‘Fear the Spotlight’ Developers on Making Blumhouse Games’ Debut Title, Idea for ‘The Black Phone’ Video Game
Horror giant Blumhouse is celebrating spooky season with more than just TV shows and films this year with the launch of its first-ever video game, “Fear the Spotlight.”
Developed by indie studio Cozy Game Pals, the title is described as “a creepy love letter to classic 90s horror experiences with a focus on rich storytelling, puzzle solving, and a tense atmosphere” and the “perfect narrative horror game for those new to the genre.” Released Oct. 22, “Fear the Spotlight” is the first of several slated from Blumhouse and hails from a husband and wife duo with a deep passion for horror and games.
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“Being Blumhouse’s first game has been weird,” Cozy Game Pals co-founder Bryan Singh told Variety. “It’s been so crazy for them to have this much excitement and confidence for our game.”
“Fear the Spotlight” explores the dark history of Sunnyside High through Vivian, who enters the deserted corridors for a seance with the rebellious Amy. She suddenly ends up alone, and at the mercy of the monster who wanders the halls. Vivian must avoid its gaze, find her friend, and uncover the disturbing, murderous truth of a decades old tragedy.
“Fear the Spotlight” began when game developer Singh (“The Last of Us,” “Uncharted 4,” “Journey”) and Cartoon Network and Nickelodeon animator Crista Castro (“Animaniacs”) decided to leave their jobs with two years of savings and a desire to make their own game studio, Cozy Game Pals. While the name might seem off for devs with dreams of horror titles, there’s a method in this madness that the team says will be clear by the time you finish “Fear the Spotlight.”
“We write what we like and what we find fun or interesting,” Castro said. “And this is where the coziness comes out, especially in our ending. It’s a bit feel-good.”
“We’re really not cynical people. Often in horror, you have the cynical twist or something at the end or a bleak outlook on things,” Singh said. “But when we looked internally to what we want; this game really was for us, we kept saying that this is the dream game for 13-year-old Crista. And we just really liked these characters, and they were very representative of us and very sincere. So we try to lean into that more than anything. So hopefully the game ends with some sentimentality, some heart for people.
Now that they’ve wrapped up “Fear the Spotlight” — which was heavily expanded from the original version they made once Blumhouse entered the picture and gave them the financial backing to build it into a longer game for a full wide platform release — they’re looking for their next project. And the Cozy Game Pals say they are definitely interested in taking some Blumhouse IP and making it into a game for their new partner.
“A perfect one that comes into my mind is ‘The Black Phone,'” Castro said, referencing Blumhouse’s 2021 feature directed by Scott Derrickson. “That was a really inspiring one for me when I saw it. It was just so gamey. The adventure and figuring out what to do in the right steps.” Singh added: “A little kid figuring out puzzles in the locked room, that’s a video game premise.”
So, the “Fear the Spotlight” team is on board for turning a Blumhouse TV or movie into a game — but is Blumhouse?
“We’re focussing our slate on fresh horror stories from our indie dev partners, but of course we are never saying never when it comes to adapting Blumhouse IP,” Blumhouse Games creative lead Louise Blain. “The most important thing though is that those games would need to be the right project at the right time. We are huge fans of Blumhouse stories and characters. Any games in those worlds would have to be authentic and something we would also want as players. Right now we really want to make sure we’re pushing forward with fresh and innovative horror storytelling from independent creators, taking the same approach as when Blumhouse first started in the film business.”
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