Sam Barlow, the acclaimed developer behind narrative investigation games like "Her Story" and "Immortality," has unveiled his next project: a sci-fi horror title named "Precognition." Developed by Barlow's studio Half Mermaid, the game is slated for release in spring 2028 and marks one of the debut titles from Kinetic, the new publishing label founded by the creators of "Phasmophobia."
"Precognition" centers on Diana, a former child prodigy with a photographic memory who receives an experimental implant. This implant grants her the ability to see visions of her future. Players will interact with these visions, focusing on specific moments and committing them to memory. However, this act triggers a butterfly effect, altering the future and presenting new visions to manipulate.
"As a player, you watch these visions of the future and you hold the triggers down and that commits [it] to memory," explained Barlow during a recent showcase. "So if you imagine something like the movie Memento, where he's walking around with his Polaroids: Diana is collecting Polaroids of her future. So as the player, you have complete freedom to decide 'What do I think is useful to send back - what is important information that I can send back from the future?', and as soon as you do that, the future changes and you get a new vision."
Barlow described this mechanic as allowing players to amass an "inventory of alternate possible futures." The consequences of manipulating these memories can range from personal revelations, such as discovering infidelity, to more calculated advantages. Barlow highlighted the game's systemic nature and the "huge amount" of freedom players will have in sculpting the future through their choices.
A significant addition to "Precognition" is the collaboration with filmmaker Brandon Cronenberg, known for his work on films like "Possessor" and "Infinity Pool." Cronenberg co-developed the narrative and co-wrote the script alongside Barlow. Barlow noted that the game's central mechanic is particularly "grokkable" and directly tied to the unfolding story, calling it a diegetic element with tangible consequences.
"Precognition" is being developed for PC (Steam), PlayStation 5, Xbox Series S/X, and the Nintendo Switch 2.