gives away a little more.Players can expect mature horror content including violence or gore, as well as a half-redacted promise ofsomething"for the first time ever in a video game.“While we can only begin to guess at what that feature might be, it certainly does suggestProject Cis a horror game to keep your eye on. Unfortunately there’s no release date yet.
While a game based on an existing Blumhouse IP might have been a big win for lots of players, I’m far more excited to see a big studio amplifying smaller developers - especially as they all seem to bebringing something creative and unique to the very over-saturated horror market. Hopefully this is the trackBlumhouse Gamescontinues down, because it’s definitely a lot more exciting to me than another horror movie tie-in game.
