Daniel, a troubled teenager, inherits his grandmother’s house in the eerie town of Aspen Falls. What starts as an opportunity for a fresh start quickly becomes a nightmare when he discovers that the house and its surroundings hide dark secrets. After encountering a mysterious woman who seems to know more about him than he does himself, Daniel is drawn into a sinister story involving occult rituals, monstrous entities, and the twisted history of his own family. The line between reality and nightmare begins to blur as he is forced to confront horrors that reach far beyond his home.
Stray Souls was developed by Jukai Studio and published by Versus Evil. It released on October 25, 2023 for PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S. Built with Unreal Engine 5 and MetaHuman technology, it aimed to deliver cinematic visuals and a blend of psychological and action horror. The game sought to merge traditional exploration and puzzle solving with modern third-person combat mechanics, setting itself apart as an indie experiment that tried to bring large-scale ambition into a smaller production.
Gameplay
Players control Daniel as he explores Aspen Falls and uncovers its secrets. The gameplay alternates between exploration, puzzle solving, and combat. Combat involves firearms and melee weapons, though ammunition is limited and enemies are aggressive, forcing players to choose between fighting or fleeing. Puzzles require attention to environmental details and documents scattered around the town. The game also uses randomization, meaning that item placements, encounters, and enemy locations can change between playthroughs. This feature was intended to enhance replayability and create unpredictability in how each session unfolds.
Visuals & Style
The game’s presentation relies heavily on atmospheric design. Environments include abandoned houses, fog-shrouded forests, and decayed streets that give Aspen Falls its oppressive personality. Lighting is used to amplify dread, and the MetaHuman character models aim for realistic facial expressions and interactions. Creature designs are grotesque and unsettling, though technical flaws sometimes disrupt immersion. Sound plays a key role, with creaks, whispers, and environmental noises working alongside silence to build tension. Overall, the style mixes cinematic horror with classic survival horror cues, though execution varied across platforms.
Importance in Survival Horror History
While often categorized as a psychological action horror, Stray Souls carries several survival horror traits. Scarcity of resources, emphasis on puzzle solving, and the vulnerability of its protagonist tie it to the genre’s roots. Its significance lies not in redefining survival horror but in showcasing the growing ambition of indie studios trying to merge modern cinematic technology with classic horror formulas. It also reflects the risks smaller teams face when attempting to scale up production values beyond their means.
Reception vs Historical Value
Reception was largely negative. Many players and critics cited technical problems, awkward combat, uneven writing, and bugs that undermined the atmosphere. Some praised the ambition of its lore and its attempt to revive unsettling psychological horror, but the flaws outweighed the strengths for most audiences. Historically, the game may be remembered less for its mechanics and more for the circumstances surrounding its troubled release and the eventual closure of its developer. It represents both the promise and the pitfalls of indie studios pushing beyond their capacity.
Delisting & Developer Shutdown
Following its poor reception and financial struggles, Jukai Studio announced its closure in late 2023. Around the same time, its publisher Versus Evil also shut down. As a result, Stray Souls began to disappear from storefronts. The game was removed from Steam in 2025, and console versions were heavily discounted before facing removal as well. With no physical release, access to the game became limited, and those who had not purchased it before delisting lost the chance to experience it.
Availability & Collectibility
Currently, Stray Souls is considered a delisted title. Owners who purchased it before removal can still access and download it, but new players may find it unavailable on most digital platforms. Because of its short life cycle, controversy, and ties to a closed studio and publisher, it may eventually become a sought after title in horror collecting circles. While its gameplay flaws prevent it from being remembered as a classic, its scarcity and troubled history have already secured it a place in conversations about the fragility of indie horror projects.
Get it on:
Only Link Still Running is GOG : -40% Stray Souls on GOG.com
Trailer: