This past weekend at New York’s Tribeca Festival, There Are No Ghosts at the Grand took home the top prize for Best Game. And the competition was especially fierce this year. A whopping 12 indie games were eligible as official selections for Tribeca Games.
Developed by UK indie studio Friday Sundae, There Are No Ghosts at the Grand is quite the unique title. There aren’t many games that are musical Lovecraftian hotel renovation games. And as a musical, the game features the vocal talents of Alex Brightman. The Broadway star recently shared an interview to coincide with the Tribeca demo. Check it out below.
In a press release, Anil Glendinning, Co-Founder and Managing Director of Friday Sundae, spoke a bit about bringing the game to the Tribeca Festival. From June 11th to 14th, attendees could check out the demo of the game at Pier 57. Glendinning had this to say to mark the occasion:
“There Are No Ghosts at the Grand is a very personal game for our small team. It brings together music, mystery, British seaside culture and a story about the things families pass down through generations. Sharing the demo with audiences in New York has been a special moment for us.”
And here at The Outerhaven, we’ve had our eyes on There Are No Ghosts at the Grand for a while. Last September, we went hands-on with There Are No Ghosts at the Grand and came away impressed. At the Tribeca Festival, we also got to play a newer demo featuring one of the musical moments in the game. You may find that latest preview here, along with previews of the other 11 games in the festival.
In There Are No Ghosts at the Grand, players step into the shoes of Chris David, voiced by Brightman. Inheriting the old hotel known as The Grand, David travels to a seaside town in the UK to fix the property up. Players renovate the hotel during the day and investigate any spooky goings-on at night. And throughout, they sing. Or rather, Brightman and the cast sing.
Currently starring in the Tony Award-winning Broadway musical Schmigadoon!, Brightman shared this about his role as Chris in There Are No Ghosts at the Grand:
“Chris is an outsider trying to keep his cards close as the Grand starts to reveal far more than he expected. What I love is that the game has the energy of musical theatre, but it’s interactive. You’re not just watching Chris sing. You’re helping choose how he responds as the story unfolds through dialogue and song.”
Curious to try this haunted musical game for yourself? You can check out a demo on Steam and wishlist the game here. There Are No Ghosts at the Grand will debut for Xbox Series X|S and PC at a future date later this year.
Source: Press Release
