The creative minds behind some of the most innovative narrative games and disturbing horror films are joining forces for an ambitious new project. Kinetic Publishing and Half Mermaid Productions have officially announced Precognition, a live-action science fiction horror game from acclaimed game designer Sam Barlow, creator of the critically lauded titles Immortality and Her Story. The project represents a groundbreaking collaboration with Brandon Cronenberg, the visionary horror filmmaker known for his unsettling works including Possessor and Infinity Pool. Originally teased under the working title ‘Project C’, Precognition promises to push the boundaries of interactive storytelling by combining cinematic full-motion video sequences with deeply non-linear narrative structures that emphasize player freedom and agency in unprecedented ways.
A Story of Memory, Time, and Consequence
At the heart of Precognition lies the story of Diana, a former child prodigy with a photographic memory who becomes an unwitting participant in a revolutionary neuroscience experiment. After an experimental implant is embedded in her brain, Diana discovers she possesses an extraordinary and terrifying ability: she can receive visions of the future. According to Barlow, the premise explores fascinating territory at the intersection of memory and prescience. The experimental implants were originally designed to augment and improve memory function, but researchers discovered an unexpected side effect where test subjects began receiving what appeared to be memories of events that had not yet occurred.
What makes Diana unique among the test subjects is her extraordinary cognitive abilities. While other participants quickly forget their visions, much like how the human brain erases dreams upon waking to preserve sanity, Diana’s exceptional mind allows her to retain and examine these glimpses of her future. Barlow described the mechanic as being similar to collecting Polaroid photographs of future events, drawing comparison to Christopher Nolan’s acclaimed psychological thriller Memento. Players must carefully decide which moments from Diana’s visions are worth committing to memory, knowing that each choice carries profound consequences. The narrative begins in the 1990s and explores how the power of precognition could fundamentally transform one’s approach to life and decision-making.
Pushing the Limits of Non-Linear Storytelling
Precognition represents a natural evolution of the innovative design philosophy that Half Mermaid Productions established with Immortality, which featured the studio’s signature magical match cut feature allowing players to construct their own narrative experience by jumping between points in time and space. The new game aims to take these concepts even further, placing players directly in Diana’s perspective from the very beginning. When Diana commits a detail from her visions to memory, the future itself changes, creating a dynamic cause-and-effect system that makes each playthrough genuinely unique. Barlow emphasized that when players sit down with Half Mermaid’s games, everyone quickly diverges into different directions, experiencing the story in fundamentally different ways.
The comparison to Philip K. Dick’s seminal short story The Minority Report, which was adapted into the 2002 Steven Spielberg film starring Tom Cruise, is inevitable. Barlow acknowledged being a significant fan of Dick’s work, which has influenced countless science fiction narratives exploring themes of predestination, free will, and the consequences of foreknowledge. However, the game designer has complicated feelings about the film adaptation, suggesting that Precognition will take a different approach to these well-established themes. The gameplay design emphasizes investigation and mystery elements within a world governed by cause-and-effect relationships, where the story spins out as a direct consequence of player choices rather than following predetermined paths.
A Perfect Creative Partnership
The collaboration with Brandon Cronenberg emerged from an extensive search for the right creative partner to help establish Precognition’s authentic sci-fi horror atmosphere. Barlow described a process of speed dating horror directors before finding the perfect match in Cronenberg, who had already demonstrated his appreciation for interactive narrative by playing both Her Story and Immortality before any formal discussions began. This existing familiarity with Half Mermaid’s unique approach to storytelling meant Cronenberg immediately understood the project’s potential and the distinctive narrative structures the studio brings to every production.
Cronenberg’s filmmaking sensibilities align remarkably well with the subjective, experiential nature of video game storytelling. His horror films consistently root audiences in a single character’s warping perspective, creating unease through psychological distortion rather than conventional scares. The director noted that no two people will have the same experience with Half Mermaid’s games, making them ideal vehicles for exploring the subjective horror themes central to his creative vision. His involvement extends beyond consultation, with Cronenberg joining the writing room alongside Barlow to co-develop the story from its foundation.
Industry Support and Release Plans
Precognition is scheduled to launch in Spring 2028 on PC via Steam, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and Nintendo Switch 2. The game is being published by Kinetic Publishing, the publishing label of Kinetic Games, the UK-based developer behind the massively successful horror phenomenon Phasmophobia, which has sold over 27 million copies. Founded in 2026, Kinetic Publishing was established to champion innovation within independent game development, offering the level of support that would have benefited Phasmophobia creator Daniel Knight early in his journey.
Half Mermaid Productions brings substantial credibility to the partnership, having released Immortality in 2022 to widespread critical acclaim. The game achieved the remarkable distinction of receiving the first perfect 10/10 score in Edge Magazine for an independent game, telling the haunting story of Marissa Marcel, a vanished actress who starred in three unreleased films. The studio was founded in 2017 by four-time BAFTA-winning writer-director Barlow, whose previous work includes the groundbreaking Her Story and Telling Lies. Barlow reflected on the current gaming landscape, noting that despite discussions of market saturation, developers who commit to creating unique experiences with exceptional effort will always find their audience. The digital era has enabled creators to make unconventional projects while reaching players who appreciate them, provided those players can discover the games exist.
Expert Opinion: Precognition represents a significant milestone in the evolution of narrative-driven gaming, combining the proven expertise of Sam Barlow’s innovative storytelling techniques with Brandon Cronenberg’s mastery of psychological horror. This collaboration could establish new standards for how interactive media explores complex themes of agency, consequence, and the nature of time itself, potentially influencing game design philosophy for years to come.