You’re going to hear a lot about Dear Esther early next year. You may have heard about it already, if you’d caught wind of the original 2008 PC mod that presented a ghost story in lightly interactive first-person.
In 2008, Dan Pinchbeck of the University of Portsmouth created an interactive “ghost story” titled Dear Esther using Valve’s Source Engine, and its associated Half Life 2 art assets. The game achieved enormous critical success and established a devoted cult following. Now the title is set to receive a substantial makeover with the help of Indie Fund, and is due to enjoy a commercial release later this year.