Team17 has signed a worldwide publishing agreement with Sonka to publish psychological survival horror game Holstin, the companies announced. It will be available for PlayStation, Xbox, Switch, and PC (Steam) platforms when it launches.
“We have been big fans of Holstin for some time, and are delighted to be able to partner with Sonka to help realize their vision and bring the game to market,” said Team17 general manager Harley Homewood in a press release. “We are proud to partner with such a talented team, that have created a game that embodies unique atmospheric storytelling, with innovative gameplay mechanics in a spine chilling survival horror. We can’t wait to reveal more of the game to new and existing fans in the coming months.”
Sonka CEO and Holstin game director Rafal Sankowski added, “We’re beyond excited and proud to partner with Team17, a publisher with a prestigious track record and the foresight to bring some truly innovative horror games to the world—with DREDGE being one of my favorite games ever! We’ve always had ambitious goals for Holstin, and now we’re confident that together we can meet and maybe even exceed them. Whether it’s expanding and refining gameplay mechanics, securing higher-quality voice acting or just having that extra space to add even more bizarre but poignant Polish Easter eggs into our 90s-drenched horror world, things are lining up nicely for us to release something truly special together.”
Here is an overview of the game, via Team17:
About
Announced by Sonka back in early 2023, Holstin has steadily grown in recognition and attention thanks to its innovative visual style and technology, its unique 90’s Poland setting, and the team’s constant release of concept-proving demos. Team17 and Sonka will now be partnering up to amplify and expand on this momentum together to reach new heights.
The game is inspired by the classic Resident Evil and Silent Hill series, while the narrative team is aiming for a darker Twin Peaks feel. Holstin will be coming to PC, PlayStation, Xbox, and Switch.
Key Features
- Explore a Possessed Town – Something is very wrong in the town of Jeziorne-Kolonia. The streets are overrun by some kind of filthy slime. The people, the buildings, and the wildlife all seem to be slowly deteriorating from the inside.
- Fight and Survive Against Unfathomable Monstrosities – Scavenge for scarce supplies and weapons to fight off the twisted monstrosities now roaming the darkest corners of the town.
- Speak to Locals Slowly Losing Their Minds – Sanity among the locals seems to be slowly slipping away, but they are the only ones who can get you the answers you need. You will have to play along with their unnerving delusions and try to understand their festering world to get anywhere.
- Playing All Sorts of Tricks on Your Eyes – Holstin uses Sonka’s custom 2XD Rendering technology to deliver real-time lighting in detailed hand-drawn pixel art to uniquely combine multiple camera perspectives, including isometric 3D, third-person shooting, first-person driving, top-down exploration, and side-scrolling platforming.
- Full Voice Acting in Polish and English – Chillingly manic performances in both English and Polish bring every character in Holstin to life.