As we previously reported at the beginning of the year, Kevin Ko’s terrifying found-footage horror Incantation was being developed as an indie video game by Taiwanese company Softstar Entertainment – and you can now play the brand new demo, if you’re brave enough.
Incantation, which stars Tsai Hsuan-yen, Kao Ying Hsuan and Huang Sin-ting, hit Netflix in 2022 after become the highest-grossing Taiwanese horror film of all time. The movie followed young mother Ronan (Tsai) trying to save her daughter from an ancient curse she unknowingly unleashed six years prior.
The Incantation game follows a similar story, but seems to be taking the lore in a new direction:
A full overview of the game from the Steam store reads as follows:
Incantation is a first-person horror mystery game that’s adapted from a movie of the same name. The game reveals the chilling story behind “Chen Village” from the movie. A mother searching for her missing daughter accidentally stumbles into a village filled with mysterious cults. Beyond the palpable madness and fear in the village, there’s a sinister force that drives one to despair. What happens when one crosses the forbidden line of this evil deity?
In this unknown and eerie environment, search for fragile clues to piece together the whereabouts of your loved one. Is all this struggle to solve the mystery, or just a desperate desire to survive? Danger can strike from unexpected places; be alert to everything in the village! Try to hide your movements as if you’ve never set foot on this land before. Throughout this journey, every corner, every object, every emotion you encounter will lead you closer to the truth. But, is all of this just a coincidence? Or is there a hidden agenda behind everything? Wholeheartedly offer your name. If it pleases the Mother-Buddha, maybe, just maybe, you’ll find a glimmer of hope in this deadly game…
Allegedly influenced by a real incident in the Taiwanese city of Kaohsiung in 2005, Incantation created an eerie lore surrounding a malicious entity known as Mother Buddha.
The demo, now available to download and play on Steam, certainly makes it clear that the Incantation video game looks to be as scary as the movie itself. Give it a try, if you think you can handle it…!