■ A thrilling game of collecting souls and escaping, with strange events unfolding in an alleyway.
■ A hot topic even before its release as a “proper K-horror”… Aiming to release the stove within the year
Smilegate’s global game platform ‘Stove’ announced on Wednesday the 3rd that it has signed a global publishing contract for the new horror game ‘Alleyway: Ghost’ (developer AIXLAB).
“Alleyway: Ghost Trails” is a horror adventure game where players must collect “Ghost Trails,” or traces of ghosts, and escape eerie alleyways. The developers realistically recreated Korea’s past alleyways while also creating a sense of unfamiliarity and eerieness within the familiar spaces. Players will experience more than just surprise as they actively identify and respond to “anomalies” within the game.
Furthermore, the game features a multi-ending structure, with different endings depending on the number of ghost traces collected, allowing players to experience new outcomes based on their choices with each playthrough. As the protagonist, Soyeon, searches for the truth and survival in a suddenly eerie alley, the game simultaneously creates psychological pressure and immersion.
Founded in 2016, AIX Lab is an interactive design studio specializing in the creation of experiential content based on VR, AR, and XR. Their expertise has been recognized, winning awards in the VR category at the Korea Game Awards and the Game of the Month award for the second half of 2024 for “Haunted House VR” and “Forbidden Art VR.”
The mere fact that AIX Lab is developing a genuine horror game is raising expectations from the industry and users. In fact, ‘Golmokgil: Ghostly Trace’ has received a hot response since its release at ‘Wise Demo Life’ held on Stove Platform in August and Busan Indie Connect Festival (BIC) 2025. In particular, there was a line of visitors for the game demo throughout the BIC event, and it received favorable reviews such as “I didn’t know Golmokgil could be this scary” and “Finally, a proper K-horror has come out.”
Currently, the game is receiving positive feedback from various gaming communities, with comments like “heart-pounding” and “the most anticipated horror game of the year,” earning it a place among indie game fans as a highly anticipated title. Stove and AIX Lab are incorporating user feedback into the game to enhance its quality and are preparing to launch the Stove platform within the year. Global service is also planned for this time.
Smilegate CEO Yeo Seung-hwan said, “‘Alleyway: Ghostly Haunting’ is a work that combines Korean sentiments and occult symbols, and we expect it to show new possibilities for K-horror,” adding, “We will do our best to deliver unforgettable tension and immersion to global users through this game.”
