Hellblade developers Ninja Theory announce Project: Mara

Ninja Theory are coming out swinging this year. They announced a sequel to their psychological adventure Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice at The Game Awards in December and are chasing it up today with yet another project reveal. Project: Mara appears to be another mental thriller of sorts judging by its brief teaser trailer.

In the development video shared today, Ninja Theory co-founder Tameem Antoniades calls Project: Mara "a real-world and grounded representation of true mental terror." The shots in the teaser—a computer screen and what looks like an office hallway—both look almost live action rather than rendered in a game engine. Project: Mara appears to have a modern setting, whereas Hellblade and its sequel are both more historical fantasy.

Antoniades also says that Mara will have only one character and one location. He calls it "experimental" and a "showcase." With only one character and a single setting, Mara could be significantly shorter than Hellblade. Or not, maybe Ninja Theory will have us all sitting through 10 hours of immersive office horror.

Here's the teaser trailer for Project: Mara sans devlog:

Ninja Theory want to recreate the "horrors of the mind" with help from research and interviews about mental terror. They also announced a research program related to games and mental health last year. They've certainly found their niche.

Ninja Theory's totally different project, the team-based action fighter Bleeding Edge, is coming out March 24th on Steam, and the Microsoft Store for £25/€30/$30.