Ginkgo

Ginkgo is a single-player 3D horror game inspired by East Asian psychological, spiritual, and supernatural horror traditions. Armed with a magic needle that can sew parts of the world together, you solve puzzles and outsmart monsters as you explore a surreal dreamlike space. The 20-40 minute demo was created by students from the USC Games Program.

The innovative needle-and-thread mechanics combine with unique 3D spatial puzzles, asking you to stitch together pieces of the environment in ways that change how rooms and passages connect. The puzzle structure relies on understanding what you can and cannot bring together.

Intricately designed yokai monsters populate the close-up encounters, sometimes aiding your journey and sometimes disrupting it. The stylish, mysterious world models itself after East Asian horror's restrained tonal palette: dread building through stillness rather than spectacle.