Welcome to Carnival
The eerie charm of Venice is about to take center stage in Carnival, an atmospheric folk horror point-and-click adventure set to release on Steam on August 25, 2025. Available to wishlist now, the game casts players as journalist James Maynard, whose routine assignment to cover the city’s planned road bridge quickly spirals into something far more disturbing. What begins as a simple report turns into a descent through masked traditions, hidden alleyways, and ancient rituals that even Mussolini could not erase.
To mark the approach of launch day, developer Beyond Booleans has released a new trailer, offering a glimpse into Carnival’s unsettling atmosphere. At the heart of the tension is Maynard’s struggle with narcolepsy, a condition that blurs the boundaries between waking and dreaming. In Carnival, these episodes become more than a narrative detail as they create a constant unease, forcing players to question every conversation, every flicker of memory, and even the reality before them.
The game draws heavily from the developer’s own visit to Venice, a trip that revealed a city of narrow, labyrinthine streets, blank stares from masked faces, and eerily posed dolls in shop windows. That inspiration is captured through richly detailed low-resolution pixel art, immersing players in a Venice unlike any tourist postcard. Here, the water carries strands of seaweed that resemble drifting hair, shadows feel as though they are holding their breath, and every turn might uncover a secret better left unseen.
With its slow-burn horror, striking visual style, and a story steeped in mystery, Carnival promises an experience where beauty and dread intertwine, inviting players to explore a Venice that is as haunting as it is unforgettable.