Preview – Shutter Story

I don’t know if I’ve ever mentioned this before, but I’m what you’d consider a skeptic, in the sense that I don’t believe in the metaphysical. I’m not against the possibility that such things exist, but I often see more evidence that they don’t than that they do. I’m more interested in human consciousness, and it amuses me that, when there are so many possible explanations that conform with how we understand reality, it’s rather normal to immediately make the jump to superstition. Our minds are extremely fallible, and isn’t that just adorable?

Still, I understand the appeal of a good ghost story. And I like games that essentially just depict desk work. That’s essentially what Shutter Story combines by having you put your image editing skills to work finding ghosts.

CANDID CAMERA

So, upfront, the story in Shutter Story is my least favourite part. You play as someone of indeterminate age, but who is still considered a kid. They’re visiting their friend Eli, who is very convinced that their family’s house (which seems to be more like a maisonette but is maybe a townhouse) is haunted. His parents are like me, they go to more likely explanations rather than just jumping to ghosts. I once had mold in my apartment, but it was due to poor window insulation attracting condensation. No ghost was involved that I know of.

Anyway, he’s having you look through the family’s photo album to find ghosts hidden in the pictures. And, honestly, I have no idea why we’re looking through old pictures of his grandparents if he just wants to prove that the home he’s living in currently is full of ghosts.

I dig hunting through photos for extra shadows, I just think the framing could be better. Maybe it’s the skeptic in me talking, but it seems like it would probably be better if it took itself less seriously. It does well depicting scenes with the limited resources provided by what seems to be largely two developers, but it feels difficult to buy into the importance of adjusting contrast to discover ghosts in decades-old photographs.

To be clear, Shutter Story does explain that you submit the images of revealed spectres to some organization that sounds like the one from Home Safety Hotline, and they’ll tell you how to exorcize the spirits. So, it could get more gripping once we see where it’s going. The demo is, like, 30 minutes long, and I strongly believe you shouldn’t judge a story by its first chapter. But here I am.

THE DARKER THE NEGATIVE

I’m not entirely firm on how I feel about the actual photo inspection, either. In some ways, it’s annoyingly simple. At first, you can only change the exposure and contrast, as well as apply a negative filter. You get one more filter later on; one that I find a little weird given the medium you’re working in.

What annoys me is that you’re looking for things that are barely noticeable in the picture most of the time. It’s cool when it’s an extra hand groping someone. It’s less so when it’s a barely discernable shadow or something that looks like it could just be the result of the camera’s flash.

I like the general ambiguity. You shouldn’t be able to just throw a few sliders and see a face staring at you from the shadows. There needs to be a solid opportunity to be incorrect or just miss something. But it kind of does that best when you’re locating something from a different time period that doesn’t belong. When it’s just a shadow that shows up after you dial in the correct contrast, it’s less interesting.

IT’LL LAST LONGER

What concerns me is that games like Dead Letter Dept and Home Safety Hotline demonstrate what’s lacking in Shutter Story. And that’s, well, a solid story that ties together the desk work. And that may come across better in the final version, but I’m not digging what’s in the demo. It feels like the central concept is demonstrated in a way that hasn’t been fully cooked, yet. Maybe another brainstorm session or a thick injection of fantasy.

And part of me thinks that Shutter Story might just not be intended for someone like me. That maybe it’s more for the folks that believe in ghosts and like watching those ghost hunter shows on TV. Which is fine, because games like Phasmaphobia have shown that it’s a market that can be tapped into.

For me, the Shutter Story demo doesn’t do much. I don’t dislike it, but I’m also not very interested. Which is a shame. I do appreciate the level of effort that has gone into editing the photos. It’s completely possible that the story will get some substance after it gets further along. Maybe you won’t have to look at the angst-filled eyes of a chronically nervous teenager the whole time. I’m just not jazzed enough to find out.

However, if it interests you, the demo is now available as part of the February 2026 Steam Next Fest. There’s also a Kickstarter to fund the final leg of development that you can contribute to here.

The author was provided an early version of the demo for preview purposes by the developer’s PR.