The Dark Pictures Anthology: The Devil in Me
2022 video game
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The Dark Pictures Anthology: The Devil in Me is a 2022 interactive drama and survival horror video game developed by Supermassive Games and published by Bandai Namco Entertainment. It is the fourth game of The Dark Pictures Anthology. The Devil in Me is set in a modern-day replica of H. H. Holmes's "Murder Castle" on an island in Lake Michigan. The narrative follows a documentary film crew who must survive a labyrinth of deadly traps set by a copycat serial killer. Reappearing in The Devil in Me are staple mechanics of the anthology, such as quick time events, two single-player and two multiplayer modes, and collectables that allow the player to see visions of possible future events. The game deviates from the stricter linearity of previous entries by introducing expanded exploration capabilities, including running, jumping, and climbing, alongside tool-based puzzles and a character inventory system. It features a multilinear plot in which decisions can alter the trajectory of the story and change the relationships between the five playable protagonists; some choices lead to their permanent deaths.
| The Dark Pictures Anthology: The Devil in Me | |
|---|---|
Box art featuring Kate Wilder, one of the game's five protagonists | |
| Developer | Supermassive Games |
| Publisher | Bandai Namco Entertainment |
| Director | Tom Heaton |
| Designers |
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| Programmers |
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| Artist | David Hirst |
| Writer | Seth M. Sherwood |
| Composer | Jason Graves |
| Series | The Dark Pictures Anthology |
| Engine | Unreal Engine 4 |
| Platforms | |
| Release | 18 November 2022 |
| Genres | Interactive drama, survival horror |
| Modes | Single-player, multiplayer |
The game's premise was heavily inspired by the mythos of Holmes, while its horror elements drew upon various classic horror and slasher films and franchises including Psycho, The Shining, Saw, Halloween, and Friday the 13th. To accommodate the new movement systems, the development team built physical sets for the actors during motion capture. Jessie Buckley, who plays investigative journalist Kate Wilder, was marketed as the game's leading actress. Jason Graves, a long-time collaborator with Supermassive for the series, composed the soundtrack using mechanical sounds and classical music to reflect the killer's deliberate nature.
The Devil in Me was released for PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Windows, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S on 18 November 2022, to mixed reviews. Critics praised the Murder Castle setting, the macabre environmental traps, and the audio design, but directed criticism towards the cumbersome execution of the new exploration mechanics, sluggish pacing, and various technical faults. The fifth game in the series, Directive 8020, was revealed in a teaser trailer at the end of The Devil in Me and released on 12 May 2026.
Gameplay
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The Dark Pictures Anthology: The Devil in Me is an interactive drama and survival horror game played from a third-person perspective.[1][2] Player control switches between five protagonists who are members of a documentary film crew navigating a modern-day replica of H. H. Holmes's "Murder Castle".[3] Perspective shifts among the protagonists as they explore the hotel, evade traps, and attempt to survive a masked killer.[4] Deviating from the stricter linearity of previous entries, the game incorporates expanded exploration mechanics.[5] The hotel's architecture occasionally shifts, with the killer sliding moving walls to disorient the characters.[6] Characters use new movement mechanics, allowing them to run, jump, mantle over obstacles, squeeze through tight spaces, and balance across beams.[7] The Devil in Me also introduces an inventory system, assigning distinct tools to each protagonist to solve environmental puzzles.[8] For instance, Charlie, can use a business card to open locked drawers, Mark uses his camera to document evidence, and Jamie uses a multimeter to rewire electrical panels.[7] Certain obstacles require the player to solve light environmental puzzles, such as fixing old fuse boxes or navigating mazes, to progress.[9]
Action sequences frequently rely on quick time events (QTEs), requiring the player to input timed button presses to dodge attacks, overcome hazards, or maintain stealth in designated hiding spots.[4][10] Failing these events can lead to a character's permanent death, and the narrative continues regardless of who dies.[4] The player regularly makes dialogue and action choices within a time limit, which alter character relationships and the overarching trajectory of the plot.[11] The game tracks the consequences of these choices through a menu system called bearings, which maps the narrative branches.[9]
While exploring, the player can find hidden collectables that expand upon the hotel's lore, as well as framed pictures that trigger premonitions of possible future events.[10] The environment also conceals coins known as obols, which act as an in-game currency to unlock character and scene dioramas in the bonus menu.[12] Throughout the narrative, an enigmatic character known as the Curator appears in periodic cutscenes to observe the player's decisions and offer cryptic hints regarding upcoming challenges.[10] The game includes both single-player and multiplayer modes, allowing players to experience the narrative solo or cooperatively with others.[10][13]
Synopsis
Setting and prologue
The Devil in Me's plot centers around the myth of H. H. Holmes, an American serial killer who operated the World's Fair Hotel in Chicago during the late 19th century. Built between 1887 and 1892, the hotel was reputed to be a "Murder Castle" filled with deadly traps for unsuspecting guests. Following his capture, Holmes claimed he "was born with the devil in me" and confessed to numerous murders, though historical estimates of his actual victims vary. The prologue takes place during the 1893 Chicago World's Fair, as newlyweds Jeff and Marie Whitman check into the hotel to celebrate their honeymoon. Holmes separates the couple and traps them within the building's shifting, mechanical rooms before murdering them both. Following the prologue, an omnipresent observer known as the Curator introduces himself to the player and outlines the story's premise.
