In storytelling, hauntings are often literal and metaphorical. A character spooked by spirits often has something upsetting in their psyche that they must face at the same time. This is exactly what’s going on in The Haunting of Joni Evers, a narrative-rich walking simulator that’s due to release on January 13, 2025. Its titular character must face her fraught relationship with her estranged family while also solving the mystery of the supernatural happenings in her home.
Developer Causeway Studios promises plenty of tense moments and emotional gut punches. In fact, creative director Greg Rogers says players will be surprised by “the emotional places the story takes them. The depth of the characters and the twists in the plot create a ‘page-turner’ we think players will love. There are so many details to discover and connections to make beyond the core plot; it’s a game that stays with you long after you put it down.”
However high the stakes get, this game isn’t going to rush to its climax. The Haunting of Joni Evers builds its atmosphere gradually – and it’s all the better for its pacing choices.
At first, the only thing that seems disturbed is Joni’s social life. She is the only figure that haunts the halls of the Cunningham House, and the only signs of other life are environmental. As you interact with mundane objects, the reclusive Joni (fully voiced by Kelly Pekar) drops hints about turbulent times shared with her sister and parents. Plus, it seems she’s recently argued with her only friend. Perhaps this was the catalyst for the strange things to come.
Doors begin to open on their own. Lights that shouldn’t work switch on. Items in Joni’s possession begin whispering to her, inviting her to explore memories tied to them. Some of these are hers – others, maybe not. Before long, Joni starts hearing (or, in the player’s case, actually seeing) short sentences from a mystery voice.
Strange portals start to appear in the place of regular doors, and they transport Joni between rooms that were never previously connected. These swirling doorways make one thing clear: Joni can’t leave Cunningham House. She’ll need to confront whatever whispering force is keeping her here.
As Rogers explains, “the haunting is indeed supernatural and, in fact, very real – so the stakes aren’t limited to Joni’s emotions. While Joni will need to confront and wrestle with psychological aspects fans of narrative games have come to expect, she’ll also have to contend with the malevolent haunting that has infected the house and figure out how to beat it.”
The Haunting of Joni Evers quickly floods your mind with questions. What really drove Joni apart from her family? Can these relationships be repaired? Who is this strange spirit Joni speaks to, and is it here to help or harm her?
To get answers, you’ll need to explore the enormous and increasingly unfamiliar Cunningham House. Items of furniture that once seemed ordinary now reveal that this house – and the family it was once home to – is full of surprises and secrets. Joni’s dropped hints soon develop into an unraveled tale of her family’s history, as well as how each of them disappeared from her life.
“The more players explore their environment, the more objects they interact with and come back to and the more they pay attention to the less obvious details of the world, the more they will be rewarded with a clearer picture of Joni, her relationships, her past, and the mysteries of the larger Causeway Universe,” says art director Brianna Jenkins.
“In order to provide that depth of discovery, not only did we take care to craft each inspectable object to express the story of its past and who it belonged to, we did the same with the surrounding environment that you can’t pick up – we tried to fill every corner with micro-stories about the events and relationships that took place in the house.”
Thanks to this, the Haunting of Joni Evers is a bottomless well of atmospheric storytelling. This is further enhanced by its soundtrack, which was created by Gustavo Coutinho (previously known for their work on Payday 3 and Reaching For Petals). The gentle patter of rain, combined with soft, minimal music, conveys how soothing Joni’s isolation can be – but also how lonely it is. And, when the supernatural occurrences take a turn for the tense, it slowly and effortlessly turns sinister.
Despite having ‘haunting’ in the title, this game never descends into all-out horror. You’ll certainly feel spooked as you slowly turn a darkened corner of the house, as the unknown leaves you feeling unsettled. You can also expect a sparing jumpscare here and there. In The Haunting of Joni Evers, horror is a side dish designed to complement the main course – the psychological journey that Joni is taking.
Mechanics are kept similarly minimal in order to serve the story. This is a slow-burn walking sim that encourages you to linger when looking over objects and dwell on the emotions Joni encounters. She is haunted by fear, confusion, sorrow, and anger just as much as she is haunted by the supernatural. “It’s a beautiful tapestry where the whole is greater than the sum of its parts, gameplay supporting narrative and vice versa,” says Rogers.
It’s not all suffering and sobs, though. Kelly Pekar portrays Joni as a strong and often sarcastic character, who’s likely to banter with spirits and call upon her favorite cheesy horror movies when solving problems.
Her narration adds charm and occasional humor to an otherwise challenging trial. “I think players, especially those who thoroughly explore the game, may be surprised at the small moments of levity, nostalgia, and quiet contemplation we were able to create alongside the more thrilling and supernatural gameplay,” Jenkins says.
We still have plenty of questions about Joni and her history, and we’re sure you do too. However, that’s what makes a good mystery so enticing. All proverbial doors will be unlocked January 13 ,2025, when we can play out Joni’s journey in full.
Until then, you can learn more about The Haunting of Joni Evers on its Steam page. That’s also where you can also wishlist it to make sure you don’t miss the release date. And, if you need to fill some time before The Haunting of Joni Evers’ launch, here are the best new PC games that we’d recommend.