Few German studios have shaped me quite like Daedalic – and now they’re making a comeback with a new adventure that looks like a return to their classic recipe.
Ah, Daedalic. Their games shaped my early teenage years and introduced me to a genre I’d never even considered before: point-and-click adventures, and I sure wasn’t the only one… until everything came crashing down.
From Edna to Deponia: The Rise and Fall of a Genre Giant
Founded in 2007, Daedalic Entertainment quickly made a name for itself with brilliantly written point-and-click adventures like Edna & Harvey: The Breakout, The Whispered World, and Deponia. By the early 2010s, the studio was considered one of the most influential in the German-speaking world. But starting around 2016, things started to go downhill – rising production costs and poor sales hit hard. The attempt to break free from the adventure niche and go big backfired – we all remember the trainwreck that was The Lord of the Rings: Gollum, an unfinished, soulless release that bombed with critics and players alike. Not long after, Daedalic announced they would shut down their development division and focus exclusively on publishing.
Honestly? Probably the right call – because now Daedalic is teaming up with Cologne-based studio Three Headed Monkey to publish a new point-and-click adventure that looks like a perfect return to form: quirky characters, witty dialogue, and a gorgeous game world. Ghost Haunting features charming 2D pixel art and channels those old-school adventure vibes – a recipe sure to hit home with genre veterans.
Comeback with a Pumpkin Demon: Ghost Haunting Brings Back the Magic
Here’s what Ghost Haunting is about: Eight-year-old Gigi is spending her vacation with her grumpy grandpa Giovanni – only to discover a long-buried family secret. Turns out, Grandpa used to be a real-life ghost hunter! And once Gigi finds that out, she comes up with a wild plan: She wants to bring her late grandma back from the afterlife. Because if ghosts can cross into our world, surely it works the other way around… right? Except things go sideways, and her actions accidentally throw the balance between the worlds out of whack. Oops.
There’s already a first trailer, and of course, Gronkh has already streamed a preview build of the game. No release date yet, but you can wishlist Ghost Haunting on Steam. Oh, and apparently there’s also a new Deponia game on the way –supposedly dropping later this year. Surviving Deponia was announced back in 2023, but it’s been radio silence ever since. Who knows – maybe Daedalic’s cooking up not one, but two surprises for us.