Coming early next year
“When your mind is this twisted, you have no one to blame,” the announcement trailer for In Sound Mind says. For horror fans, that might as well read “When your mind is this twisted, there’s no telling where the story’s gonna go.”
In Sound Mind is an upcoming horror game from the development team behind famed Half-Life 2 mod Nightmare House 2. It leans into those psychological horror roots, again blurring the seams of reality and insane therapy-induced visions. You’re fighting the unstable foundation of your own mind.
Having played through the first chunk of In Sound Mind, it’s a first-person, inventory-based thriller. Early puzzles have you swapping out fuses and assembling a handgun, all while ominous and creepy things happen around you. There’s an emphasis on optional exploration, and scripted events play out frequently with self-narration a la Alan Wake. Also, I took this very important screenshot:
An official description of gameplay reads: “Journey through a progression of unsettling stories, each with unique puzzles, mechanics, weapons, and boss fights,” and “Confront those who stalk you in a series of daunting boss fights and learn how to defeat them by solving mind-bending puzzles.”
You need not rely on my description to experience In Sound Mind second-hand. There’s a Steam demo available so that you can play the first chapter right now. Here’s the link.
In Sound Mind is bolting right past current-gen consoles and has its sights set on next-gen. It’s currently slated to launch in Q1 of 2021 on PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X.
