A new horror game on Steam called Invokyr has caught the attention of classic movie fans by hiding several Jumanji Easter eggs in its trailer. Invokyr is far from the first game on Steam to take inspiration from the Jumanji franchise, but it’s among the first to bring the fantasy-adventure IP into the co-op horror genre.
The franchise already has two official video game adaptations on Steam: Jumanji: The Video Game (2019) and Jumanji: Wild Adventures (2023). Both are casual, family-friendly co-op adventure games, with Wild Adventures offering more action, while the 2019 installment focused more on puzzle-solving and parkour.
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Invokyr Is Jumanji, But with Terrifying Monsters
Developed by indie studio Ludogram, Invokyr has a story premise that’s quite similar to Jumanji‘s: a group of friends discovers an old board game from the 1970s in a spooky house, and playing it opens a Pandora’s box. The twist is that, unlike Jumanji, the board game in Invokyr does not summon wild animals or natural disasters. Instead, it brings in creepy monsters, some of which look like they come straight out of horror games like Poppy Playtime.
Jumanji Easter Eggs in Invokyr’s Trailer
- Characters in one of the game’s trailers are named Alan, Judy, and Peter, who are the protagonists of the first Jumanji film (played by Robin Williams, Kirsten Dunst, and Bradley Pierce, respectively).
- There is a “white hunter” enemy in the trailer that looks undeniably similar to Van Pelt, one of the main villains in Jumanji.
- Invokyr’s board game and its meeples bear a resemblance to Jumanji, and they move on their own just like shown in the movies.
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As for gameplay, Invokyr seems like a good fit for Steam’s friendslop subcategory. The main goal in Invokyr is to escape a haunted house. Each round starts with players working together to avoid monsters, find dice, and keep their meeples moving on the board. There is also a character called the Gamemaster, who, as the name suggests, tries to manipulate the rules and cause trouble for players.
Just like in Jumanji, dice play a critical role in Invokyr. This time, players must find them in different parts of the house, and each die is a one-time-use item. Rolling dice helps progress through the game, but it also opens the door to summoning scary creatures. Special dice also exist, offering power-ups or utility items for players. The haunted house itself also has Jumanji-esque features. For example, it is made up of several biomes, including a jungle, which is an iconic setting for the film series.
Drag weapons to fill the grid
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Invokyr has yet to receive a release date. However, SteamDB data suggests it had a closed playtest in May 2026, which could mean development is at a promising stage. Regardless, fans of Jumanji who also enjoy co-op horror games may want to keep an eye on it for future announcements. Developer Ludogram also has several other games on Steam that fans might want to check out. One notable example is Tabletop Game Shop Simulator, which could also be an interesting pick for fans of the Jumanji series.
