Psychological horror veteran Bloober Team indulges in some weird séance

Developer/publisher Bloober Team

Format PC, Xbox Series X

Origin Poland

Release 2020

A mid the imposing Gothic churches and cold, Brutalist architecture of post-communist Krakow, a woman is haunted by disturbing visions of a child’s death. This is the titular spiritualist, Marianne, whose psychic gifts are a bridge between the real and spirit worlds. As she seeks the truth behind a tragedy at a former vacation resort, Marianne navigates shifting realities and uncovers events that developer Bloober Team hopes will cause players to question their perceptions with every new discovery.

“Nothing is simple, nothing is black and white,” lead game designer Wojciech Piejko tells us. “Playing as a medium gives you a unique vantage point beyond the reach of ordinary people. So the story is crafted in a way that you reveal more and more information, and hopefully it will change your point of view about the other characters and events.”

The Polish studio is known for its firstperson psychological horror - including two Layers Of Fear titles and cyberpunk drama Observer - which it has delivered to varying degrees of success. Its last game, Blair Witch, was mired in gimmicks, compromising its horror with visual trickery that left us bemused but never truly put the wind up us. Convincing a player that they are lost and imperilled without frustrating them is a tricky thing to achieve; despite a handful of design flourishes and inventive mechanics (which never quite add up to the sum of their parts), Bloober Team has come close, but never nailed it.