How Fear the Spotlight Became Blumhouse's First Video Game.

Blumhouse had initially planned not to release any video games in 2024; however, in February 2023, it announced its intention to venture into video game publishing, focusing on horror titles developed by independent teams with budgets under $10 million. Blumhouse Games aimed to support several horror games each year, starting to publish them in 2025.

In September 2023, the studio came across Fear the Spotlight, a voxel-style horror game that tells the story of two friends exploring their haunted high school and trying to communicate with the ghosts of students who died in a fire in the 90s. This project, developed by Crista Castro and Bryan Singh—a husband-and-wife team known as Cozy Game Pals—was filled with puzzles and eerie environments, all in third person and with a style reminiscent of the PS One.

Castro, who had worked as an art director at Nickelodeon, and Singh, an experienced programmer on titles like The Last of Us and Uncharted, decided to quit their corporate jobs during the pandemic to found Cozy Game Pals. Although Fear the Spotlight did not have a significant initial impact, its visibility increased when Blumhouse Games' president, Zach Wood, and creative lead, Louise Blain, discovered it on Twitter.

After a brief playtest, both were excited about the idea of publishing it and reached out to Castro and Singh to offer support, as the duo admitted they did not have an effective marketing strategy for their launch. Blumhouse committed to helping them, which included the possibility of improving and expanding the game.

Blumhouse proposed giving them an additional year to work on Fear the Spotlight, which surprised Cozy Game Pals, as they had never considered making a substantial addition. Ultimately, they decided to proceed with the expansion, and on October 26, 2023, they removed the game from Steam with the promise of adding new features and versions for consoles.

The revised version of Fear the Spotlight will be released on October 22, 2024, on Steam, PS4, PS5, Switch, and Xbox Series X/S. This will be the first title in Blumhouse Games' release lineup, which also includes projects from EYES OUT, Half Mermaid, Perfect Garbage, Playmestudio, and Vermila Studios.

Cozy Game Pals used the additional year of development to enhance the game without altering its original essence. They integrated a new section that doubled the gameplay time and deepened the narrative. The story, centered around two teenage friends, now includes more complex emotional aspects and a truly terrifying adversary.

Castro and Singh, responsible for the art and programming, respectively, wanted to reflect their passion for the genre in a video game that represents their own life experiences. From themes of loss to exploring emotional bonds, they strive to connect with players through a narrative that echoes their own youth.

The collaboration with Blumhouse Games has been positive, allowing Cozy Game Pals to maintain their creative vision. Blumhouse has acted as a constant support, helping them find resources and developers to enhance the game's presentation. The experience has been so rewarding that Castro and Singh feel they have found an ideal partner in Blumhouse, who also demonstrate a deep appreciation for the game they have developed.

Fear the Spotlight is already available for $20 on various platforms, including Steam, PS4, PS5, Switch, and Xbox Series X/S.