The day Dad disappeared, the atmosphere at home began to change. The demo for the psychological horror puzzle game "Lingering Shadows" is now available on Steam. Set in a dreamcore-inspired millennial town, the protagonist Lanlan returns home on her birthday only to find her father missing. She begins to wander through familiar yet increasingly distorted streets, trying to find that familiar figure. Amidst warm memories and eerie scenes, she gradually pieces together a forgotten past and uncovers the truth hidden within the town.
As soon as the school bell rings, you take the bus as usual, swaying gently until you reach your stop. The auntie at the small shop fans herself with a hole-riddled palm-leaf fan, while a few children laugh and play with paper cup telephones on the street corner. Uncle Wang at the entrance of the building worries over his flat tire. On the gray, hazy wall, crooked characters advertise "Locksmith Services & ID Forgery," and three incense sticks remain in the small censer by the door. The stainless steel security gate creaks open, hitting you with a lingering smell of smoke mixed with mothballs. Everythinggj feels both familiar and strange, just like in your memories...
Something seems off at home. In the photo frame on the big CRT TV, there's a picture of you and Dad at the amusement park, but his face is obscured by stains, and you can't recall it no matter how hard you try. The watermelon in the fridge is covered in thick mold, with bright red liquid dripping from the cut. The kitchen stove is piled high with bags of traditional Chinese medicine, and the little turtle in the washbasin has disgusting cysts growing on its shell... The warmth remains, but it feels as if something has rotted it away.
In this town that is familiar yet growing increasingly distant, you must find him and uncover the reason behind these strange phenomena. Buy a pack of feed at the flower and bird market to cheer up the little turtle; challenge the emo guy to a bet and settle it with a game of Chinese checkers; sit on the stone bench in the park and listen to the dazed grandma recount old stories... Reclaim those fragmented memories buried deep within, ones you had almost forgotten yourself. Until heavy footsteps echo from the doorway—"Dad... is that you?"
Developed by Ferine Columba Studio and published by 2P Games, "Lingering Shadows" will take you back to the millennial town of your memories. Download the demo and add it to your wishlist. Return to that home that haunts your dreams, yet where no one waits for you anymore.