Precognition: Sam Barlow's New Sci-Fi Horror Game Developed with Brandon Cronenberg

Sam Barlow, renowned creator of "Her Story" and "Immortality," and his studio Half Mermaid, have announced their latest project: "Precognition." This new sci-fi horror game is slated for release in spring 2028, marking one of the initial titles from Kinetic's new publishing label, the company behind "Phasmophobia."

"Precognition" follows Barlow's established formula of players delving into video archives to unravel mysteries. In this game, the archives consist of the future memories of the protagonist, Diana.

The premise is that Diana has received an experimental implant that grants her visions of her future. She can then focus on specific moments within these visions and commit them to memory. However, this act triggers a butterfly effect, altering her future. The core gameplay involves actively manipulating these memories to influence and change the future outcome.

A significant collaboration for "Precognition" is with horror filmmaker Brandon Cronenberg, known for his work on "Infinity Pool," "Possessor," and "Antiviral." Brandon Cronenberg, son of legendary director David Cronenberg, co-developed and co-wrote the story of "Precognition" with Barlow.

During a Q&A session, Barlow elaborated on the game's mechanics. He explained that Diana is a former child prodigy with a photographic memory and a highly malleable brain. The experimental implants, initially intended to enhance memory, have a side effect: recipients begin experiencing memories of the future.

"As a player, you watch these visions of the future and you hold the triggers down and that commits [it] to memory." - Sam Barlow

While others quickly forget these precognitive flashes, Diana retains them. "She is able to see these visions, these memories of her future, and watch them, and then choose an instant from these memories to collect and commit to memory," Barlow stated. "As a player, you watch these visions of the future and you hold the triggers down and that commits [it] to memory."

Barlow drew a parallel to the film "Memento," where the protagonist uses Polaroids to recall events. "Diana is collecting Polaroids of her future," he explained. "So as the player, you have complete freedom to decide 'What do I think is useful to send back - what is important information that I can send back from the future?', and as soon as you do that, the future changes and you get a new vision."

Players effectively build an "inventory of alternate possible futures." While practical applications like winning the lottery are possible, Barlow highlighted the potential for more intriguing narrative choices, such as discovering infidelity within personal relationships.

The game offers a high degree of freedom and systemic depth. Barlow described a compelling gameplay loop where players "create and kind of sculpt an inventory to steer the future," leading to exciting and surprising outcomes.

Barlow concluded by emphasizing the game's core mechanic: "This is the most grokkable mechanic of our games in terms of there's a really concrete understanding of its role in the story. It is a diegetic mechanic and it has these direct consequences for the story that unfolds."

"Precognition" is currently in development for PC (Steam), PlayStation 5, Xbox Series S/X, and Nintendo Switch 2.