Ghost at Dawn launches June 24, links endings to clues

Blue and Red Games released Ghost at Dawn on Xbox Play Anywhere on June 24. The game is set in 1947 and places players in the role of private detective Ben O’Hara investigating the Pines Hotel in Seattle for a missing woman, Emi Kosuke.

Promotional material and in-game details introduce Ben as a reluctant investigator recently returned from Germany and described as suffering from shellshock. The material gives his legal name as Benjiro Ohara. Emi’s sister, Yuhiko, hires him after local police decline to pursue the case.

The game presents racial prejudice as an element of the investigation. In-game dialogue and promotional text state Emi’s Japanese background and irregular paperwork as reasons other authorities offer for not acting.

Gameplay requires room-by-room investigation, evidence gathering and limited combat against hostile undead inside the hotel. Players may choose to end the session at any time by leaving the hotel; the final cutscene and outcome depend on which clues the player has collected before exiting.

Ghost at Dawn includes a permadeath mechanic. The player character has a finite number of lives; if those lives are exhausted, the game deletes the player’s save file and requires restarting the investigation.

Developer materials list influences from classic survival-horror titles and highlight an ending system tied to player-collected evidence. The game’s ESRB rating notes graphic content. The title received nominations for the Horror Game Awards Player’s Choice and Best Indie Game Award.

The title was available for wishlist before release and launched on Xbox Play Anywhere on June 24.