Netflix has quietly released “Unhinged,” a chilling horror experience developed by Night School Studios in an undisclosed collaboration with acclaimed directors David Fincher and Zach Cregger. The game positions players as Ava, a woman awakening during a power-outage storm, forcing her to navigate a deadly threat using her smartphone as both flashlight and communication device with friends Claire and Ben.
This Netflix-owned studio’s creation allows subscribers to play across TVs and computers via their phones, which serve as controllers for movement, calls, texts, and critical decisions. Players face approximately ten distinct death scenarios throughout the narrative, with each demise prompting police officers to discuss the grisly specifics of the player’s demise. “Every time you do die, the cops comment on the specifics of that crime scene,” explained Night School Studios founder Sean Krankel.
Despite expectations for branching storylines, the team opted for a singular narrative path leading to one primary survival ending. Krankel revealed internal debates about creating multiple conclusions, given the studio’s history with choice-driven games like “Oxenfree.” However, they discovered that traditional dialogue choices felt awkward and disconnected from the core horror experience.
The game leverages Netflix’s casting expertise, featuring Zoë Kravitz, Sadie Sink, and Troy Baker in voice roles. Krankel emphasized treating the project as an “interactive thriller” rather than a conventional game, prioritizing storytelling over complex mechanics. Players can choose whether to answer a final ominous call from the transformed killer Ben, adding a personal layer to the horror conclusion.
While avoiding “Saw-level” graphic content, the developers incorporated deliberately uncomfortable moments designed to unsettle players. The experience reflects horror’s current renaissance period, joining titles like “Backrooms” and “Weapons” in pushing genre boundaries through innovative interactive storytelling.
