Video Games
Demo Released for ‘P.T.’-Inspired Psychological Horror Game ‘T.W.I.R.L.’ [Trailer]
Ahead of its participation in the upcoming June Steam Next Fest, developer Genie Boy Games unveiled the 30-minute Steam demo for their upcoming psychological horror title T.W.I.R.L., a horror game about growing up in 2006 and harboring a deep secret that must be protected for life. The developer’s debut title will launch on Steam later this year, followed by releases on the PlayStation 5, Xbox Series, and Nintendo Switch.
Routines, rituals, and relationships may define us, but T.W.I.R.L. asks: what’s your deepest, darkest secret? Stay silent as a nine-year-old boy creeping out of his bedroom at 3:00 a.m. while everyone’s asleep. Feel the weight of every step forward while being followed by a demon…? A Person? Or is it something else?
Tiptoe through the haunted nostalgia of 2006, where a presence beyond evil draws players through P.T.-inspired loops, changing the environment to unveil the life story of a boy who grows up hiding a deep, dark, and potentially sinister secret.
In the new demo, players will roam through a 30-minute-long experience introducing a family, their house, and the unspoken mystery hiding within.
“Of many things, T.W.I.R.L. is a challenge to look fear in the eye, and see it for what it is: nothing,” said Ben Escobar, founder of Genie Boy Games. “Through our story about childhood secrets, the loss of innocence, and growing up in 2006, we hope that our game inspires you to embrace a rediscovery of self, and an acceptance of your lifelong fears.”
Video Games
Demo Now Available for First-Person Action Title ‘Vampire Hunter: Nightrise’, Coming July 14 [Trailer]
Over the Moon Games has announced that their upcoming first-person title Vampire Hunter: Nightrise will launch on Steam on July 14. You won’t have to wait until Steam Next Fest next week to get a chance to get your vampire slaying fix in, as the game’s demo is available now.
Touted as “Castlevania meets Tunic,” Nightrise puts players into a vampire’s castle with a single goal: reach him before nightfall. Of course, it’s easier said than done, since you’ll be needing to deal with the castle itself. Rotating fireplaces, moving bookshelves, watching portraits, and hidden passages are open from the start, but they only give way once the player understands how the place works. No keys, only knowledge.
Meanwhile, despite not having a whip, you’re equipped with something just as cool in a stake launcher that pins enemies to walls. You can also fire stakes through flame to ignite them, and even turn the castle’s own furniture into ammunition.
Underneath it all, the player’s faith is a major gameplay mechanic, functioning as as a literal resource that the castle constantly tempts them to trade away for power, quietly shaping how the story ends. As your conviction weakens, the castle’s influence grows stronger. You’ll have to manage faith as carefully as ammunition.
“In Nightrise, almost everything is open to you from the very beginning, if you know how to reach it,” explains Over the Moon Games’ John Warner. “There is something deeply rewarding about learning to overcome an obstacle instead of just finding a key. It creates a real sense of power and wonder. We took huge inspiration from Tunic in that respect, and from Outer Wilds.”