Encryption announced as a psychological horror game for PC
Digital Lighthouse’s cinematic horror game follows a father searching for his missing daughter as wildfires consume southern Italy.
Encryption is heading to PC in 2027 as a cinematic first-person psychological horror adventure set against wildfires in southern Italy. Digital Lighthouse Games announced the project through its Steam listing, with the game combining exploration, puzzle-solving and stealth 1.
The story follows Leonardo, whose daughter Arianna has gone missing. His search leads through Matera, one of the world’s oldest inhabited cities, as fires close in and the town is left deserted. The Steam description says the investigation continues below the city, where players will piece together papers, damaged recordings and other clues 1.
A horror game built around silence
Encryption is not presented as a straight action game. Its threats respond to sound, making careful movement part of the survival loop. The Steam page describes shadowy figures that can hunt Leonardo after a careless step through water or a noisy lever, while the surrounding disaster creates a second danger: air quality can become unsafe as the fires burn nearby 1.
The setting is designed to carry as much of the mystery as the missing-person plot. Digital Lighthouse says the game’s locations draw on Matera’s architecture and landscape, with 3D laser scanning and photogrammetry used to bring real places into the game 1. That should give the abandoned streets and underground spaces a more grounded look than a generic horror backdrop.
The game also folds practical tools into the investigation. Leonardo carries a smartwatch that tracks his inventory, documents, objectives, heart rate, blood oxygen, steps and battery life. A flashlight and noise detector help him navigate, while collectibles unlock a New Game+ run described as the only way to decode the full truth 1.
What we know about the launch
Encryption is listed for PC via Steam and is currently scheduled for 2027. The announcement does not give a more specific release date, price or minimum PC specification 1. The official Steam listing also includes an announcement trailer, giving prospective players an early look at the game’s cinematic presentation 1.
Digital Lighthouse Games is the developer and publisher named on the Steam page. Gematsu reported the announcement and linked to the same official listing, while the game’s website is encryption-game.com 12.
Our opinion
Encryption has a clear hook: a missing-child investigation unfolding through a wildfire disaster, with stealth shaped by noise rather than simply by enemy patrols. The Matera setting and scanning-based production approach give the announcement a stronger identity than a bare genre pitch. There is still a lot left to prove, including how the puzzles, enemy encounters and New Game+ structure work in practice. For now, it is a promising PC horror announcement to watch rather than a game with a confirmed near-term release. 12