Fuzzy Ghost, the Sydney-based studio that brought us the excellent, thoughtful Queer Man Peering Into A Rock Pool.jpg, is currently working on its next game, Janet DeMornay is a Slumlord (and a witch) – a light horror adventure about the awful conditions of rental sharehouses, and how they change our perceptions of living.
To add a touch of realism and terror that hits close to home, Fuzzy Ghost is now calling for renters to submit their own rental horror stories, to be included as collectible Case Files in the game. These will be found throughout the world of Janet DeMornay, and round out the game’s exploration of renter trauma.
‘We wanted to make a horror game, so we asked ourselves: In Australia in the 2020s, what’s something that’s truly terrifying? To be honest the answer came pretty quickly—being a renter,’ Scott Ford, co-founder of Fuzzy Ghost said of the inspirations for the project.
‘JDM is a horror comedy about renting, and it feels like everyone we know has had a rental experience that’s horrible, or hilarious or both. We wanted to share their stories, as well as our own. Just have a great big bitch session, really. But in a game. And with witches.’
Read: Queer Man Peering Into A Rock Pool.jpg review – A surreal vaporwave trip
A new trailer for the upcoming game, currently in development thanks to funding aid from Screen Australia, has highlighted the kinds of stories Fuzzy Ghost is looking for – landlords that refuse to fix black mould, leave junk in your garage, and those that refuse to fix defective appliances.
You can submit these horror stories on the Fuzzy Ghost website, with a select few being chosen for inclusion in the final game. This is your chance to expunge your pent-up rage at landlords past and present, and have your story immortalised in a unique, tongue-in-cheek horror tale from one of Sydney’s prestigious and award-winning game studios.
Here’s the official description of the upcoming horror-comedy, per Fuzzy Ghost:
‘Inspired by irreverent horror-comedy classics including Beetlejuice and Poltergeist, Janet DeMornay sees you play as Andrew, who has signed a new lease to an enchanted but crumbling queer terrace house in Sydney. The catch is, your house has been transported to another dimension. Using unique puzzle mechanics, players will explore their home and try to get back to the real world, as their faded television shopping channel star landlord (and witch) Janet DeMornay becomes increasingly menacing.’
It’s set to be a wild ride when it launches for PC via Steam in late 2023. You can keep up to date with all things Fuzzy Ghost and Janet DeMornay on Twitter.
