It feels like videogames are slowly but surely beginning to embrace the strange again. As audiences tire of the traditional triple-A open-world fare, there’s an appetite for weirdness: take 2024’s Indika or Thank Goodness You’re Here, for example, or the upcoming Promise Mascot Agency. Hotel Barcelona, the brainchild of Deadly Premonition’s Hidetaka ‘Swery’ Suehiro and Killer7’s Goichi ‘Suda51’ Suda is set to be yet another installment in the ‘what the hell did I just play?’ canon, thrusting you into the titular hotel for a chaotic, slasher-inspired adventure turned acid trip.
Initially positioned as an easy-to-play roguelike side-scroller for Switch and mobile, Hotel Barcelona has transformed into something considerably more sinister (and bizarre). You are Justine, a rookie US marshal who just so happens to be possessed by the soul of former serial killer Dr. Carnival. Justine is trapped inside the eponymous hotel, currently inhabited by seven of America’s most brutal killers. The job is simple: kill them all and get out alive.
But that’s a lot easier said than done. Seven different killers (funny how it’s always that number) require seven different solutions, with each of their respective hellscapes presenting new, unique challenges. Inspired by various classic horror films, we see everything from what appears to be a forest biome through to an industrial complex, with bosses ranging from a gigantic, corrupted baby doll to a hulking prisoner with a skull for a head.
Justine can wield everything from a wood axe to twin glaive-like chainsaw blades, and as you hack your way through the hordes you’ll slowly but surely power up your Carnival Awakening ability. Consider it as a form of all-out ultimate attack; the beast inside you has been unleashed, your foes are nothing more than objects to be obliterated.
Death is inevitable, then, but that applies to both you and your enemies. When you die, you leave up to four ‘echoes’ of your previous selves behind, which will emulate your last run. These help to clear the path a little, and can also act as the perfect distraction. If you’re looking for real-life allies, however, Hotel Barcelona features three-player co-op, and its own dedicated PvP as well – chaos is much sweeter when it’s shared, after all.
White Owls has confirmed that Hotel Barcelona will drop sometime in 2025. There’s no exact release date just yet, but Halloween feels like the perfect time for it to launch. You can wishlist it here.
If you love the chaos of Swery and Suda51’s defining titles, we have a list of all the best old games and PC classics that all channel that aesthetic. Alternatively, check out our guide to all of the upcoming PC games for 2025 and beyond to help fill out your calendar.
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