Today marks the release of Red G Studios’s S.O.N, a psychological horror game that sees players take on the role of Robert Alderson as he searches for his missing son. What makes this journey so unsettling is that it takes place in a forest known as “South of Nowhere”, a 300,000 acre expanse that is home to nearly 650 missing persons cases. Of that huge number, only 22 bodies have been found…and they’ve all been children.

“In S.O.N , players take on the role of Robert Alderson, an unemployed, hard-nosed father who drowns out his past demons with alcohol – neglecting everyone and everything. You’re tasked with rescuing your son, Jay, who was taken out of his home to the mysterious forest known as “South of Nowhere.” Here, Robert will unravel his son’s disappearance while confronting his own true nature in the process.“

Red G Studios, a two-man operation based in Arizona, was the recipient of the coveted Unreal Dev Grant. A great interview with founder Jordan Davenport can be read right here. However, I do want to pull one quote from Davenport that I think will speak very strongly to horror fans.

When discussing how lighting can make all the difference in the experience of a horror game, he explained, “…lighting is a huge part but in that same breath, I believe the color of the light plays a significant part in horror. In S.O.N, instead of giving the player a flashlight, we let them use the strategically placed lighting that shines on and off objects placed all around the caves. Almost as if that object is telling you, ‘“Hey…come over here.” Maybe something happens, maybe something doesn’t. We wanted to make the player question each and every lit and unlit area they come across. To me, this feeds into the mind-game aspect of what makes horror truly great and fun to work in. In S.O.N, we worked in darkness by, at times, placing a light far down a hallway that is dark in between where you are standing and where the light is located. We also use objects to light rooms, but only to a certain extent because, you know, those $10 lamps can only go so far!”

A release trailer for the game can be seen above while a gallery of screenshots can be seen below. If the look of this game doesn’t send shivers up and down your spine, I don’t know what will. I’m thoroughly intrigued by this game and can’t wait to spend a few hours traversing this eerie forest.

The game is a PlayStation exclusive, so unfortunately Xbox and PC players will have to miss out on the soul crushing feeling of losing your child.