The Occultist

About The Occultist

The Occultist is a first-person narrative thriller from DALOAR, published by Daedalic Entertainment. Released on March 31, 2026, it’s available on PC, Xbox Series, and PS5. You play Alan Rebels, a paranormal investigator searching for his missing father on the abandoned British island of GodStone. The story unravels a centuries-old cult’s dark rituals and occult secrets. Exploration and supernatural encounters drive the experience, with Alan using a mystical pendulum to navigate haunted environments. It’s a slow-burn mystery focused on eerie atmosphere, fragmented lore, and tense encounters with vengeful spirits. The game prioritizes story immersion over action, making it a pick for fans of methodical, dialogue-free horror.

Gameplay

The Occultist leans into deliberate exploration. You wander fog-shrouded ruins, solving environmental puzzles to unlock hidden rooms and documents. The pendulum reacts to spiritual energy, guiding you toward hotspots or warning of nearby entities. Combat is minimal, avoidance is key, as aggressive spirits can overwhelm you quickly. The game cycles between investigation and stealth, with Alan’s sanity meter fluctuating based on exposure to disturbing stimuli. Puzzles often involve interpreting occult symbols or manipulating ancient machinery. Sessions feel tense but methodical, with no save points forcing you to commit to risky paths. The lack of fast travel and limited inventory slots amplify the claustrophobic vibe, pushing you to prioritize what you carry and where you go.

What Players Think

PlayPile users rate The Occultist 8.7/10, with 78% finishing the main story. Critics praise its atmosphere (GameSpot 9/10) but note a 12% drop-off in the second act due to pacing issues. Average completion time is 14.5 hours, with 42% of players hitting the 30-hour mark in pursuit of collectibles. Community moods: 73% “creeped out,” 61% “impressed,” 19% “frustrated” by cryptic puzzles. One review states, “The lore is dense, but some sections feel like they’re testing patience more than skill.” Achievement rate is 58% for the base set, with the “Curse Unleashed” secret ending requiring 12 hidden glyphs. Price drops to $24.99 post-launch, a 25% discount from its $32.99 launch price.

PlayPile's Take

The Occultist is a polarizing but rewarding experience for those who enjoy slow-burn horror and lore-heavy narratives. It’s not for players seeking combat or fast-paced action, the tension comes from isolation and discovery. With 50+ achievements and a branching story, it offers replay value for completionists. At $24.99, it’s a solid mid-tier buy, though the $30 price tag may feel steep for its linear structure. If you’re patient and love figuring out occult mysteries in a decaying world, this is your game. But if you dislike ambiguous puzzles or drawn-out pacing, walk away.

Storyline

In The Occultist, paranormal investigator Alan Rebels travels to the mysterious island of GodStone to determine the cause of the sudden disappearance of his father. Even though he mentioned the island repeatedly over the decades, all that Alan really knows is that his father was born and spent his early years there. However, Alan does not travel alone. He carries with him his mystical pendulum, an object of unknown origin that accompanied him on all his past paranormal investigations. As he explores the foggy streets and maddening buildings, apparently being the only things that remain on the mysterious island of GodStone, it becomes clear: This will be a case unlike any other. GodStone was inhabited until 1950 by an infamous, macabre cult that performed disturbing experiments and cruel rituals. No one has ever set foot on the island since - until today. Using his paranormal talents, Alan must interact with the ominous souls that seem to remain in the foreboding streets and buildings left on GodStone; or avoid them at all cost, should they be wrathful. Being a paranormal investigator, none of this is new to Alan Rebels. The mysterious GodStone however and his search for answers to his father’s disappearance put Alan’s skills to the test. More than any investigation before, GodStone shakes Alan’s convictions of what is possible in the world of the occult. Maybe GodStone hides a curse that can be lifted… but should it be?