The Backrooms 1998 developers Steelkrill Studio are back with another horror title, this time inspired by Mexico’s infamous Island of the Dolls in Where Dolls Hang. Blending investigation, survival systems, and psychological horror, players step into the role of a detective investigating disappearances inside a living forest overrun with mannequins, puppets, and unnatural figures that seem to appear where they shouldn’t.
What begins as a missing persons case slowly becomes personal as players search for clues tied to the disappearance of the detective’s own daughter. Investigate crime scenes, examine bodies, photograph evidence, and survive a hostile wilderness that grows increasingly dangerous after dark. Beyond the forest trails, flooded swamps, and hidden waterways can be explored by boat, leading to isolated locations filled with disturbing discoveries and hidden dangers.
Between investigations, players return to a customizable safehouse where they can craft supplies, upgrade equipment, and prepare for the next descent into the unknown. Dynamic weather systems, adaptive threats, survival mechanics, and immersive detective gameplay combine to create a horror experience where uncovering the truth can be just as terrifying as surviving the forest itself.
Seeing as you’re a detective, you’ll be doing detective things such as examining bodies, placing evidence markers, bagging corpses, and photographing crime scenes using an in-game camera system. You’ll also be navigating the flooded swamp regions and hidden waterways while uncovering isolated areas cut off from the main map. In doing so, you’ll also be dealing with the game’s dynamic weather systems, which not only impact your visibility, but also your stealth and enemy behavior.
Where Dolls Hang is currently in development for release later this year on Steam.