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Encryption is Digital Lighthouse Games’ announced cinematic first-person psychological horror adventure, targeting an early 2027 release on PC and consoles. Set in a wildfire-ravaged near-future Matera, Italy, it follows Leonardo as he searches for his missing daughter, Arianna, using exploration, environmental puzzles, stealth and sound-aware evasion rather than a combat-first design. The exact Steam release date has not been announced.
What Encryption is
Digital Lighthouse Games describes Encryption as a cinematic first-person horror adventure that combines exploration, puzzles and stealth mechanics. Steam’s Windows listing characterizes it as a psychological horror adventure unfolding during a climate catastrophe in southern Italy. The game is still in development, so its systems, story details and final release schedule could change.
Release date and platforms
| Detail | Current information |
|---|---|
| Developer and publisher | Digital Lighthouse Games |
| Target release | Early 2027, according to the developer |
| Platforms | PC and consoles; a Windows Steam listing is present |
| Exact Steam date | To be announced |
| Development status | Prerelease |
| Engine and environment technology | Unreal Engine 5, photogrammetry and laser scanning |
“Early 2027” is a target window rather than a confirmed launch day. No specific console models, PC system requirements, price, editions or pre-order details have been announced.
Story: a search through a burning Matera
Encryption takes place in a near-future Matera, one of the world’s oldest continuously inhabited places, after climate-change-driven wildfires have devastated the area. Much of the city has been evacuated, leaving smoke-filled streets, abandoned structures and dangerous underground spaces.
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You play Leonardo, a father looking for his missing daughter, Arianna. His former wife, Sofia, remains part of the communication thread described in release coverage. The central mystery leads from the damaged surface of Matera into locations beneath it, where the human disaster is joined by something more threatening. The story is presented through cinematic scenes, voiced dialogue and environmental investigation rather than through a detached action-game structure.
How the gameplay works
Explore and investigate
First-person exploration is the foundation. Players examine rooms, follow clues and move between exterior ruins and underground areas. A preview’s child’s-bedroom sequence illustrates how ordinary domestic spaces are used to carry story information and unease.
Rank #2
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Solve environmental puzzles
Puzzles are integrated into the setting rather than presented only as abstract menus. A reported demo includes symbol-matching challenges, requiring players to observe surroundings and connect visual information. The final game’s puzzle count and difficulty have not been stated.
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Stay hidden and manage sound
Encryption emphasizes stealth and evasion. Enemies react to sound, making movement, timing and the noise generated by the environment important to survival. The available footage and preview material describe monsters and encounters designed around avoiding detection, not a confirmed arsenal of weapons or a conventional combat loop.
Survive smoke and fire
Wildfire is both the setting and a gameplay hazard. Smoke can restrict breathing and visibility, while fire and heat shape where the player can safely move. Atmospheric audio is also central: the hands-on preview specifically reports that headphones make environmental sound easier to read and intensify the horror.
Technology and visual design
Digital Lighthouse Games is building Encryption in Unreal Engine 5. Photogrammetry and laser scanning were used to create photorealistic environments based on Matera and nearby locations. Preview coverage highlights Unreal Engine 5 lighting and fire effects, while the real-world scanning approach is intended to preserve the distinctive stone architecture and geological character of the region.
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- Play a German soldier haunted by horrors of the Great War and break the cycle of suffering while your mind drifts between memories and the trenches
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- Peel back the shroud that hides the secrets of your family torn apart by the Great War and try to remember your past
- Through exploration and solving riddles between the walls of your home and the barbed wire of No Man’s Land you reveal a German family ravaged by war
What the announced demo reveals
A Gamescom preview published on October 15, 2026, described a roughly 45-minute demo. Its reported sequence includes a child’s bedroom, symbol-based puzzles, surface and underground exploration, monsters, stealth or evasion, and smoke hazards. The preview also notes cinematic presentation, voiced moments and sound-focused play experienced through headphones. A short demo is evidence of the game’s direction, not a guarantee that every encounter or mechanic will appear unchanged in the finished release.
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What has not been confirmed
- No exact launch day or month beyond the early-2027 target.
- No announced PC system requirements or console-specific performance modes.
- No confirmed price, multiplayer mode, physical edition, soundtrack or add-on content.
- No detailed combat system; current descriptions focus on stealth, sound-aware avoidance and environmental hazards.
- No final explanation of what the title “Encryption” refers to within the story.
Is Encryption coming to Steam?
Yes, a Windows Steam listing exists, but Steam currently marks the release date as to be announced. That listing identifies Digital Lighthouse Games as both developer and publisher and labels the game prerelease. Anyone planning to play on PC should treat the Steam page as a platform listing, not as confirmation of a fixed launch date or finalized hardware requirements.
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Why the game stands out
Encryption combines several specific ideas: a first-person psychological-horror viewpoint, stealth built around sound, environmental puzzles, a climate-disaster backdrop and a real Italian location reconstructed with scanning technology. Its strongest distinction is that wildfire is not merely visual decoration; smoke, fire and evacuation are part of the tension and navigation. Whether the finished game delivers a primarily narrative horror experience or a broader survival adventure will depend on systems that have not yet been fully detailed.
Quick Recap
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