If you think about it, a lot of horror stories deal with a certain level of exploration, even if it’s just exploring a place so you can get away from the monster that is seeking you out. High Road Stories has announced a special horror exploration title coming to Steam next January in the form of The Memphis Chronicles. Here, you’ll have to figure out the truth about what is happening in a town you end up in. Want to see more? Check out the synopsis and trailer below:

“After a canoe trip goes sideways, you swim to the surface of a lake and emerge in a city filled with questions, where objects are charged with memories of your own past and others. On your journey through strangely familiar streets and buildings, you have encounters that feel both ordinary and uncanny, and sometimes downright terrifying: an elephant, well-dressed demons, an elusive arsonist, a homeless prophet.

The deeper you look, the more these strange pieces begin to connect—and the more the journey starts to become personal. As you try to figure out why you are there and what Memphis is telling you, doors close behind you. What you choose not to see is abandoned forever. The only way is forward. At its heart, The Memphis Chronicles is a story about finding closure, and what you choose to leave behind matters as much as what lies ahead.”

The team has noted that this game won’t hold your hand, and you’ll need to figure out for yourself what is important here and what isn’t. Here are some of the game’s other key features:

A highly detailed storyworld full of interactable objects and Easter eggs.

Surprising mini games.

A diverse cast of characters with a gender-neutral player perspective. The main storyline follows a complex mother figure and questions traditional family relationships.

Carefully crafted dialogues voiced by 14 actors of 10 nationalities, with Megan Gay (Hannah Arendt, Berlin Calling) and Colin Griffiths-Brown (Annette) in the main roles.

A lush original score by interactive music composer Phivos-Angelos Kollias (The Lost Glitches, El Hijo)

If you’re up for trying this up, a demo will be live on Steam on October 5th ahead of the Steam Next Fest.