Midnight Walk: A Stop-Motion Inspired ‘Cozy Horror’ Game

Moments into my initial encounter with The Midnight Walk, I found myself questioning, “Am I really seeing gameplay here, or is this just an intro movie?” The visuals were simply mesmerizing, reminiscent of a lush stop-motion film. It was then I realized that MoonHood Studios was flaunting actual in-game footage.

The Midnight Walk takes on the aesthetic of a stop-motion film, bringing to mind works like Phil Tippett’s Mad God or those classic Tool videos. What sets it apart is the craftsmanship: characters, creatures, and settings are built from real-world materials. Klaus Lyngeled from MoonHood explains that the team crafted around 700 items, scanned them in 3D, and transformed them into polygon models. The characters move with that charming stop-motion jitter, and the camera’s shallow depth of field nails the authentic look.

Lyngeled, alongside writer Olov Redmalm, categorizes their game as a first-person narrative puzzle adventure, rich with quirky characters and amiable monsters. They describe it as a “cozy horror adventure.” The storyline unfolds through several fairy-tale chapters, each woven with themes of warmth, contrast, and the quest to illuminate a darkened world.

The journey begins with the main protagonist, the Burnt One, clawing their way out of a grave and piecing themselves back together. As they wander along the mystic path known as the Midnight Walk, they encounter a comical little companion, Potboy. This guiding spirit, equipped with a brazier on its head, helps players ignite torches using matches to shed light on their path and fend off adversaries.

Throughout the game, players will tackle puzzles and sneak around enemies. There’s even an intriguing mechanic to close your eyes and just… listen. MoonHood encourages using headphones to fully experience the binaural audio. As for combat, the developers revealed a unique weapon—a lit-match shooter—to tackle monsters from a distance and solve environmental puzzles.

Though there’s a soothing essence to The Midnight Walk, largely thanks to Potboy, some segments dive into true horror. Monsters here aren’t mere caricatures; they’re creatively unsettling—think cyclopean mutants, terrifying spiderlike creatures, sewn-eyed leathery figures, and furious-looking slug monsters.

The game draws inspiration from a medley of sources like Over the Garden Wall, The Nightmare Before Christmas, David Lynch, and Half-Life 2. Yet, what stands out during my preview is how The Midnight Walk combines these influences into something uniquely its own. I have to say, MoonHood’s fresh offering wasn’t even on my radar until last week, but now, I’m genuinely anticipating it.

Luckily, the wait won’t be long. The Midnight Walk is set to launch on May 8 for PlayStation 5, complete with PlayStation VR2 support, and also on Windows PC through Steam.