Characters
The game's five protagonists are Kate Wilder (Jessie Buckley), an investigative journalist and the presenter for a documentary film crew; Charlie Lonnit (Paul Kaye), the show's director and owner of Lonnit Entertainment; Kate's ex-boyfriend and cameraman Mark Nestor (Fehinti Balogun); grip Jamie Tiergan (Gloria Obianyo); and audio production intern Erin Keenan (Nikki Patel).[14][15][16]
The Devil in Me centres around three main interpersonal dynamics: Kate and Mark's unresolved romantic tension, Charlie's strained relationship with his subordinates, and a developing romance between Jamie and Erin.[10][11] Following a recent breakup, Kate and Mark struggle to maintain a professional working environment; depending on the player's choices, this situation can cause further tension or the two can attempt to rekindle their relationship.[10][15] Meanwhile, Charlie is experiencing nicotine withdrawal and his resulting irritability and intense focus on completing the documentary alienate the crew—particularly Kate, who believes his direction is detrimental to her career.[10][11][17] Contrasting the broader resentment, Jamie and Erin nurture a budding romance.[10] Depending on the player's dialogue choices, the status of their relationship is determinant and can be developed into a full romance.[18]
Main plot
Struggling to produce their documentary series, the Lonnit Entertainment film crew accepts an invitation from a reclusive benefactor, Granthem Du'Met. He offers them exclusive access to his estate on Hunter's Island in Lake Michigan, which features a modern replica of H. H. Holmes's "Murder Castle". Shortly after the crew arrives, Du'Met abruptly departs on the island's only ferry, abandoning them.
The hotel enters a mechanical lockdown, separating the crew within a maze of shifting walls. A masked killer dressed as Holmes begins stalking the protagonists, psychologically tormenting them with warped animatronics of his past victims while forcing them to navigate deadly, automated traps. As they explore the facility, the crew discovers their attacker is Hector Munday, a former FBI profiler turned copycat killer. They learn that Munday perpetuates his murder cycle by forcing a surviving victim to act as his public facade; the man who lured the film crew to the island was actually Joseph Morello, a captive true-crime author acting as the current "Granthem Du'Met" in a futile attempt to save his family.
Seeking rescue, the crew navigates the island's exterior to activate a lighthouse and signal for help. They commandeer a boat to escape, but Munday intercepts them. The survivors fight him off in a final confrontation as the boat crashes and explodes, allowing them to swim to shore and be rescued. Alternatively, if player choices result in only Kate and Mark being captured, Munday forces Mark to lure the next group of victims to the island before executing them both. During a post-credits epilogue, authorities recover Munday's mask, and a new group of victims receives an invitation to his next property.
