Dancing with Ghosts, the life simulation game about finding joy from grief by game developer Greg Johnson, will launch in Early Access for PC via Steam on October 8 for $14.99, developer HumaNature Studios announced. It will support English and Thai language options. A demo is available now.
“Dancing with Ghosts is a deliberately joyful experience,” said Dancing with Ghosts creator and HumaNature Studios founder Greg Johnson in a press release. “We all experience sadness because that’s a natural part of being human—I had to find my way back to joy, and I want this game to help others on their path, while celebrating the Thai culture that guided me there.”
Here is an overview of the game, via HumaNature Studios:
Dancing with Ghosts is a passion project for Johnson, whose work includes lead design on the ToeJam and Earl franchise, the Starflight series, and Doki-Doki Universe. The game was born in the wake of the tragic passing of Greg’s 28-year-old daughter and his family’s devastating loss in the 2023 Maui wildfires.
Greg found solace in the Thai culture and traditions his wife Sirena brought into his life, offering ways to rise and grow from grief. This philosophy, combined with his mind for game design, created a cozy experience celebrating joy and Thai culture, enlisting talent from both Thailand and the diaspora for art, programming, animation, and voice acting.
In Dancing with Ghosts, after a tragic accident claims the lives of her parents, 15-year-old Mai must rebuild her life in the Thai river village where she grew up. As Mai processes the loss of her family and struggles with grief, she meets a friendly young ghost named Pim struggling to remember almost any of her time in the world of the living—but is overjoyed to discover Mai can see and talk to her.
Help Mai and Pim make something positive out of their unfortunate situations by helping others, inspired by the Thai concept of utit suan boon kusohn, dedicating good karma to ease the way for those who have passed. Play mini-games like making deliveries by boat and scooter and cooking up delicious Thai food to help villagers with their daily tasks and earn Karma for Pim.
Groove to original music performed by Genevieve Goings (Disney’s Choo Choo Soul) and internationally renowned reggae artist Conkarah as Mai learns the dance moves from her late mother and sketches in her journal to process her raw emotions. Enter villagers’ bodies as Pim to hear their innermost thoughts and collect Heartlights that help them escape shadow spirits
Watch a new trailer below.