SLEEP AWAKE, the psychological horror game by Spec Ops: The Line’s Cory Davis and Nine Inch Nails’ Robin Finck, will arrive on December 2nd. In SLEEP AWAKE, players inhabit a world in which going to sleep spells almost certain doom. And staying awake means braving death cults, reckless experiments, and otherworldly forces.
Blumhouse Games and EYES OUT announced SLEEP AWAKE this past spring. It quickly became part of the official selection of games at Tribeca Festival. And then just a few weeks ago, it received a demo on Steam.
All this is to say that it’s surprising to see this game have a release date this year. But it likely speaks to the confidence that publisher Blumhouse Games has in the development team. Blumhouse shared the release date announcement in a trailer last Thursday. Check it out below.
The trailer showcases the eerie psychedelic visuals you can expect from SLEEP AWAKE. It also alludes to the various ways in which people try to stay awake in this world. It probably goes without saying that some prove more unhinged than others.
Earlier this month, I had the privilege of attending a preview event of the game. You can read more about my time with the game here. In short, I was pleasantly surprised by the variety of gameplay and design elements on hand for the section I played. I didn’t see any major scares, but I did get a sense of the stealth mechanics and the juxtaposition between gloominess and vibrancy in the various locations. Both Finck and game designer Clay Westing were on hand to answer questions.
“Cory [Davis] and I discussed dreams early on. We discussed, ‘Where do we go when we sleep and why is it different from death? And how might it be similar?” Finck explained, discussing the impetus for the game’s creation.
For players who want to get a brief taste of SLEEP AWAKE, you may check on an earlier demo on Steam here. I will say, the Steam demo mainly just gives a sense of the story. It’s a bit light on gameplay, with only a hint of action at the very end.
But you’ll be able to play the full game quite soon. SLEEP AWAKE will arrive on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC on December 2nd.
Source: Blumhouse Games