Development
The Devil in Me is the fourth game, and the season one finale,[10] in a series of originally eight games planned for The Dark Pictures Anthology.[19][a] The development team introduced new mechanics to increase player engagement during exploration. Director Tom Heaton explained that integrating tool-based puzzles and expanded movement systems was a deliberate choice to give players more agency; he stated that forcing them to actively navigate the environment ultimately elevates their vulnerability and the game's horror.[22] Heaton added that the game features more puzzles than previous entries; he compared them to early Resident Evil and Silent Hill titles, designing them to briefly entertain the player rather than completely halting progression.[23]
Supermassive also focused on refining their motion capture process. To accommodate the new movement mechanics and action sequences, the development team built sets that allowed the actors to physically interact with the environment by ducking and jumping over obstacles.[24] To ensure the story's logic functioned correctly, the developers playtested the various narrative branches using flowchart tools in a "lo-fi format" prior to recording the actors.[25] Heaton stated that the game is longer than previous entries in the series; while earlier games typically took four and a half to five hours to complete, The Devil in Me lasts around seven hours.[15][26]
Story and design
The Devil in Me, like previous entries in the anthology, was designed to be a standalone story,[17] but all of the games are in a shared universe, so Supermassive included easter eggs that refer to other games in the anthology.[2] The primary inspiration for the game's premise was the American serial killer H. H. Holmes and his "Murder Castle".[22] Additional inspirations included a variety of classic horror and slasher films and franchises, including Psycho (1960), The Shining (1980), Saw, Halloween, and Friday the 13th.[17][27] Because no historical records of the actual building's interior exist, the art team modelled the game's hotel on period-accurate North American hotel designs to match the building's known exterior; Heaton explained that this lack of documentation allowed the developers to design the interior however they wanted.[17][22] To serve the gameplay and heighten the horror, the team incorporated hidden corridors and mechanical sliding walls into the Victorian architecture, creating a labyrinthine environment that actively shifts to disorient the player.[28]: 2:04 [29] Furthermore, Heaton said that setting the narrative in the modern day with a copycat killer afforded the team creative freedom, preventing them from being tied to historical constraints.[17]
To contrast with previous entries in the anthology, the team pivoted from supernatural elements to a purely human antagonist. Heaton believed that a killer with human intelligence and sadistic motivations would create a more grounded psychological threat.[24] The antagonist was designed as a copycat who emulates Holmes's methods.[6] The developers conceptualised this copycat killer as a methodical adversary who lures the protagonists into environmental traps, rather than relying on frenetic chase sequences.[17] These scenarios include a room-sized incinerator, a dual-chamber trap filling with noxious gas, and two characters forced into a deadly tug-of-war against a central spinning blade. Despite the lethal nature of these encounters, Heaton stated that the developers ensured it is always mechanically possible for the player to save every character.[23] Because the game functions as an interactive slasher, the developers designed the narrative around a "golden path" that follows a traditional horror film structure; in this version of the story, character deaths are scattered throughout the plot, typically leaving only a lone survivor by the end.[25] The decision to feature a modern-day true-crime documentary crew was made to ground the story in a realistic workplace dynamic. Heaton explained that focusing on a small, interconnected group of coworkers allowed the writers to naturally integrate internal rivalries and romantic tensions.[17] The killer was then designed to actively exploit these fractured relationships, using the hotel's shifting architecture to physically isolate the crew and psychologically torment them.[15][24]
Casting
To elevate the quality of the game's ensemble cast, Supermassive hired a dedicated performance director to assist with the audition and casting process. Heaton was additionally responsible for helping the actors understand the game's script and navigate the complexities of performing within a branching narrative.[24] The Devil in Me continued the trend of the anthology by casting a recognizable face as the lead character, selecting Jessie Buckley to portray investigative journalist Kate Wilder.[15][30] Heaton stated that the team was fortunate to cast Buckley prior to her Academy Award nomination, having recognised her potential from her previous television and film work.[25]
Supermassive sought an actor capable of balancing the character's ambition with her emotional vulnerability.[24] According to Heaton, Buckley faced a steep learning curve during production; having never played a video game or watched a horror film in over twenty years. She had to adapt to the performance capture process and the expansive branching script.[25] In an interview with the developers, Buckley recounted her experiences while acting for The Devil in Me and expressed excitement about her role as Kate. She explained that having no prior experience with video games made the project feel novel,[31]: 0:57 and she was particularly surprised by the volume of the game's branching script compared to traditional film and television. Buckley described her character as a vulnerable yet ambitious fighter, adding that Kate's human side grounds her journey to uncover the truth about H. H. Holmes.[31]: 1:29
Music and sound design
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Jason Graves, who composed the music for previous entries in The Dark Pictures Anthology, returned to score The Devil in Me.[32] He maintained his established process for the series, recording a mix of string and percussion instruments alongside synthesisers, a harp, and a piano.[33] Graves designed the soundtrack to reflect the game's shift towards a methodical, human antagonist. He used slow-paced, mechanical "ticking" sounds to underscore the killer's deliberate movements and the presence of the hotel's animatronic mannequins.[32] To create a sense of historical juxtaposition, the score incorporates diegetic classical music and opera played through old gramophones during murder sequences, reflecting the antagonist's self-perception as a dramatic artist.[32][33] The soundtrack also uses distinct styles for different environments: a film noir-inspired "throwback" sound for the island's exterior, and modern distortion with "skipping" synthesisers for the hotel's technologically advanced inner chambers.[33]
