2025 was a monster 12 months for Stephen King film and TV variations… so the place are all of the video games?
2025 was an enormous 12 months for Stephen King variations. In film theaters this 12 months we had The Monkey, The Lengthy Stroll, and The Working Man, and on TV there was IT: Welcome to Derry and The Institute. That makes it the largest 12 months for King variations since 2017, which gave us The Darkish Tower, It (the film), 1922, Gerald’s Recreation, and TV sequence primarily based on each Mr. Mercedes and The Mist.
Everyone knows the previous couple of years have additionally seen an increase in nice co-op horror video games like Deadly Firm, REPO, Content material Warning, and Sons of the Forest—avid gamers appear to take pleasure in nothing extra as of late than getting scared collectively.
So, like… the place are all of the Stephen King video games at? Huh? Individuals love Stephen King. Individuals love scary video games. There is definitely no scarcity of fabric to work with, to the tune of 60+ books, 200+ novellas and quick tales. Can we get happening this already?
I do not know if there is a particular purpose for thus few King variations—I did request an interview by means of King’s agent, although I have not heard again but and do not particularly anticipate to—however with a lot crossover between films and video games as of late, it appears pure that there could be extra crossover from books to video games, too. I am not saying I wish to see tons of licensed videogame dreck being churned out, however absolutely the grasp of horror is deserving of some nice videogame variations to associate with all these films.
As proof for the potential for Stephen King video games, this is some elevator pitches I got here up with. If somebody can get this listing to Steve, I might be glad to debate these concepts (and my modest six determine consulting charge) with him.
The Shining: A lodge administration recreation
Handle the Overlook Resort year-round: rent employees, handle provides and budgets, enhance, make guests glad, take care of occasional horrors in a number of the rooms and elevators full of blood and hedge maze monsters, and be sure to intently display screen your winter caretaker.
The Lengthy Stroll: A QWOP Battle Royale
100 gamers begin strolling with QWOP or Child Steps-esque controls. Decelerate or fall over too many occasions, and also you get your ticket.
Battleground: An asynchronous PvP shooter
One participant is Renshaw, a normal-sized individual, and the opposite 50 gamers are little inexperienced military males. It is warfare, the way in which Toy Story ought to have been. (Based mostly on the quick story in Evening Shift.)
The Mist: A horror extraction shooter
Drop in with buddies to a city shrouded in a murky, monster-filled mist, rescue stranded residents and loot for gear, and attempt to get out once more inside half-hour. Pleasant hearth is enabled.
Survivor Kind: A survival recreation
I did, in a single survival recreation, eat my very own lifeless physique after respawning in a brand new physique. However I’ve by no means eaten my physique whereas I used to be nonetheless inhabiting it. (Based mostly on the quick story in Skeleton Crew.)
Underneath the Dome: A metropolis builder
Uninterested in individuals shifting out of your metropolis while you do a poor job managing it? Nicely, now they can not go away. ‘Cos of the dome. Be careful for meth labs.
Quitters, Inc.: A manufacturing unit recreation
Arrange enjoyable automated therapy facilities to assist the inhabitants give up smoking—like rooms the place they watch loved-ones get electrical shocks. (Based mostly on the quick story in Evening Shift.)
Distress: An open world motion recreation
There’s an enormous, absolutely simulated open world, however you principally ignore it to hold round your home to ensure your favourite creator finishes his new e-book.
Pet Sematary: A comfy life sim
Suppose Animal Crossing however you are tending a burial floor, overseeing the resurrection of zombie pets, and ensuring your villagers do not attempt to bury actual our bodies there.
And that is simply off the highest of my head! Truly, a number of of our heads: The Mist as an extraction shooter was Jake’s concept, and Wes’ got here up with the pitch for Pet Sematary.
Both method, there’s heaps to work with. Let’s get on it.