Team17 and Polish studio Sonka announced that the psychological horror game Holstin will be released in 2027. The game will be available on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series, Nintendo Switch, PC, and Game Pass.
Holstin takes place in the small Polish town of Jeziorne-Kolonia, where the protagonist, Tomasz Wolanski, goes in search of his missing friend – an investigative journalist who was last heard from there. However, it soon becomes clear that the town is afflicted by an unknown infection, and its streets and houses are overrun by monsters.
Players will have to explore the town, collect weapons and supplies, solve puzzles, and interact with the few survivors. The locals are gradually losing their minds, so to get information, players will have to earn their trust and take into account their painful delusions.
One of Holstin's main features will be the proprietary 2XD Rendering technology developed by Sonka. It combines pixel graphics with dynamic lighting and real-time camera perspective. The camera can be rotated to eight different angles, and the game itself uses several display options: an isometric 3D view, a third-person view during combat, a first-person perspective when driving, a top-down view during exploration, and a side-scrolling perspective for platforming episodes.
The developers also paid special attention to the visual design of 1990s Poland. Interiors and environments recreate the atmosphere of post-Soviet Eastern Europe – from furniture and household appliances to signs, advertisements, architecture, and room design. Faded wallpaper, old appliances, and worn-out household items are intended to make the fictional town as authentic as possible.