Studio releases first trailer

The Shanghai-based studio 12AM BLACKOUT has released the first trailer for JIAOHUN, a psychological horror game set for release in 2027 on PC and PlayStation 5. The trailer provides a glimpse into the game's eerie atmosphere and narrative themes.

Game genre and setting

JIAOHUN is described as a first-person narrative adventure with puzzles that drive progression. Set in a fictional Chinese village in the early 2000s, the game is inspired by the Chinese folk concept of JiàoHún, which refers to the practice of recalling the soul of a person who has been frightened or separated from their body due to shock, trauma, or illness.

Fictional town and its lore

The game takes place in Fairy Town, an isolated town in Baishoi county whose calendars are stuck on the eve of the year 2000. According to the official press release, the town's inhabitants, influenced by the social upheavals of the time and fears surrounding the millennium change, gave in to their unfulfilled desires and obsessions, unleashing inner demons and turning the commune into a place of perdition.

Visual style and technical approach

The game's aesthetic is inspired by the VHS tape look of old cathode ray televisions, with the studio planning to use a cinematic direction alternating between 4:3 and 2.39:1 image formats to mimic this style. The game will be developed using Unreal Engine 5 and is expected to be available on PC (Steam) and PlayStation 5.