The Immortality Creator’s New Game Turns Visions of the Future Into a Dangerous Nonlinear Mystery

Called Precognition, the new project is being developed by Half Mermaid Productions and is being made in collaboration with filmmaker Brandon Cronenberg, known for movies including Possessor and Infinity Pool.

The game was unveiled during the first Kinetic Publishing Showcase on August 12, 2026.

Before its official reveal, the project was known as Project C.

Now players finally know what Barlow has been working on.

And the concept is extremely unusual.

What Is Precognition?

Precognition is described as a sci-fi horror adventure built around nonlinear storytelling, live-action footage and player choice.

The game follows a woman named Diana, who receives an experimental brain implant.

The technology is supposed to improve memory.

Instead, something unexpected happens.

Diana begins experiencing memories of events that have not happened yet.

This creates the central mystery of the game.

Diana can see pieces of the future, but remembering what she sees can actually change that future.

That means the player isn't simply trying to predict what will happen.

The player can potentially change it.

Diana Can See the Future

Diana is a former child prodigy with an unusually powerful memory.

After receiving the experimental implant, she begins experiencing visions of future events.

Other participants in the experiment apparently forget their visions quickly.

Diana is different.

Her photographic memory allows her to retain what she sees.

That gives her an ability that becomes both powerful and dangerous.

She can explore a future event, identify an important moment and remember it.

But once she brings that information back into the present, the future can change.

Remembering the Future Changes It

This is the central gameplay idea behind Precognition.

Imagine Diana sees herself entering a room in the future.

She discovers something important inside.

She remembers that detail.

When she returns to the present, her knowledge changes what she does next.

As a result, the future she originally witnessed may no longer happen in exactly the same way.

The game therefore creates a constant relationship between:

Future → Memory → Present → New Future

This could make every major decision feel meaningful.

Precognition Uses Nonlinear Storytelling

Fans of Sam Barlow's previous games will immediately recognize the concept.

Barlow is known for games such as Her Story, Telling Lies and Immortality, all of which use unconventional storytelling systems.

Precognition continues that philosophy.

Instead of presenting the story as a simple sequence of events, the game allows players to explore information and build their own understanding of what is happening.

Barlow has said the team wants to push nonlinear storytelling further while giving players more freedom and agency.

It Will Use Live-Action Footage

Precognition is also a full-motion video game, meaning its story uses filmed live-action sequences rather than relying entirely on traditional computer-generated cutscenes.

This is another feature that connects the project to Barlow's earlier work.

Games such as Her Story and Immortality built their gameplay around searching through filmed material and connecting seemingly unrelated pieces of information.

Precognition appears to take that concept in a much more ambitious direction.

Brandon Cronenberg Is Helping Create the Game

One of the biggest surprises surrounding Precognition is the involvement of Brandon Cronenberg.

Cronenberg is a filmmaker known for psychological and body-horror movies including:

Possessor
Infinity Pool
Antiviral

He is collaborating with Barlow on the game's story and writing.

That combination makes Precognition particularly interesting.

Barlow specializes in interactive nonlinear storytelling.

Cronenberg specializes in unsettling psychological horror.

The two approaches could work extremely well together.

Why Sam Barlow and Brandon Cronenberg Are a Good Match

Both creators are interested in subjective experiences.

Barlow's games often force players to interpret information rather than simply receive a complete story.

Cronenberg's films frequently explore characters whose perception of reality becomes increasingly unstable.

Precognition combines those ideas.

The player experiences the world through Diana's perspective while simultaneously deciding which pieces of her visions should be remembered.

That creates the possibility of a story where different players reach very different conclusions.

The Game Was Previously Called Project C

Precognition wasn't completely unknown before this week's announcement.

Half Mermaid had previously teased the project under the codename Project C.

The project was first revealed in 2024 before eventually receiving its official title.

The transition from Project C to Precognition now gives the game a much clearer identity.

It also confirms that the project has moved beyond being simply a mysterious early development announcement.

Precognition Is Set in the 1990s

Interestingly, the game isn't being positioned as a typical futuristic science-fiction adventure.

The story is set around the 1990s, helping the developers keep the focus on people and their choices rather than futuristic technology.

That gives the game a different visual and thematic identity from many modern sci-fi titles.

Instead of filling the world with robots and advanced futuristic cities, Precognition appears to be more interested in what happens when an ordinary human gains an extraordinary ability.

This Is Not Simply Another Time-Travel Game

Precognition may sound like a time-travel story at first, but its concept is more complicated.

Diana isn't simply traveling into the future.

