Indie studio HumaNature Studios has announced a release date for life sim Dancing with Ghosts. Dancing with Ghosts will arrive first via Steam Early Access on PC on October 8.
The indie game is a passion project from game designer and HumaNature founder, Greg Johnson, whose past work includes Toejam & Earl, Starflight, and Doki-Doki Universe.
After the tragic passing of his daughter and home in the 2023 Maui wildfires, Johnson became inspired by the Thai culture and traditions of his wife Sirena. Johnson developed Dancing with Ghosts as a celebration of finding joy after tragedy.
The game stars 15-year old Mai, who has recently lost her parents in a tragic accident. As she processes the grief, she meets a friendly ghost named Pim, who is surprised that someone can hear and see her.
Mai and Pim embark on a journey to do good around her river village, from making deliveries to cooking food and helping with daily tasks, all to earn Karma.
Pim can enter other bodies to hear their thoughts, and help them escape from shadow spirits.
“Dancing with Ghosts is a deliberately joyful experience,” said Johnson. “We all experience sadness because that’s a natural part of being human – I had to find my way back to joy, and I want this game to help others on their path, while celebrating the Thai culture that guided me there.”
According to the official Steam page, Dancing with Ghosts will remain in Early Access for several months. The Early Access version features the complete game. The final 1.0 release will add additional polish, achievements and “other community features.”
