Though the traditional scary season may still be months away, and summer is officially just around the corner, fans of horror and adjacent games were given a number of titles to look forward to at this year’sSummer Game Fest. Among the world premiers, trailers, and gameplay reveals at Geoff Keighley’s annual showcase, there was perhaps a larger than expected presence of forthcoming fear-inducing games at 2024’sSummer Game Festcoming from developers both established and more recently formed.
Likely one of the bigger surprises and welcome announcements forfans of horror games of all kinds, was that Blumhouse, the film production studio well-known for its prolific output of horror, psychological thrillers, and similar works, is entering the gaming industry via a publishing division. Having released the adaptation ofFive Nights at Freddy’slast October, Blumhouse is now diving fully into the video game world, and is committed to producing a range of games in line with its approach to its cinematic pieces. On top of that, a few other notable horror titles made appearances, all of which bodes well for fans of the genre.
Summer Game Fest 2024 Contained a Bag of Treats for Horror Fans
Blumhouse Announces Partnership With Various Developers During Summer Game Fest 2024 to Publish a Suite of Horror Titles
At the event, Blumhouse founder and CEO Jason Blum, and Louise Blain, Creative Lead for its newly minted gaming label, took the stage to officially reveal and present a selection of six upcoming horror games via a series of trailers and teasers. Largely focusing on smaller or independent creators, the entries appeared to cover a range of design styles and subgenres, and a few have some notable names attached. These titles and respective developers that Blumhouse unveiled it was partnering with include:
Other Horror Games Shown At Summer Game Fest 2024
Aside from the above collection, another highly anticipated title for horror enthusiasts shown off wasBokeh Game Studio’sSlitterhead. Fans were given a closer look at the upcoming entry envisioned by Keiichiro Toyama, creator ofSilent HillandGravity Rush. With its survival horror story set in Tokyo, intense combat, and creatively grotesque monster designs, it looks to be hitting all the right notes, and players will be able to experience it this fall, asSlitterheadis scheduled to release July 28, 2025.
TheDay of the Devsevent following theSummer Game Festalso featured some titles of interest, such as Rocket Adrift’sPsychroma, adystopian cyberpunk visionmarrying “paranormal concepts and grounded future technology,” andKarma: The Dark Worldby Pollard Studio, a psychological thriller channeling George Orwell and David Lynch.
2023 was a phenomenal year for horror games, and with all the above and possibly more to come, fans currently have plenty to look forward to now as well. Roughly halfway through the year, 2024 already seems set to deliver some excellent horror games in the near future, keeping the genre alive and well into the latter part of the year and beyond.
Slitterhead
WHERE TO PLAY
Set in the densely cluttered streets of “Kowlong,” filled with obscurity and chaos, this battle action-adventure game casts players as the “Hyoki,” an entity devoid of memory and physical form. His only motive is to eradicate the monstrous beings known as “Slitterheads” crawling around the city, disguising themselves as humans.Roaming the vibrant neon-lit cityscape, players must seek out allies among humans known as “Rarities,” infiltrate and track dangerous organizations, and engage in battles harnessing the power of blood. As the suspenseful drama unfolds, delve into the mystery behind Hyoki’s existence and the appearance of the Slitterheads.
