Soulslike games have built a dedicated audience by challenging players to master difficult combat, explore interconnected worlds, and uncover stories through the environments around them. Some of the best soulslike games also stand out through their art direction, using strange landscapes and unsettling enemies to create worlds worth exploring despite the dangers within them. Indie developers continue to put their own spin on the formula, and one upcoming release pairs familiar soulslike mechanics with the haunting imagery of a painted afterlife.
The genre’s emphasis on exploration can make a compact world just as compelling as a sprawling open world game, especially when shortcuts, hidden secrets, and difficult bosses reward players for paying attention. Combat also tends to demand more than simply attacking enemies, with precise timing, defensive moves, and carefully chosen equipment often making the difference between victory and defeat. Prison of Husks builds on these ideas while giving its journey a more personal goal: finding a lost love in a world that appears to be falling apart.
Prison of Husks is a Unique Low-Poly Soulslike Game Coming to PS5
Prison of Husks will launch for PlayStation 5 and PC on January 27, 2027, developer Glass Head Dolls and publisher WINGS in conjunction with PlayStation have announced. Players who want to try the new soulslike game before its full release can also check out an updated PC demo, which includes the first level and its boss fight. The new version features improvements to combat, visuals, items, enemies, and tutorials compared to the previous demo.
GameRant Quiz
Easy (15s)Medium (10s)Hard (5s)
In Prison of Husks, players awaken in Lysiane, a heavenly afterlife originally painted by a pure heart. The world is now a desolate landscape crumbling around the player, whose soul has found a new vessel but remains separated from a beloved who needs help. The journey involves battling vicious enemies, including cunning dolls and decaying pigment beasts, while searching for answers about what happened to the afterlife’s creator. Combat features precisely timed parries, an adrenaline system that boosts damage, and an assortment of equipment that includes pistols and magic. Boss encounters bring their own challenges, encouraging players to experiment with different builds instead of relying on a single approach.
Exploration is another major part of Prison of Husks, which takes inspiration from older soulslike games and their dense, interconnected level designs. Players can discover shortcuts that loop back through familiar areas, search hidden corners for secrets, and record their findings in a sketchbook.
The project began as a solo development effort by British-Indonesian developer Tammy Morley, who initially created the prototype to practice level design, animation, programming, and game design. After the early version found an audience on itch.io, WINGS fully funded the project, helping turn the prototype into a larger release.
