Video Games
‘Alone in the Dark’ Remake Developer Pieces Interactive Shut Down
The current precariousness of the video games industry took another hit today. Weeks after Embracer Group revealed that Pieces Interactive’s remake of Alone in the Dark had “performed below management expectations”, it’s now being reported that the developer has been shut down by Embracer Group. Pieces Interactive had posted to the main page of their website and on the studio’s social media accounts the caption “Pieces Interactive: 2007–2024. Thanks for playing with us.”
Per Game Developer, former Pieces Interactive character artist Gustav Pethrus confirmed via LinkedIn that the company was indeed closing.
The closure of Pieces Interactive follows the layoffs done earlier in the year at the developer by Embracer Group, which was part of a major restructuring by the company. Borderlands developer Gearbox Interactive and Evil Dead: The Game developer Saber Interactive had been sold off back in March, while Eidos Montreal (which Embracer had acquired back in May 2022) had its in-development Deus Ex game cancelled.
Prior to the layoffs, the situation for Pieces Interactive had been made more complicated due to the weak commercial response and mixed critical reception to the Alone in the Dark remake. Despite being rough around the edges, we found that the game was still a worthwhile playthrough.
Alone in the Dark is available on PC via Steam, Xbox Series, and PlayStation 5.
Video Games
Immerse Yourself in Mystery with Narrative-Driven Folk Horror Title ‘The Polar Darkness’ [Trailer]
Independent developer Horsefly Games has announced their own brand of folk horror with The Polar Darkness, a narrative-driven mystery inspired by Finnish folklore, classic investigative adventures, and cosmic horror. Accompanying the announcement is the first trailer, which offers the first look at the game’s visual style, mystery-driven gameplay, and isolated northern Finnish setting.
Coming to Steam next year, the game is set during the polar night (Kaamos) of 1980s northern Finland. Players take on the role of journalist Emma Järvelä as she travels to the isolated village of Sysiluoma to investigate a controversial revival movement led by a charismatic cult leader and her child preacher. When the child mysteriously disappears during a sermon, and a blizzard cuts off all contact with the outside world, Emma becomes trapped in a community where every resident seems to be hiding a different version of the truth.
The Polar Darkness emphasizes investigation, dialogue, observation, and deduction. Players will question villagers, gather clues, solve environmental puzzles, and piece together a mystery rooted in local history, folklore, and something ancient buried somewhere deep.
“Classic mystery adventures such as Gabriel Knight were a major inspiration,” said Juho Kuorikoski, creator of The Polar Darkness. “I wanted to create a story that captures that sense of investigation, folklore, and slow-burning dread, but through a distinctly Finnish lens.”
The story unfolds across three days using a time-based structure mechanic. Complete tasks and objectives to advance the game’s internal clock. Characters move and events change as time passes, and choices determine what you see and what you miss. Each playthrough reveals a different perspective on the truth.
The game features a distinct visual presentation that combines photographic 2D characters based on real actors to atmospheric 3D environments. Complementing the visuals is a soundtrack heavily inspired by Finnish folk music, composed and performed by Finnish folk artists.