Among the Whispers: Provocation comes to life on Steam

• Announcements by Jack Allin
• Published:

Randomized ghost-hunting simulation from the creator of Conrad Stevenson's Paranormal P.I. available now for Windows PC

Virtual ghost hunters had better be on call regularly these days, as there seem to be more and more opportunities available every year. The latest such job listing is Among the Whispers: Provocation, the first installment of a new horror simulation series from D&A Studios, solo developer of 2023's similar haunted house adventure, Conrad Stevenson's Paranormal P.I.

Taking over from Conrad here is Stephanie, a "determined young woman looking for answers to her own harrowing brush with the supernatural." Like her predecessor, Stephanie's search has taken her "through several homes and locations in the quiet town of New Eidolon," finally leading her to the doorstep of the "labyrinthine mansion on Magnificent Drive." The mansion is haunted by generations of ghosts from a dark family history filled with "sinful" secrets. It's your task to track them using real-world ghost-hunting tools and learn what you can about "what binds them here," then "find their relics, and perform the rituals releasing them into the afterlife." To coax them out, you'll use your gift of "provocation," which allows you to see and communicate with the deceased, and "the more you discover, the more provocations you will learn." It's a dangerous game, however, as attempting to provoke a ghost without proper preparation can lead to dire "psychological consequences."

As with the previous game, Among the Whispers is a first-person, free-roaming 3D adventure that focuses not on puzzle-based gameplay or even scaring people (though that is likely to happen – these ARE ghosts we're dealing with), but rather on being an "authentic real-life paranormal investigation simulator." Unlike Conrad Stevenson's Paranormal P.I., the action here all takes place in one building. That's not nearly as restrictive as it sounds, however, as the building is "enormous," with four storeys and more than thirty rooms to investigate. There you'll discover "passive" storytelling elements that shine light on the ghostly inhabitants in that particular playthrough, including clues for how to guide them onward. Significantly expanding the possibilities even further, each time you enter the Gilded Age manor, an entirely new family tree is procedurally generated, as well as the "type of ghosts and their haunting locations," ensuring that no two playthroughs are alike. 

Among the Whispers: Provocation is available now on Steam for Windows PC, with hopefully more still to come as you "develop a base of operation and venture out to investigate various locations" in subsequent games in the series.