Horror fans, brace yourselves. If you think you’ve tasted everything the psychological horror genre has to offer, Osaka-based developer Phoenix Game Productions—the team behind Tokyo Underground Killer and co-developers on the Resident Evil 4 remake—is about to serve up something uniquely unsettling.
The studio has officially unveiled the Steam store page for its upcoming first-person psychological horror thriller, Wasabi, giving PC players a first taste of the nightmare to come. Alongside the store page launch, a chilling new gameplay trailer and a fresh batch of screenshots have been released to show off the game’s deeply unsettling atmosphere.
Ritualistic Murders and Supernatural Dread in ’90s Japan
Set in the rural, atmospheric town of Azumino in Nagano Prefecture during the 1990s, Wasabi throws players into a TV-drama-style investigative horror. You step into the shoes of Detective Ryuhei Kuroshima, tasked with solving a string of increasingly gruesome, ritualistic murders that have shattered the town’s peace.
But this isn’t your standard police procedural. As your investigation deepens, the lines between a realistic criminal investigation and supernatural horror begin to blur. With a shadowy cult looming in the background and signs of vengeful spirits seeping into everyday life, the psychological tension promises to be suffocating.
Key Features to Expect:
- Unreal Engine 5 Visuals: Experience a photorealistic and hauntingly nostalgic recreation of rural 1990s Japan, where abnormalities slowly infect mundane environments.
- Intense Interrogations: Grill eight distinct suspects across six gripping episodes. Utilise motion-captured performances to read facial expressions, body language, and psychological states to catch them in contradictions.
- The Power of “Wasabi”: Beyond standard detective work, players must harness a mysterious, supernatural power known as “Wasabi” to draw hidden secrets directly from the suspects’ minds.
- Branching Narratives: Your choices and observation skills matter, leading to multiple endings across an estimated 10+ hours of gameplay.
Phoenix Game Productions has dropped a slick, 51-second announcement trailer that masterfully builds a signature sense of dread. Cutting between eerie, blood-stained crime scenes and tense, motion-captured interrogations, the preview sets a remarkably dark tone for what’s to come on PC.
The exact release date for Wasabi hasn’t been locked in just yet, but the developer has confirmed that a playable demo is planned to drop soon.
If you are a fan of Japanese horror, true-crime thrillers, or mind-bending psychological narratives, this is definitely one to keep on your radar. Head over to Steam right now to check out the new screenshots, watch the trailer, and add it to your wishlist!
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