Sam Barlow's Live-Action SF Horror 'PRECOGNITION' Announced for Spring 2028
The collaboration pairs Barlow's non-linear, player-driven storytelling with Cronenberg's focus on subjective, experiential horror, a combination that could push live-action games into more immersive territory.
Key Facts
- 'PRECOGNITION' is a live-action SF horror game developed by Half Mermaid and published by Kinetic Publishing, announced on August 13, 2026.
- The game is scheduled for release in spring 2028 for PC (Steam), PS5, Xbox Series X|S, and Nintendo Switch 2.
- The protagonist is Diana, a former genius girl who gains the ability to foresee her own future after experimental brain implant surgery.
- Brandon Cronenberg, director of 'Infinity Pool' and 'Possessor,' is involved in the screenplay as an external collaborator.
- The game was previously teased as 'Project C' in 2024 before its formal announcement at the 'Kinetic Publishing Showcase - August 2026.'
Reporting from 3 sources: Denfaminicogamer, Automaton, Game Spark.
Kinetic Publishing announced on August 13 that Half Mermaid is developing 'PRECOGNITION,' a live-action SF horror game, during its 'Kinetic Publishing Showcase - August 2026' stream. The game was previously teased as 'Project C' in 2024. Players take the role of Diana, a former genius girl who gains the ability to foresee her own future after experimental brain implant surgery. The player can choose to fix a vision as a memory, but doing so changes the future itself. The game is described as a natural extension of Half Mermaid's previous work 'IMMORTALITY,' carrying over its approach of piecing together a story from video fragments. Canadian horror film director Brandon Cronenberg, known for 'Infinity Pool' and 'Possessor,' is involved in the screenplay as an external collaborator. Barlow said he met with several horror film directors when deciding to make the game an SF horror, and Cronenberg stood out as the right fit. Cronenberg had already played 'Her Story' and 'IMMORTALITY' and understood the gameplay. 'PRECOGNITION' is scheduled for release in spring 2028 for PC (Steam), PS5, Xbox Series X|S, and Nintendo Switch 2, with Japanese subtitle support noted on the Steam store page.
The announcement came as part of Kinetic Publishing's August 2026 showcase, where the game was formally revealed after being teased as 'Project C' in 2024. The released PV shows live-action footage with red and white imagery and eerie background music, though detailed gameplay footage has not yet been shown.
Barlow, who founded Half Mermaid in 2017 in Brooklyn, New York, said he wanted to create a genuine SF horror experience and searched for a suitable director to collaborate with. Cronenberg, whose films include 'Possessor' and 'Infinity Pool,' joined as a co-developer of the story in the writing room. He noted that his films tend to be subjective and experiential, with horror emerging from a single character's distorted view of the world, and that Barlow's games are inherently subjective experiences, making them a fitting medium to explore these themes further.
The game's core mechanic involves Diana receiving visions of the future that are organized as 'memories of experiences not yet had.' Players focus on specific parts of a vision to fix it as a memory, but the moment it is fixed, the future changes. This concept builds on the investigative approach of 'Her Story' and 'IMMORTALITY,' where players piece together their own narrative from video clips. The Steam store page is already accepting wishlist registrations.
Synthesized by Yomimono from the 3 cited sources below, including Japanese-language reporting where cited, then editorially reviewed before publishing.