The latest update for Frictional Games’ survival horror video game, SOMA, possibly comes with a teaser for the studio’s next title.
Frictional Games, the studio behind Amnesia: The Dark Descent, released a mysterious new update for SOMA on its 10-year anniversary, and content creator CheeseYeen has uncovered what appears to be the first teaser for the studio’s next title, which may end up being the next entry in the Amnesia series.
The update added a subtle change to the game’s opening sequence, specifically to protagonist Simon’s in-game computer. A previously nonexistent spam filter now displays a strange, glitch-ridden email containing hidden text. The YouTuber decoded the corrupted message, which leads to a URL: hotelsamsara.com. The site advertises a luxury hotel experience that claims to deliver on the promise of discovering “the stars and what lies beyond”, hinting at themes of life, death, and rebirth , all central to the philosophical concept of ‘samsara’.
After subscribing to the site’s mailing list, the content creator received a confirmation email linked to Kepler Interactive, best known for titles like Sifu and Pacific Drive. This suggests that Frictional Games is partnering with the publisher for its next release. Further digging revealed references to a mysterious character named Felix, who’s story appears to revolve around luck, risk, and karma.
Based on these clues, CheeseYeen believes that the new project will likely be a horror game with roguelike elements. Much like Amnesia: The Bunker, players may need to repeatedly “die” and restart, with certain progress and karmic actions persisting between runs. The ultimate goal may be to escape the cycle of ‘samsara’ and reach a narrative “nirvana,” tying the game’s mechanics to its philosophical themes.
While nothing has been officially announced, this ARG-like reveal confirms that Frictional Games has something exciting in store for fans of horror games.
