Reveil

Reveil is a psychological horror adventure game. It was developed by Pixelsplit, an independent studio known for warmly received smaller-scale projects, such as Deadly Days and Indoorlands. The game was published by Daedalic Entertainment.

Plot

The protagonist of Reveil is Walter Thompson, who spent his youth in the Nelson' brothers circus. Though his past left a lasting mark on him, he managed to put his life back together and start a family.

Those idyllic days come to an end when he wakes up one day, without memories of what happened last night, with his wife Martha and daughter Dorie missing from home. To make matters worse, his memories and products of his imagination start manifesting in reality. With no other choice, Walter delves into the surreal world.

Mechanics

Reveil is a first-person game divided into acts, each taking place in a different environment, These are increasingly surreal and inspired by 1960s circus shows.

While traversing these locations we witness the protagonist's disturbing visions, consisting of his memories and imagination (with both being difficult to distinguish from one another). Occasionally we'll also encounter puzzles; solving them brings us closer to untangling the story, finding Martha and Dorie, learning more about the protagonist, his past and current situation.

Technical aspects

Reveil runs on the Unity engine. The game heavily draws on the 1960s circus aesthetics.