Ghost Town Games, the studio behind the hit cooking chaos of Overcooked, has shown off the first proper gameplay for its next project, Stage Fright. The adorably spooky co-op adventure is set to arrive in spring next year, and it is being published by Hello Games, the studio best known for No Man’s Sky.
The game has been in development for around five years. It follows three protagonists — Drew, Blake and Charlie — as they set out to solve an ancient mystery in a strange town. That is the full extent of the setup for now, but the new gameplay trailer gives a much clearer look at what players will actually be doing.
From Kitchen to Spooky Town
Stage Fright is a two-player co-op game, playable online or side-by-side in couch co-op. Ghost Town Games says it draws inspiration from Luigi’s Mansion as well as coming-of-age adventures like The Goonies and Stranger Things.
The design is built around communication-driven cooperation. Players work together to overcome escape room-style puzzles and slightly more chaotic moments. The game is designed to be as approachable as possible, with Ghost Town Games explaining, “The challenge is in the mind, not the finger-tips!”
That philosophy is a direct extension of what made Overcooked work. The studio says it wanted to “protect the one-button accessibility of Overcooked and resist the temptation to introduce dexterity at the expense of inclusivity.”
A Bigger, Longer Mystery
Where Overcooked thrives on frantic, time-based levels, Stage Fright is a different kind of beast. “In contrast to the fraught urgency of time-based levels, in Stage Fright, players can immerse themselves in a long-form mystery,” the studio writes in its introduction to the game’s latest look.
Players will need to “work together to solve escape-room like puzzles, tackle strange and perplexing obstacles together and combine their mental agility to figure out what has happened in this strange town filled with odd characters.”
The studio also explains its broader ambition: “We wanted to continue our nostalgic love affair with Saturday nights in and fan the flame for an under-served couch co-op community.” It adds that the goal was to take Overcooked players “out of the confines of the kitchen and off an adventure into a larger, more involving saga.”
Three Heroes, Two Players
Since there are three protagonists but only two players, the game has a built-in solution. Players can switch between different pairs as they go, and the story unfolds from two perspectives.
The new gameplay trailer shows the game’s spooky aesthetic in motion.
Ghost Town Games is not talking about all of its platforms yet. What is confirmed so far is Switch 1, Switch 2, and Steam. The game is set to arrive in “spring” next year.
A Long Road to Launch
The game was first teased back in December 2024, with a fun little reveal that gave players a taste of what was coming. Now, closing in on two years later, the studio is back with the first proper gameplay footage.
| Event | Timing |
|---|---|
| Initial tease | December 2024 |
| First proper gameplay reveal | Now |
| Stage Fright release window | Spring next year |
| Platforms confirmed so far | Switch 1, Switch 2, Steam |
What We Know So Far
- Developer: Ghost Town Games (Overcooked)
- Publisher: Hello Games (No Man’s Sky)
- Protagonists: Drew, Blake and Charlie
- Players: Two-player co-op, online or couch co-op
- Inspirations: Luigi’s Mansion, The Goonies, Stranger Things
- Development time: Around five years
- Release window: Spring next year
The studio’s commitment to accessibility and communication-driven play is a clear through-line from its previous work.
Stage Fright is shaping up to be a spooky delight. It is a bigger, more involved adventure than Overcooked, but it keeps the same spirit of cooperation at its core. For fans of the studio’s earlier work, the wait for spring next year will be the hard part.
Source: eurogamer.net
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