To complement the musical score, the audio team recorded Foley and sound effects to reflect the hotel's aging Victorian architecture.[28]: 7:41 Audio director Barney Pratt explained that the team overhauled the character Foley systems to accommodate the new exploration mechanics, introducing a dynamic breathing system that reacts to a character's stress and exhaustion levels.[34] Furthermore, the developers recorded various door mechanisms and creaking floorboards; as the characters ascend to higher, unfinished levels of the hotel, the frequency of the creaking increases to signal the building's growing structural instability.[28]: 8:05 The sound designers interspersed abstract elements, including bowed metal and electromagnetic recordings, with modern distortion to conceptually link the historical setting with the modern-day narrative.[28]: 9:04
Release
The Devil in Me was first revealed in a post-credits teaser trailer at the end of House of Ashes,[35] which was released on 22 October 2021.[36] A story trailer premiered on 7 July 2022,[37] with a character trailer released in early November.[14] Preceded by a hands-on preview, The Devil in Me was released on 18 November 2022 for PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, and Windows.[5][38] The Animatronic Collector's Edition of the game was released exclusively through the Bandai Namco Store, and included a copy of the game, a collector's box, and an 11-centimeter tall animatronic bust, among other items.[39] A post-credits teaser trailer at the end of the game revealed the next instalment in the series, Directive 8020, which was released on 12 May 2026.[40][41] In the United Kingdom, The Devil in Me debuted at number 16 on the all-formats boxed charts during its launch week. The game experienced slightly higher physical launch sales than House of Ashes.[42]
Reception
Critical response
| Aggregator | Score |
|---|---|
| Metacritic | PC: 69/100[43] PS5: 69/100[44] XSXS: 79/100[45] |
| OpenCritic | 55% recommend[46] |
The Devil in Me received "mixed or average" reception for Windows and PlayStation 5,[43][44] and "generally favourable" reception for Xbox Series X, according to the review aggregator website Metacritic,[43][44][45] while 55% of critics recommended the game according to OpenCritic.[46] Critics widely appreciated the Murder Castle setting and the execution of the true crime documentary premise;[4][29][47][51] Cass Marshall of Polygon praised the game's exploration of modern true crime obsession, describing the premise of a copycat killer exploiting this reverence as genuinely creepy.[51] Multiple critics highlighted the macabre environmental traps and the successful generation of tension, frequently drawing favourable comparisons to the Saw films.[1][52][53] Conversely, the layout and an increased emphasis on exploration frustrated other critics;[11][13][54] Ruth Cassidy of Eurogamer and Matt Kamen of Empire found that navigating the hotel dragged, arguing that these sequences functioned as tedious padding rather than enhancing the horror.[11][54]
The introduction of new movement and inventory mechanics drew a divided response. Several critics viewed these additions favourably, arguing that they provided a welcome shift in the gameplay style;[48][49][52] Meg Pelliccio of TheGamer appreciated the increased freedom to explore and the organic integration of character-specific tools.[52] Conversely, many reviewers found the expanded mechanics cumbersome.[9][10][50] Tristan Ogilvie of IGN and Larryn Bell of Shacknews argued that the ability to run, vault, and push objects felt rigid and grew tiresome over the course of the campaign.[9][10] Fraser Brown of PC Gamer specifically criticised the interaction design, detailing instances where missing button prompts artificially halted exploration.[13]
Reviewers were divided regarding the documentary crew cast. Several critics praised the character writing;[4][55] Mark Delaney of GameSpot lauded the cast as the best in the series.[4] In contrast, other reviewers described the crew as unlikable and difficult to empathise with, diminishing the player's desire to keep them alive.[10][13] While the initial setup and prologue drew a positive response,[13][50][53] the overarching story was widely found to suffer from a sluggish pace.[6][10][50][53] Kelsey Raynor of VG247 and Alice Bell of Rock Paper Shotgun argued that the narrative lost momentum and emotional weight in the final third of the game.[6][50]
Technical faults drew criticism, with numerous reviewers documenting frequent bugs, erratic camera angles, and environmental glitches.[11][13][48] Fraser Brown experienced severe issues with the cooperative multiplayer modes, encountering sliding character models, malfunctioning QTEs, and broken game progression.[13] Reviewers widely praised the audio design's ability to build tension;[29][48] Alejandro Morillas of IGN Spain highlighted the ambient effects, describing his playthrough with headphones as one of the most terrifying experiences of the year.[53] However, critics argued that the visual elements failed to match this quality, describing the facial animations as stiff and a step backwards from the studio's previous title, The Quarry (2022).[48][53]
Accolades
The Devil in Me was nominated for Best Multiplayer Game, Most Wanted Sony PlayStation Game, and Most Wanted Microsoft Xbox Game at the 2022 Gamescom Awards.[56] In 2023, it won Best Action and Adventure Game at the TIGA Awards.[57]
In other games
Switchback VR, a spinoff game of the anthology for PlayStation VR2, includes levels for each of the anthology's first four games, including The Devil in Me.[58]
Notes
- Initially, the anthology was planned to be broken down into seasons, but the concept was dropped by Supermassive during the development on the next game in the series, Directive 8020 (2026).[20] Also, executive producer Dan McDonald stated in April 2026 that the original roadmap had shifted, resulting in the studio no longer strictly adhering to an eight game limit.[21]
