A Psychological Horror That Redefines Perspective

In Jeziorne-Kolonia, Poland, a man named Tomasz stumbles across this small, secluded town looking for his friend Bartek. However, he soon discovers there is a strange substance engulfing the town and causing the townsfolk to become hideous monsters with bulging growths pulsating out of them. Now, he must find his friend and get out as soon as possible.

The Polish developers Sonka have, in my eyes at least, struck gold. The art style is unique and gritty, capturing that oppressive atmosphere of 1990s Poland while delivering genuine scares. The horror atmosphere is exactly where it needs to be, giving off that classic Silent Hill or Resident Evil that people seem to be craving lately. But what makes Holstin truly stand out from the crowded horror landscape is its camera work.

Over, Above and Anywhere You Like

What fascinates me most is how the developers approached player perspective as a core gameplay mechanic rather than just a technical choice. When you first explore the world, you can move the camera 360 degrees, easily looking at your surroundings and taking in the environmental storytelling that horror games do so well. When things get rough, though, you can pull out your pistol and the things immediately shift over-the-shoulder, allowing the fight to be more personal.

While perspective switching isn’t completely new to gaming, building it within psychological horror isn’t so easy. Most games that use this technique are fast-paced action titles, but Sonka has created this tension-building pace that makes survival horror effective. The result is a game that feels both familiar and pleasantly different. The voice acting is available in both Polish and English right now, and I found myself preferring the Polish dialogue even though I don’t know a single phrase. There’s something about hearing a foreign language that makes the experience feel more isolated and unsettling. It enhanced my sense of being an outsider in this corrupted town, adding another layer to the psychological unease.

The Future of Holstin

The developers currently have a Kickstart which aims to fund the final stages of development and crowdfund additional features. For those wanting to experience this unique horror blend firsthand, there’s a Steam demo available right now that showcases the game’s potential beautifully.

While no official release date has been announced, Holstin represents something special in the horror genre—a game that respects classic survival horror traditions while pushing the medium forward in meaningful ways. If you’re a fan of psychological horror or simply curious about innovative game design, this is definitely one to watch.