During the Find Your Next Game (FYNG) showcase at Gamescom 2026, Italian indie studio 906 Games and publisher Big Blue Sky Games revealed Cutout, their upcoming side-scrolling action-horror adventure set in a grim fairy tale world handcrafted from cardboard, paper, fire, and shadow. Those attending Gamescom can get their hands on a demo of Cutout in the Indie Castle, located in Hall 10.2 (E020g – D021g).
Cutout tells the story of Lena, the forsaken child of a dying forest. Longing for an acceptance she never received from the people of her village, she embarks on a quest to recover a powerful scepter that grants its wielder total dominion over the land and its people.
Sporting what’s referred to as a Cut & Paste Combat system, Lena can become more powerful with every enemy she takes apart. If you sever an enemy’s limb, you can attach it to Lena, enhancing her with new attacks or abilities. Players can customize Lena to lean towards a favored playstyle, or experiment to discover new possibilities throughout the adventure.
However, the enemies Lena faces will play by the same rules. A lucky blow can remove one of Lena’s limbs, which enemies can claim and attach to themselves. Every fight, and every part, can change what Lena becomes.
“Most action games reward combat with a new sword,” said Giulio Perez, co-founder and art director of 906 Games. “Cutout rewards you with the arm that was holding it.”
Another unique aspect of Cutout is its papercraft visuals, which were carefully achieved under the guidance of Giulio, who spent more than a decade in the world of fashion. Cutout’s spooky and gloomy environments are laid out to resemble a handcrafted diorama assembled from real-world materials, including those that one would find “stashed away in the attic.”
Similarly, the game’s soundtrack is crafted in that spirit by co-founder and classically trained composer Sergio Missaglia. Cutout is scored using a variety of unconventional instruments and recording techniques to create a unique soundscape that’s both equal parts disconcerting and enthralling, built to match the game’s world.
“My goal for the music is for it to convey the emotion and struggle of Lena’s journey,” said Missaglia. “To achieve the sort of raw sound you typically only hear in outsider music, I intentionally recorded compositions on instruments I’ve never played before—including some broken instruments I found in secondhand shops—to capture her childlike wonder and to explore the expressive possibilities of the instruments without the filters of traditional culture and musical knowledge.”
Currently, Cutout is slated for a 2027 release on Steam,