Sam Barlow, the acclaimed creator behind groundbreaking interactive narratives like Her Story and Immortality, has officially unveiled his next ambitious project. The new game, titled Precognition, represents a bold collaboration between Barlow’s studio Half Mermaid and filmmaker Brandon Cronenberg, known for his unsettling body horror films Possessor and Infinity Pool. This sci-fi horror experience will challenge players to explore footage where they can see and potentially alter future events, continuing Barlow’s signature approach to video-based storytelling while venturing into darker, more disturbing territory.

A Partnership Between Gaming and Cinema’s Most Innovative Minds

The collaboration between Sam Barlow and Brandon Cronenberg brings together two creative forces who have consistently pushed boundaries in their respective mediums. Barlow has earned widespread recognition for revolutionizing interactive storytelling, beginning with 2015’s Her Story, where players searched through police interview footage to uncover a murder mystery. His 2022 release Immortality elevated the concept further, asking players to investigate the disappearance of a fictional actress through decades of lost film footage. Both titles demonstrated Barlow’s unique ability to transform passive viewing into an engaging investigative experience.

Brandon Cronenberg, son of legendary horror director David Cronenberg, has established himself as a formidable filmmaker in his own right. His 2020 film Possessor explored themes of identity and violence through a corporate assassin who inhabits other people’s bodies, while 2023’s Infinity Pool delved into the consequences of consequence-free behavior among wealthy tourists. His visceral visual style and philosophical approach to horror make him an ideal creative partner for a game exploring precognition and the terrifying implications of knowing the future.

Continuing the Evolution of Full Motion Video Gaming

Precognition represents the latest evolution in full motion video gaming, a genre that Barlow has almost single-handedly revitalized over the past decade. FMV games enjoyed popularity in the 1990s during the CD-ROM era, with titles like Night Trap and The 7th Guest showcasing early interactive video technology. However, the genre fell out of favor as 3D graphics improved and storage limitations became less restrictive. Barlow’s work demonstrated that FMV could offer something unique that traditional game graphics could not: genuine human performances with all their subtlety and nuance.

The premise of Precognition adds an intriguing new dimension to this formula. Rather than simply searching through past recordings as in Barlow’s previous titles, players will apparently interact with footage of future events. This creates fascinating narrative possibilities: can players change what they see, and what are the consequences of attempting to alter predetermined outcomes? The sci-fi horror framing suggests these questions will lead to disturbing answers, particularly with Cronenberg’s influence on the project’s aesthetic and thematic direction.

Phasmophobia Publisher Kinetic Games Enters New Territory

The announcement also marks a significant milestone for Kinetic Games, the studio behind the phenomenally successful ghost-hunting game Phasmophobia. The company is launching a new publishing label with Precognition serving as one of its debut titles. Phasmophobia became a massive hit upon its early access release in 2020, selling millions of copies and popularizing cooperative horror gaming. Kinetic’s move into publishing suggests the company is looking to support other innovative horror experiences while continuing to develop their flagship title.

Precognition is scheduled for release in spring 2028, giving the development team substantial time to realize their ambitious vision. This extended timeline reflects the complexity of producing high-quality FMV content, which requires not only traditional game development but also full film production with professional actors, sets, and cinematography. Barlow has previously discussed how Immortality involved shooting what essentially amounted to three complete films across different eras, demonstrating the scale of effort these projects require. With Cronenberg’s involvement, expectations for Precognition’s visual quality and narrative depth are exceptionally high.