Encryption is Digital Lighthouse Games’ announced cinematic first-person psychological horror adventure. It is set in a near-future Matera, Italy, after climate-change-driven wildfires devastate the city, and follows Leonardo as he searches for his missing daughter, Arianna. The developer is targeting an early 2027 release on PC and consoles; a specific Steam date has not been announced.
What is Encryption?
Encryption is built around exploration, environmental investigation, puzzles and stealth rather than a conventional combat-focused structure. Digital Lighthouse Games describes it as a cinematic first-person horror adventure, while the current Windows listing tracked by SteamDB calls it a psychological horror game set during a climate catastrophe in southern Italy.
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Matera’s ancient cave dwellings and underground spaces form the central setting. The city is largely evacuated after wildfire damage, leaving Leonardo to move through abandoned streets, interiors and areas below ground while trying to understand what happened to Arianna. Sofia, Leonardo’s ex-wife, remains part of the communication thread described in release coverage.
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Encryption release date and platforms
| Detail | Current information |
|---|---|
| Developer and publisher | Digital Lighthouse Games |
| Target release | Early 2027 |
| Platforms announced by the developer | PC and consoles |
| Steam availability | A Windows listing exists; the exact release date is listed as to be announced |
| Development status | Prerelease |
| Engine and environment technology | Unreal Engine 5, photogrammetry and laser scanning |
“Early 2027” is a target window, not a confirmed launch day. The developer has not supplied a more precise date, and the Steam listing does not establish a separate PC launch schedule. Console names and editions have also not been specified.
#1 Best Overall
- Gorgeous Pixel Art & Animation: The game captures the essence of the Terrifier films with bright, cartoonish pixel art and fluid animations that vividly depict the gruesome action.
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- Languages: English, French, German, Italian, Portuguese (Brazil), Spanish (LATAM), and Spanish (Spain) in game text.
Story: a search through a burning Matera
Leonardo’s objective is personal: find Arianna after she disappears. The wider disaster is not just background scenery. Smoke, fire and evacuation shape where he can go and how long he can remain in dangerous areas. Communications with Sofia help frame the search as Leonardo pieces together events in a city that has become both physically unstable and eerily empty.
The game’s premise also points below the visible disaster. SteamDB’s description asks what is waiting beneath Matera, and the preview material includes underground environments and horror encounters. That leaves the nature of the threat deliberately unclear rather than presenting the game as a straightforward wildfire survival story.
Rank #2
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How the gameplay works
First-person exploration and investigation
Players investigate homes, abandoned locations and underground passages from Leonardo’s first-person perspective. The design emphasizes finding clues in the environment and reading spaces for information, rather than simply following objective markers.
Environmental and symbol-matching puzzles
The reported demo includes symbol-matching puzzles and sequences built around examining surroundings. A child’s bedroom is one of the locations shown in the preview, suggesting that personal objects and domestic spaces carry narrative as well as mechanical clues.
Rank #3
- Amazon Exclusive - 2 sided poster included in every game!
- Grace Ashcroft, an FBI intelligence analyst who is introverted and easily scared, representing a new type of character for the Resident Evil series. Grace will experience horror from the same perspective as the player as she learns to overcome her fears throughout the course of the story.
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- An Anniversary to Remember: With March 2026 marking the Resident Evil series’ 30-year anniversary, Resident Evil Requiem marks its own milestone in the franchise.
- Pre-orders for Resident Evil Requiem are now open, with the bonus of Grace’s costume: Apocalypse. Please note that the picture weapon does not come with the costume, but it can be obtained in-game.
Stealth and sound-aware evasion
Encryption includes stealth and enemy avoidance. Enemies react to sound, so movement, environmental noise and the player’s timing can affect whether an encounter escalates. The available descriptions emphasize evasion over a weapons-driven combat loop; the developer has not published a complete combat-system specification.
Smoke, fire and other survival hazards
Wildfire conditions create practical hazards. Smoke can restrict breathing and visibility, while fire effects make routes and enclosed areas dangerous. Releases.com also describes breathing hazards linked to the wildfire, making environmental survival part of navigation rather than purely visual atmosphere.
Rank #4
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- Compact stories, each suitable for one gaming session
Cinematic, voiced presentation
The game combines cinematic sequences with fully voiced dialogue. The aim is a story-led horror experience in which conversations, discoveries and set pieces sit alongside the investigation and stealth systems.
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A Gamescom preview published on 15 October 2026 covered a roughly 45-minute demo. Its reported material includes monsters, symbol-based puzzles, the child’s bedroom sequence, underground sections, stealth and evasion, smoke hazards, and sound-focused play best experienced with headphones.
Best Value
- A dark, enthralling 4-5 hour narrative to keep you hooked and guessing until the end. Gorgeous visuals as you traverse numerous and diverse environments, presented with a cinematic, film-like aesthetic. Ranged and melee combat with upgradeable weapons to help you survive your nightmarish journey.
- A stellar voice cast, starring Valerie Rose Lohman (What Remains of Edith Finch, Wolfenstein: Youngblood), Jonah Scott (Dying Light 2: Stay Human, Date Everything), and Aleks Le (Persona 3: Reload, Marvel Rivals, Ghost of Yotei).
- A beautifully dynamic and haunting soundtrack composed and performed by Jacob Noska, and Jonah Henthorne: members of the band Auric Echoes.
- The puzzles you encounter are more than your standard key hunt. Project Songbird rewards those with an eye for detail, making each puzzle a challenge of creativity and wits.
- The combat of Project Songbird offers a variety of approaches inspired by the classics of the survival horror genre. Melee and gunplay is slow and weighty, and ammo is incredibly scarce. However, combat isn't your only option, as you have a multitude of tools at your disposal to aid in sneaking past any creatures that wish to do you harm.
The preview also highlights Unreal Engine 5 lighting and fire effects. Those observations apply to the demo shown at the event; they are not a guarantee that every visual effect or system is final in the release version.
Technology and visual design
Digital Lighthouse Games says it is using Unreal Engine 5 together with photogrammetry and laser scanning. The stated purpose is to create photorealistic environments based on Matera and nearby locations. This approach matters to the game’s design because recognizable stone architecture, narrow passages and underground spaces can support both navigation and tension.
Photogrammetry and laser scanning describe the production pipeline, not a published performance target. No final PC specifications, console resolution targets, frame-rate modes or accessibility feature list have been announced.
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What is confirmed—and what is still unknown
- Confirmed: a first-person psychological horror adventure is in development at Digital Lighthouse Games.
- Confirmed: the setting is a wildfire-ravaged near-future Matera, with Leonardo searching for Arianna.
- Confirmed: exploration, puzzles, stealth, sound-sensitive enemy behavior, cinematic sequences and voiced dialogue are part of the announced design.
- Confirmed: the developer is targeting PC and consoles in early 2027.
- Not yet confirmed: an exact release date, named console platforms, pricing, system requirements, save systems, difficulty options and a final rating.
Is Encryption coming to Steam?
Yes, there is a Windows Steam listing tracked by SteamDB, but it is prerelease and its launch date is currently listed as to be announced. That confirms Steam availability is planned; it does not provide a day, month or guarantee that the early-2027 target cannot change.
Who should watch Encryption?
Encryption is aimed at players who prefer atmospheric, story-driven horror with environmental puzzles and stealth. Its combination of a real Italian setting, climate-disaster backdrop, sound-based evasion and underground exploration distinguishes it from horror games built primarily around weapon combat. Players seeking a confirmed release date, detailed hardware requirements or a clearly documented combat system will need to wait for further announcements.
Quick Recap
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