Video Games
Psychological Horror Game ‘T.W.I.R.L.’ Creeps to an August 10 Release on Steam [Trailer]
Genie Boy Games’ T.W.I.R.L., a horror game about growing up with a deep secret that must be protected for life, will be heading to Steam next month on August 10. The game will also see releases on the PlayStation 5, Xbox Series and the Nintendo Switch at a later date.
Creep through the throes of youth as a nine-year-old boy in 2006, awakening at 3:00 a.m. while his family is asleep. Slink around his childhood home as some unknown force coaxes him out of bed, pulling him to roam the halls in the dead of night. Feel every pace with the weight of a spectral overseer behind him, compelling him to “T.W.I.R.L.” — whatever that means — with one caveat: Don’t tell anybody.
Protect a secret for life in a story told through P.T.-inspired loops that change both child and home. Bear the untold weight of navigating adolescence as he grows up to make a massive, life-changing revelation. Open the door to self-reflection in an exploratory walk through the haunted nostalgia of 2006, where anyone noticing you – even yourself – means death.
“Our movements, habits, and secrets shape our identities, especially as children,” said Ben Escobar, founder of Genie Boy Games. “Secretive turned-subconscious rituals can define us without us even knowing. While most walking simulators are often preoccupied with an end destination, T.W.I.R.L. is meant to ask: who are we in between, through each step towards something we actively keep secret?”
Ahead of the game’s release, you can also check out the demo on Steam.
Kinetic Games has followed through with the 13 Willow Street map rework for Phasmophobia today, which is free across all platforms. Accompanying the map rework is the first of two major quality-of-life updates bringing hundreds of bug fixes and helping refine the gameplay experience.
Ghost hunters can prepare for a refreshed investigation experience with the reworked Willow map, adding a host of new paranormal interactions, objects, and hiding spaces. As with the most recent overhaul to 6 Tanglewood Drive, Willow retains an almost identical layout but features redesigned rooms, including a reconfigured basement layout, bringing the gameplay experience up to the team’s current development standards.
The reworked rooms include an art studio, home gym and entertainment room, replacing the bedroom, garage and basement previously featured in the haunted house. Alongside these visual updates, curious players will be able to uncover new lore hidden throughout Willow, piecing together a story waiting to be discovered.
“As part of the 13 Willow Street rework we’re continuing our approach to storytelling in Phasmophobia and developing the game’s narrative,” said Anastatia Dukakis, Senior Narrative Designer at Kinetic Games. “It’s always exciting to see the community make new discoveries together and we love seeing everyone share their theories and thoughts on the lore behind in-game locations.”
Players will also be tasked to correctly identify (and survive) 50 ghosts as part of map’s challenge, awarding the Sun Seeker ID set upon completion. Players can also unlock the Cool Cat ID card and badge for the first week after launch, by watching 2 hours of Phasmophobia streams.
Meanwhile, the major update accompanying the map rework is inspired by community feedback following the Player Character Update, and reflects Kinetic Games’ ongoing commitment to delivering the level of quality players expect before Phasmophobia leaves Early Access.
The update introduces a range of changes helping to refine the gameplay experience with refreshed animations allowing for smoother and quicker movements, and changes to evidence collection for a more seamless experience, and ghost hunters might also face a new presence lurking in the shadows…
New keybinds have also been added with players now able to use 1,2,3 and 4 for changing inventory slots alongside wider accessibility tweaks. For an overview of all the fixes landing in-game, you can check out the blog post here.
Phasmophobia is available in Early Access on PC via Steam, PlayStation 5 and PlayStation VR2, and the Xbox Series.