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It came to them in a dream... then they released it today.

February 24, 2022

6 Min Read

[This unedited press release is made available courtesy of Game Developer and its partnership with notable game PR-related resource Games Press]

Author: Application Systems Heidelberg

Of course, releasing a game is a dream come true for all developers. But in this case, an actual dream became "reality".


Ghost on the Shore's core story came to our writer in a dream. In this somber dream, she had died and could experience in great force her partner's immense grief. Unable to reach out, she could only be a witness to her partner eventually dealing with the loss and moving on. The dream left her feeling complicated emotions, that morphed into the seedling of a story about love, dying and holding on the loved ones… We believe these emotions are a universal part of being human and connecting with others.
  Following the huge success of their exploration game, Marie's Room (400k downloads, Very Positive in Steam user reviews), Belgian studio "like Charlie" is releasing their next game Ghost on the Shore.


Ghost on the Shore is an exploration game about emotional ties that transcend even death. Protagonist Riley is faced with a headstrong ghost, urging her on an adventure across atmospheric shores, uncovering the island's tragic secret. Choices in dialogue shape the bond between the two, ultimately deciding Riley's fate.

Watch the brand new release trailer now on YouTube
 

About the game
 

Ghost on the Shore is a story driven exploration game about emotional ties that transcend even death.

You play as Riley, a young woman looking for a fresh start, who arrives on the Rogue Islands after being forced to ground in a storm. Joining with you on your adventure is Josh, a headstrong ghost, whose voice becomes known to Riley as soon as she sets foot on land.

As you explore the crumbling homes of these now abandoned islands, you get to know the ghost, Josh. Choices in dialogue share your bond with him and ultimately influence Riley's fate.

 

Exploration and Environmental Storytelling
While you walk the beautiful landscape of the Rogue Islands, you learn their history through the items left behind. Josh remembers more from his time on the islands, and Riley is encouraged to reveal her dreams, goals and why she is running from her old life.

Immersive Dialogue
A unique feature that allows the player to make choices in a subtle immersive way. You don't always know how your words will affect the other. Words are powerful tools. Just like in real life, things can become fun, exciting or plain awkward.

Irrevocable Choices
Every dialogue option is shown only once, which makes your choices definite.

Branching Narrative
The relationship you choose to build with the ghost defines the narrative branch you get to explore. There are four branches with a different ending for each.

Created by like Charlie, the team behind the award-winning story exploration game Marie's Room.

Features

  • Discover the branching narrative and multiple endings

  • Make emotional choices and experience the consequences

  • Immerse yourself into a rich story and atmospheric setting

  • Gather clues and investigate what happened

Assets & Links:

Release Details

  • Ghost on the Shore has been released February 24 for Windows and macOS for a price of $19.99 • £17.49 • EURO19.99.

  • The game is available on Steam, GOG, Humble Store, Mac App Store, and other online stores.

Platforms

  • Windows

  • macOS, including native M1 support

  • Linux coming soon. We need to get a third party shader issue fixed.

  • Steam Deck: Works well on our dev kit using Proton. Will be running natively too as soon as Linux is fixed.


Languages

  • Voice Over: English

  • Text: English, German, Spanish, French, Russian, Portuguese and Dutch

  • Will ship with English and German

  • Will be updated about four weeks after the initial release with Spanish, French, Russian, Portuguese and Dutch


IMPORTANT NOTE: If you have played other games we have published, you will know that we take time and care with our translations. A wide branching story such as this requires multiple playtests, leading us to make the tough decision to add full localization later, for the best possible quality.

Past adventure game releases

Upcoming narrative Games by Application Systems in 2022

While we're at it, here's what else we have coming up:

Sonority
by Hanging Gardens Interactive • Q1/2022
https://ashgames.com/Sonority

The Plague Doctor of Wippra
by electrocosmos • Q2/2022
https://ashgames.com/ThePlagueDoctorOfWippra

Rosewater
by Francisco Gonzalez (Developer of Lamplight City) • Q3/2022
https://ashgames.com/Rosewater

Resort
by Backwoods Entertainment (Developers of Unforeseen Incidents) • Q4/2022
https://ashgames.com/Resort

Join the conversation on Discord
Press area on Discord: https://discord.gg/yxwBEYRkFX
Application Systems: https://discord.gg/RYghnmw

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