Although the idea of an “overnight success” from a previously-unknown source may make for a more compelling reason to support the continued prosperity of a breakout hit, the truth behind these stories are rarely as simple as they are made out to be. Take Supermassive Games and the first title that propelled them into the horror gaming spotlight, 2015’s PS4 exclusive Until Dawn. The studio was far from a household name prior to the game’s release, but Supermassive had already spent its first seven years working with Sony to develop LittleBigPlanet DLC and several PlayStation Move games, along with a pair of titles for the BBC. Even after the generally positive reception to Until Dawn, the developer returned to working with Sony on four first-party games for its newly-released VR headset, including two Until Dawn spinoffs, but the desire for a proper sequel or successor to the team’s most popular title still remained prevalent in the years that followed.

Three years after the release of Until Dawn, Supermassive finally got another opportunity to capitalize on their proven capabilities to create compelling interactive horror narratives with the announcement of the Dark Pictures Anthology, a planned eight game partnership with Bandai Namco that would feature shorter tales while also introducing local and online multiplayer compatibility. Since 2019, the first three titles in this anthology have been released, with a fourth, The Devil in Me, set to arrive later this year, but despite the praise that the expanded options for group play have received, their expectedly smaller scope and size have held the games back from ever feeling like a true follow-up to the game that continues to define the studio’s legacy nearly seven years later. As most started to figure that Supermassive would focus all of their efforts on new Dark Pictures Anthology entries until the series had run its course, the British developer surprised everyone last month with the announcement of The Quarry, a modern summer camp horror game that is not only the team’s most ambitious game to date, but also one that is already nearing completion, with a release set for June 10 on PS5, Xbox Series X/S, PC, PS4 and Xbox One.

Inspired by the likes of Friday the 13th and Sleepaway Camp, The Quarry follows the journey of nine teenage camp counselors who discover a sinister secret in the Hackett Quarry that could lead to their untimely deaths. Much like past Supermassive games, The Quarry features a celebrity ensemble cast including the likes of David Arquette and Ariel Winter, with the story primarily being told through exploration, quick-time events and stress-inducing decisions that can have more deadly consequences than one might figure at first glance. In addition to the local and online multiplayer modes introduced in the Dark Pictures Anthology that allow players to decide the fate of individual members of the cast, the upcoming release will also include a Movie Mode where the players will choose between several personality traits for each character and let the events unfold without any direct interaction. The Quarry is also estimated to have a runtime of around ten hours with “186 unique ending variations”, which players can more fully explore through the Death Rewind mechanic that is unlocked after the first playthrough and offers the opportunity to undo the demise of up to three characters in any future playthroughs.

By introducing new mechanics to make the game more accessible for a casual audience, and combining it with the multiplayer options of the Dark Pictures Anthology and the broader scope of Until Dawn, The Quarry is aiming to be Supermassive’s next must-play title for horror fans. While it remains to be seen if the core narrative will intrigue players enough to justify its longer runtime, the quick turnaround between announcement and launch as well as the willingness to share thirty minutes of gameplay shows a high level of confidence in the final product. With a release set just in time for the start of summer camp season, The Quarry is positioned to take the best parts of previous Supermassive games and combine it into a trip worth taking for horror and narrative fans alike.