- NYX Award-Winning Developer Announces New Title… A Horror Investigation Drama Beginning in a Forest of Hanging Dolls
- A psychological survival horror born from the legend of Mexico’s ‘Island of Dolls’… Combining detective investigation and forensic mechanics
It hangs from a tree branch. It floats in a flooded swamp. And from somewhere in the darkness, it constantly casts a gaze.
Steelkrill Studio, the developer of the NYX Award-winning ‘The Backrooms 1998’, officially announced its new psychological survival horror game ‘Where Dolls Hang’ on June 1st.
Inspired by the legend of Mexico’s infamous real-life location, ‘Island of Dolls (Isla de las Muñecas),’ this work tells the story of a detective investigating a series of disappearances in a forest that seems to be alive.
Set in a world where mannequins, puppets, and inexplicable supernatural figures are intertwined, the game is currently under development with a target release date of 2026 on PC Steam. Immediately after the announcement, major international gaming media outlets such as Gematsu and WorthPlaying reported the news, capturing the attention of horror genre fans.
Horror born on the real-life ‘Island of Dolls’ … Dolls floating in the swamps and a gaze from the forest
Where Dolls Hang was directly inspired by Isla de las Muñecas, a real-life haunted house in the Xochimilco Canal in Mexico.
In the forest within the game, old and damaged dolls hang from every tree, and severed doll bodies float in the flooded swamp. Empty eyes faintly glowing in the darkness and the lifelike, wriggling environment create a strong sense of psychological pressure.
The first-person gameplay heightens the sense of unease through extreme day-night mood shifts, a dynamic weather system including storms and rainfall, and the depiction of a forest that gradually transforms into a living organism. Players must use a boat to explore flooded areas and hidden waterways, and investigate islands and closed zones isolated from the main region.
Body examination, evidence filming, forensic investigation… The new grammar of the survival horror genre
The biggest distinguishing feature of ‘Where Dolls Hang’ is its detective investigation-centered structure, which is rarely seen in similar genres.
Beyond simple survival, players must personally carry out forensic-based investigation processes, such as examining bodies, photographing crime scenes, collecting clues, marking evidence, and recovering victims’ remains.
As the investigation deepens, the story gradually turns into a personal nightmare. The protagonist, a former homicide investigator, encounters traces connected to his own daughter while tracking a missing person case, and a simple investigation slowly leads to obsession, guilt, and psychological breakdown.
Between exploration and investigation, there is a customizable safehouse. Here, players craft supplies, upgrade equipment, and manage resources to prepare for entering the next investigation area. However, as night deepens, they realize that even the safe zone is not a perfect sanctuary.
Adding a detective thriller to the sensibilities of ‘The Forest’ and ‘Silent Hill’
Steelkrill Studio directly cited the survival and exploration structure of ‘The Forest’, the psychological horror direction of ‘Silent Hill’ and ‘PT’, and the tense horror design of ‘Outlast’ as the main inspirations for the work.
However, the core of ‘Where Dolls Hang’ does not stop at a simple combination of genres. By assigning the player the role of a ‘detective’ rather than a ‘survivor,’ it attempts to construct a structure where the act of uncovering the truth itself becomes as terrifying as surviving.
When it rains, visibility is limited, but the monsters’ sensory abilities also change, and areas that were manageable during the day turn into deadly danger zones at night. VHS tapes scattered throughout the forest also serve as important clues to uncover the truth of the incident.
Another psychological horror experiment by a NYX Award-winning solo developer
Steelkrill Studio is a solo indie development studio famous for producing horror games that combine strong audiovisual direction with unique mechanics.
The previous title, ‘The Backrooms 1998,’ garnered attention for its psychological pressure and immersive horror direction, winning a NYX Award and generating a strong response from the content creator and streamer communities. ‘Where Dolls Hang’ is also building initial anticipation, with various horror and indie game media outlets quickly highlighting it immediately after its announcement.
From unsettling imagery derived from real-life ghost stories, a unique structure combining detective investigation and survival horror, to psychological horror that delves into human obsession and loss, attention is focused on whether ‘Where Dolls Hang’ can transcend the simple doll horror theme and establish itself as a title that leaves a strong impression in the 2026 horror indie game market.
Information regarding Where Dolls Hang
| item | detail |
|---|---|
| Developer / Publisher | Steelkrill Studio (Solo Indie Developer) |
| Genre | First-person psychological survival horror / detective investigation adventure |
| Release platform | PC (Steam) |
| Scheduled for release | 2026 (Exact date not announced) |
| inspiration | Isla de las Munécas, Mexico (real place) |
| Genre inspiration | The Forest / Silent Hill / PT / Outlast |
| Developer’s previous work | The Backrooms 1998 (NYX Award winner) |
| core system | Forensic Investigation (Body Examination, Evidence Photography, Marker Placement) / Boat Expedition / Crafting / Safehouse |
| Release date | June 1, 2026 |
| Main Keywords | Island of Dolls, Detective, Psychological Horror, Survival, Swamp, First Person, Forensic, Mexican Folklore |
| Official Channel | X · YouTube · Instagram · TikTok · Discord · Bluesky · Facebook |
| Steam Page | Go to Wishlist |
