Netflix’s New Horror Game Taps Into Your Phone For Deeper Immersion

Netflix has revealed a new game from the team behind the Oxenfree series that features some well-known actors and some nifty phone-based ideas that aim to make the experience as immersive as possible. Unhinged stars Zoë Kravitz as Ava, who is trapped in her apartment building as a hurricane batters the area. However, she’s not alone.

Sadie Sink of Stranger Things fame plays Claire, Ava’s friend who lives in a building across the street. Claire can see into Ava’s place and offer some guidance over the phone. Video game stalwart Troy Baker portrays the super of Ava’s building. While the cast is fairly star-studded, perhaps the most compelling thing about Unhinged is what Night School (the first game studio Netflix bought) is doing with the smartphone controller setup.

Netflix says Ava’s hands mirror the movements of your phone, so you can move it around to direct her flashlight toward something. Unhinged will also pipe calls and texts that Ava receives to your phone, which will ring, vibrate and play audio. That’s a lot more interesting than just using your handset as a touchscreen controller.

The first-person game features a story mode for those who just want to experience the narrative without having to worry about a timer. In the regular mode, there are events that require you to find a certain object in the room before a timer runs out. Otherwise, Ava dies and you’ll go back to the last checkpoint.

Netflix suggests this is a relatively compact experience. “All you need is a Netflix account, your phone and the same amount of time you’d need to watch an episode of your favorite show,” it said. That’s not entirely true as you’ll need a TV and a solid internet connection as well, but I digress. You’ll be able to check out Unhinged on Netflix starting June 30.