Stray Souls

Stray Souls is a survival horror action adventure game - it was inspired by iconic works of horror, its soundtrack composed by Peter Wicher (Visage) and Akira Yamaoka (Silent Hill series, The Medium). It's the debut game of Jukai, an indie Polish studio founded in 2022.

Plot

The game's protagonist is Daniel, an unremarkable teenager who, on his eighteenth birthday, receives inheritance from his grandmother, making him the heir to a manor in Aspen Falls.

Though it initially seems like a dream, it soon turns out to be a nightmare. Daniel soon learns the city is cursed and home to a mysterious cult.

Mechanics

Stray Souls is a third-person game, mostly focusing on exploring the town of Aspen Falls and its surroundings. Our main objective is to learn about Daniel's past. We'll get to make important decisions that shape his personality.

Players will visit various locations (a forest, dark streets, the aforementioned manor), examine numerous items and figure out how to use them. Stray Souls features many puzzles requiring manipulating objects (setting gears, clocks, etc.).

Combat is a large part of the game - Aspen Falls is home to many nightmarish creatures. Daniel will need to fight against undead, multi-armed monsters or massive beasts. Though he's not defenseless and can wield firearms, oftentimes the best solution is to avoid combat. We can sneak past some enemies, but sometimes our only option is to run away. Due to limited resources, we must be mindful of each encounter.

Many elements of the game are random, making Stray Souls a different experience every playthrough. These elements include different item and monster spawns, changing weather and unexpected supernatural events.

Technical aspects

The game runs on the Unreal Engine 5. It uses MetaHuman technology, ensuring photorealistic facial expressions.