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Saturnalia

Platform(s): Nintendo Switch, PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X
Genre: Action/Adventure
Developer: Santa Ragione
Release Date: Oct. 27, 2022

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'Saturnalia' Is A Kaleidoscopic Survival Horror Game, Shows Off Gameplay - Screens & Trailer

by Rainier on Aug. 4, 2022 @ 7:00 a.m. PDT

Saturnalia is a single-player horror-roguelite set in the Italian region of Sardinia, circa 1989.

Saturnalia is a survival horror adventure where, as an ensemble cast, you explore an isolated village of ancient ritual – its labyrinthine roads change each time you lose all your characters.

Saturnalia is a fever dream inspired in equal parts by authentic Sardinian culture and classic Italian giallo horror films. The narrative revolves around a mysterious, centuries-old ritual that occurs every year on the night of the winter solstice, as each of the game’s four playable characters must utilize their unique abilities and confront their own painful memories in order to expose the secrets haunting the town and ultimately escape Gravoi.

A game inspired and heavily influenced by the folklore of Sardinia, Italy (a region rich with unique traditions and culture) where you play as four characters, experiencing a deeply connected storyline that ties back to the haunting traditions of an ancient village.

The procedurally-generated village itself is an elaborate maze with no two iterations being precisely the same - you will have to explore and solve the mysteries of the game largely unguided. With no markers or compasses to situate themselves, players must instead rely on signs and local landmarks to orient themselves within Gravoi—all while a terrible creature stalks the cobblestone streets, waiting for its chance to strike. Players must utilize stealth and strategy to stay free of its clutches, ranging from using tools to unlock secret passageways to managing a dwindling supply of matches to keep the dark at bay.

Die, and watch the village reconfigure itself into a new form. Solve puzzles and open shortcuts to new areas with tools and items you find along the way, unlocking every piece of the story with different characters, each with its own power and suited for another aspect of exploration and investigation.


Saturnalia offers four distinct co-protagonists to select from, some of whom are available at the story’s outset while others must be unlocked. Each has his or her own unique abilities that are integral to completing the game’s many puzzles, and players will be able to switch between characters to cover more ground, survive attacks, and reveal new locations. Teamwork is a necessary component of both the gameplay and the story of Saturnalia: this group of outsiders must learn to trust each other, just as the player must learn how to best utilize their skills.

With a limited supply of matches to light your way and darkness encroaching, can you find your way through the fog to reveal the truth? Or will you be engulfed by the secrets this town doesn’t want you to know?

Key Features:

  • The village structure changes each time all your characters die
  • Discover characters' special abilities, use tools and consumables to open shortcuts
  • Keep narrative and puzzle progress across game-overs (roguelite)
  • Manage your supply of matches to help your sight and solve puzzles
  • Non-linear progression, dynamic and adaptive narrative
  • Investigate the ritual at the heart of the game and use what you find to stop it
  • Puzzles deeply integrated with the game world and narrative (not abstract)
  • The art of Saturnalia borrows from rotoscope animation, traditional sketching, and impressionistic painting to craft a story cloaked in color and shadow, producing an eerily beautiful atmosphere that is as enthralling as it is chilling.

Saturnalia is in development for PC (Epic Games Store).



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