The Orphaned House preparing to open in 2027

• Announcements by Jack Allin
• Published:

"Quiet suspense" puzzle adventure from the creators of FORM and Twilight Path coming to PC and consoles

Indie Canadian developer Charm Games has treated players to a number of VR-exclusive adventures over the years, but for their next project they're flattening their focus to regular ol' viewscreens for the upcoming The Orphaned House.

Details are intentionally scarce, as the titular house is designed to be a puzzle box of secrets that is "far more than it appears." What we do know is that you awaken there "with no memory, but the compelling urge to find answers – answers The Orphaned House hides." It isn't combat or stealth skills that are required here, but rather "curiosity and smarts are key to unravelling the mysteries within its walls." Easier said than done, however, as reality seems to warp in this place, so you can never be sure whether everything is "truly as it seems." To persevere, you must "be intrepid, dig deep, and witness the cascading impact of your visit as the House responds to your presence and actions."

Unlike the developer's previous puzzle adventures FORM and Twilight Path, The Orphaned House is not made for virtual reality. It will still be presented in free-roaming, first-person 3D, but this time for flatscreens, built using the Unreal Engine 5. Via keyboard/mouse or gamepad, players must "discover the house's secrets by investigating its enigmatic rooms, solving tactile environmental puzzles" along the way. Many objects can be examined, and each challenge represents another piece of the puzzle that will unravel the secrets behind this enigmatic abode, though "how they connect to the story is for you to figure out." The environment promises to be eerily "atmospheric" but this is not a horror game in the traditional sense, with no enemies or jump scares to contend with, instead aiming to immerse players in "quiet suspense" throughout. 

The full version of The Orphaned House should be open to visitors in 2027 for Windows PC on Steam and the Epic Games Store, along with console versions for PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S, with Steam Deck and Nintendo Switch under consideration to follow. If that seems too long to wait, there's a demo to look forward to in the meantime, expected sometime before the end of this year.