The Occultist | Final Dev Diary Explores Psychological Horror and Lasting Impact
Episode #5 marks the final behind-the-scenes look ahead of release
Valladolid, Spain / Hamburg, Germany – March 19, 2026 – Daedalic Entertainment and developer DALOAR present the fifth and final episode of The Occultist Dev Diary series, offering one last behind-the-scenes look ahead of the game's release on April 8. The episode dives into the psychological foundations of the experience, focusing on ambiguity, player interpretation, and the kind of tension that lingers long after the game is over.
Instead of relying on traditional jumpscares or definitive answers, The Occultist builds slow-burning suspense through silence, anticipation, and imagination. The developers highlight how leaving questions unresolved allows players to form their own interpretations and remain connected to the story beyond the final moments.
At the same time, the episode explores protagonist Alan's transformation, as he is forced to confront his past and emotions throughout the journey. The result is an experience where fear gradually fades, but its emotional impact stays with players well after the screen goes dark.
Featured in this Dev Diary:
- Alexis Sánchez, Lead Technical Artist
- Jorge Vallejo, UI Developer
Watch the new dev diary on Youtube
About The Occultist
Blending first-person exploration with slow-burning psycho-horror, The Occultist focuses on atmosphere, vulnerability, and the disturbing weight of helping the dead find peace—often at the cost of the living.
A demo for PC (Steam) is currently available in English, Spanish (Spain), French, Japanese, Korean, Russian, Simplified Chinese, Italian, Polish, Brazilian Portuguese, Spanish (Latin America), Traditional Chinese and Turkish.
The full game is set to launch on April 8, 2026.
About DALOAR DALOAR (formerly Pentakill Studios) is a video game company founded in 2021, built upon years of experience in computer graphics and development. The company's origins trace back to the creation of iVisual, dedicated to advancing training in 3D technologies and video games.
About Daedalic Entertainment Celebrating its 20th publishing year, Daedalic Entertainment is a renowned publisher with nearly two decades of experience supporting indie developers across all major gaming platforms. The lineup of games includes a diverse variety of unique titles, focusing on four distinct areas: storytelling, strategy, co-op games, and wholesome games. With an international team of around 45 employees, Daedalic is currently working with various development studios to create a new lineup of innovative games across consoles and PCs to market. Recent hits include Star Trek: Voyager - Across the Unknown, New Cycle, Barotrauma, Unrailed!, Bloodgrounds, Into the Emberlands, Deponia, Shadow Tactics, Inkulinati, Hidden Deep, Fling to the Finish!, and more.Please look out for upcoming games like The Occultist, Woodo, Barotrauma Home & Harbor Expansion, and many more. Since April 2022, Daedalic Entertainment has been a subsidiary of the French publishing house, Nacon.
