Netflix will release The Conjuring: Unspoken, a new horror game set in The Conjuring universe, exclusively on its service on October 13th. The game uses a phone as a controller, letting players take part in an interactive paranormal investigation from their couch. It is a narrative experience, meaning players shape the story by picking different dialogue options as they go.
In the game, players take the role of demonologist Francesca Noakes and search the historic Red Lion Inn, described as a reportedly haunted location in England, for clues about supernatural activity. Players use their phone to operate ghost-hunting tools, including an electromagnetic field reader, an infrared camera, and a spirit box. The television displays the virtual environment, while the phone serves as the controller for those tools. The infrared camera, for example, lets players view a thermal overlay of the surroundings while hunting for cold spots that suggest an otherworldly presence.
Netflix said players do not need to have watched the Conjuring movies to play, but noted that a few familiar faces appear in the game and that knowing the backstory adds to the overall impact. The title was developed by Supermassive Games, the studio known for narrative horror games such as The Quarry and Until Dawn.
Supermassive Games announced in August that it planned to lay off up to 75 staffers. The studio's former IT and facilities director said yesterday on LinkedIn that more than 70 people would be leaving the company. The Conjuring: Unspoken is not the only recent Netflix horror release to carry staffing news.
The new game follows the June launch of Unhinged, another horror title. That game was developed by Night School, the studio behind Oxenfree, and Netflix shut the studio down in August. Netflix has been building out its game lineup as part of its streaming offerings, with the Conjuring title arriving exclusively on the service.
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