Midnight Walk: A Cozy Horror Game with Stop-Motion Animation Vibes

A few minutes into exploring “The Midnight Walk,” I found myself wondering, “Is this really gameplay footage? Or am I watching a captivating animated film?” What unfolded before me looked like something out of a beautifully crafted stop-motion movie. It soon became apparent, though, that the talented team at MoonHood Studios had crafted what I was seeing in real time.

The game’s visuals are reminiscent of the meticulous stop-motion work seen in Phil Tippett’s “Mad God” or classic Tool music videos, thanks to its unique artistic approach. Klaus Lyngeled from MoonHood explained that the studio painstakingly sculpted around 700 physical objects, scanned them in 3D, and transformed them into the models we see in the game. The character animation maintains that characteristic stop-motion jankiness, and with a camera that utilizes a shallow depth of field, the aesthetic is nothing short of cinematic.

Lyngeled, alongside writer Olov Redmalm, describes their creation as a “cozy horror adventure,” filled with quirky characters and endearing monsters. Set across multiple fairy tale-inspired chapters, there is an underlying narrative thread that focuses on themes of light, warmth, and bringing brightness back to an otherwise dark world.

The game kicks off with the protagonist, intriguingly named the Burnt One, emerging from a grave, quite literally putting themselves back together. As they make their way down the Midnight Walk—a peculiar highway—they’re accompanied by Potboy, a charming and slightly odd creature with a brazier atop its head. This character, serving both as a companion and guide, uses a flame to help players light torches, fend off foes, and illuminate the path ahead.

Throughout “The Midnight Walk,” players encounter puzzles and stealth challenges and are even encouraged to close their eyes to fully immerse themselves in the game’s rich auditory experience. With MoonHood promising binaural audio, it’s recommended to play with headphones for the full effect. Interestingly, there’s also what you might call “gunplay” in the form of shooting lit matches, allowing players to tackle adversaries and puzzles from a distance.

Despite its cozy vibe, largely due to the whimsical Potboy, the game doesn’t shy away from horror elements. Players will face off against an array of unsettling creatures, from scuttling mutants with a single eye to oversized, spider-like nightmares. There’s no shortage of bizarre enemies, including leathery beings with sewn-shut eyes and menacing slug creatures with a mean streak.

Drawing inspiration from works such as “Over the Garden Wall,” “The Nightmare Before Christmas,” David Lynch, and “Half-Life 2,” MoonHood Studios manages to create something uniquely their own with “The Midnight Walk.” These influences are noticeable, yet the game still stands out as a fresh and imaginative venture—a project that surprisingly piqued my interest only last week.

Luckily, gamers won’t have to wait long to dive into this enchanting world. “The Midnight Walk” is set to release on May 8 for PlayStation 5, with additional support for PlayStation VR2, and will also be available on Windows PC via Steam.