She is seeing potential future events and bringing pieces of that information back into the present.

The important part is what happens afterward.

Her knowledge itself can change reality.

That creates a gameplay structure based around cause and effect.

Player Choices Could Create Different Futures

The developers are emphasizing player freedom and agency.

This means players aren't expected to follow one fixed path through the mystery.

Instead, the decisions they make about which information to investigate and remember can influence what happens later.

One player could remember an important event.

Another player could ignore it.

Their stories could then develop differently.

This makes replayability an important possibility for the game.

Precognition Could Be a Major Narrative Experiment

One reason this announcement has attracted attention is that it isn't simply another horror game.

The developers are experimenting with the way a game tells its story.

Traditional games usually work like this:

Event → Player reaction → Next event

Precognition appears to work more like:

Future vision → Investigation → Memory → Decision → Changed future

That structure could create a much more interactive mystery.

When Will Precognition Release?

Precognition is currently scheduled for Spring 2028.

There is no exact release date yet.

That means players shouldn't expect the game anytime soon.

The developers have plenty of time to refine its story, filming, gameplay systems and nonlinear structure.

Which Platforms Will Precognition Support?

The announced platforms are:

PC
PlayStation 5
Xbox Series X|S
Nintendo Switch 2

The game is therefore being developed for current-generation platforms rather than older consoles.

It is also expected to support Xbox Play Anywhere, allowing Xbox and PC players to use the same purchase across supported Xbox platforms.

Who Is Developing Precognition?

Precognition is being developed by Half Mermaid Productions, the studio founded by Sam Barlow.

The project is being created with Brandon Cronenberg.

Publishing and funding duties have been taken on by Kinetic Publishing, the new publishing arm associated with the team behind Phasmophobia.

Kinetic Publishing revealed five games during its first showcase, with Precognition serving as one of the most notable announcements.

What Other Games Has Sam Barlow Made?

Barlow has built a reputation for experimental narrative games.

His previous projects include:

Her Story

A mystery built around searching through recorded video interviews.

Telling Lies

A larger interactive investigation using filmed conversations.

Immortality

An ambitious nonlinear mystery built around discovering connections between film footage.

Precognition appears to continue that evolution.

Why Immortality Fans Should Watch Precognition

Immortality received widespread critical praise for its unusual storytelling system.

Precognition appears to retain the same philosophy while adding a new mechanic: the ability to alter the future by remembering it.

That could make the new game more interactive than Barlow's earlier work.

Instead of simply uncovering a mystery, players may actively reshape it.

What We Know About the Gameplay

The confirmed gameplay concepts include:

Exploring visions of the future
Investigating events
Selecting important moments
Committing information to memory
Changing future events
Nonlinear storytelling
Live-action footage
Player-driven investigation

However, the developers have not yet revealed every gameplay system.

A larger gameplay presentation will likely be needed before players can understand exactly how the investigation works.

Precognition Could Be One of 2028's Most Interesting Horror Games

The game is still far away from release, but its creative combination already makes it stand out.

It has:

Sam Barlow for nonlinear interactive storytelling.

Brandon Cronenberg for psychological horror.

Live-action footage for cinematic presentation.

Future visions for the central gameplay mechanic.

Branching consequences for player choice.

That combination is unusual in the current gaming market.

What Players Should Expect Next

Because the release is planned for Spring 2028, more information should arrive over the next year.

Future presentations could reveal:

Gameplay footage
Cast members
More details about Diana
The brain implant
Investigation mechanics
Story locations
Branching narrative systems
PC requirements
Pricing
Pre-order information

For now, the concept is the biggest reason to watch the game.

Precognition is a genuinely fresh gaming announcement and one of the more unusual projects revealed this week.

Sam Barlow is bringing his experience from Her Story, Telling Lies and Immortality to a new sci-fi horror mystery, while Brandon Cronenberg brings his distinctive psychological-horror approach to the project.

The most interesting idea is that Diana can see the future but cannot safely leave it alone.

Every piece of information she remembers can potentially change what happens next.

That gives players a reason to question everything they discover.

The game is scheduled for Spring 2028 on PC, PS5, Xbox Series X|S and Nintendo Switch 2.

It is still early, but Precognition already looks like the type of experimental game that could become a major talking point when more gameplay is revealed.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Precognition?

Precognition is an upcoming sci-fi horror adventure from Sam Barlow's Half Mermaid Productions and filmmaker Brandon Cronenberg.

Who created Precognition?

The game is being led by Sam Barlow, creator of Her Story, Telling Lies and Immortality, with Brandon Cronenberg involved in development and writing.