Those itching to get their hands on Top Hat Studios and developer 13th Street Studio’s lo-fi nightmare in BECROWNED won’t have to wait much longer. During the Horror Game Awards Halloween Showcase, the devteam has announced a Q1 2027 release window, As well as revealing that in addition to Steam, the game will launch for the Nintendo Switch 2, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series.
Accompanying the announcements is a new trailer that showcases the darker, stranger direction BECROWNED has taken since it was originally announced several years ago. The game has evolved dramatically since early impressions drew comparisons to classic staples of the psychological horror genre. BECROWNED now encompasses the atmosphere of 1970s and 1980s grindhouse cinema, as well as the surrealist dark satirical humor of 70s French horror.
In BECROWNED, players step into the role of Richard Torrance, a self-willed yet deeply dissatisfied man who believes happiness is something to be seized through sheer force of will. However, underneath his domineering mantle lies a gnawing emptiness that no achievement can satisfy. The player will navigate a complex web of Richard’s relationships – both inside and outside of the strange dimension he finds himself in – to determine his ultimate fate.
The more he pursues the simple yet elusive concept of happiness, the further Richard is drawn into bizarre, disturbing, and surreal places that should not exist…but remain very real. As he descends into a nightmarish world where reality and madness begin to blur, his desperate need for control becomes an obsession, forcing him to question whether the greatest threat to his own salvation is himself or those around him.
If you’re keen to check out the game, you can play the recently-updated demo on the game’s Steam page.