Blumhouse is a name that has come to mean something to a great many horror fans. The house that Jason Blum built is one of the biggest producers of genre filmmaking – both on the big and small screen – in modern Hollywood. From Get Out to M3GAN and everything in between, the studio has given us an awful lot over the last decade and change. Now, they’re breaking into the world of gaming with the aptly named Blumhouse Games. The studio’s first title, Fear the Spotlight, is coming our way next month.
I recently had the good fortune of getting my hands on the game for a demo at this year’s Fantastic Fest, which also included the first ever Fantastic Games event, presented by Day of the Devs. Not only did I get to play the opening chunk of Fear the Spotlight, but I got to speak with one of the key creatives behind the whole endeavor. In short? Both based on my first impressions and what I was told, this seems like a great extension of what Blumhouse does best in the early going.
“It’s kind of like how Jason built the film business,” Blumhouse Games president Zach Wood told me at the fest. “We’re focused on original ideas, all small budget. Low risk, high upside.” That’s precisely what they do with the movies. Spend low, mitigate risk, capitalize on the hits. So we’re not looking at big, expensive AAA titles. That means the scale might be limited in some cases, but it also allows them to go outside the box.
Fear the Spotlight is described as “a creepy love letter to classic 90s horror experiences with a focus on rich storytelling, puzzle solving, and a tense atmosphere.” It is a straight up retro spook fest. It feels like a game that one would play in the mid-’90s on the original PlayStation while drinking Surge with some pals on a Friday night. Even with its retro graphics and gameplay, it does have a modern, intuitive feel, making it easy for gamers to pick up and play right off the bat.
“This game speaks to the kinds of games we really want to do. It’s really authentic,” Wood said. “There’s a lot of passion behind it. It’s a really good story. It’s legit scary. It’s retro in its visuals, but that’s intentional. But it also feels very modern in how you play it.”
The story of the game picks up at Sunnyside High, which has a dark history. When Vivian enters the deserted corridors for a seance with the rebellious Amy, she suddenly ends up alone, and at the mercy of the monster who wanders the halls. Vivian must avoid its gaze, find her friend, and uncover the disturbing, murderous truth of a decades old tragedy.
Once people heard that Blumhouse was getting into gaming, they fielded pitches from various teams and other companies. As for Fear the Spotlight, the husband and wife duo of Bryan Singh and Crista Castro that make up Cozy Game Pals were just at the right place, at the right time, with the right pitch. That’s how this ended up being the first Blumhouse Games title to make it to market. Per Wood:
“This one’s kind of a love letter to early console horror, and also to ‘90s teen horror movies. We found it, we told them we loved it and offered to help in any way we could. We did all of the console versions.”
Because the game was already pretty much done, Singh and Castro actually had a very rare gift in the gaming world; extra time. With that time, they developed an entirely new chapter for the game to expand the scope of it. “Once you beat the base game, another chapter opens up,” Wood explained. While I didn’t get nearly far enough into the game to worry about that other chapter, this is welcome news. Particularly in light of the game’s attractive $19.99 price point.
“We’re just looking for really creative takes in horror,” Wood added. “We think we’re well set up to do that.” That lines up with what Louise Blain, Creative Lead at Blumhouse Games, told Fango earlier this year, saying they want to offer a “flavor of fear for everyone.”
To that end, it’s not just retro ‘90s-inspired mystery games on deck. Blumhouse Games’ initial slate includes everything from a horror-flavored farming simulator to a game from Brandon Cronenberg known as Code Name: Project C for now. The best thing I can say is that, after around 30 minutes with Fear the Spotlight, I not only want to finish that game, but I’m downright eager to see what else they have in store.
As for what the future holds? One thing that Wood teased is that they are indeed open to adapting Blumhouse films into games down the line. It’s just about getting the timing and idea right. As Wood explained…
“We’re focused on originals for now but certainly we will get to existing Blumhouse IP. We’ll do things in those areas. We just want to be mindful about it. We don’t want to rush those things out. So much of that is the right idea. The right creative partner. Is anything else happening in the movie or TV world with that property to maximize the opportunity.”
“Certainly, that’s the desire,” Wood said of the possibility of turning some of these games into movies down the line. “We want the games to resonate first. If we find an audience with our games, certainly we would love to make a film or a television series out of it.”
“It’s purely game first,” Wood assures. “But we always have that desire. We’re well built to do those things too.”
Look for Fear the Spotlight on PC and console on October 22.
