Especially when it comes to indie titles, the first-person psychological horror genre has perhaps had a bit of a renaissance in recent years. The likes of Amnesia and Layers of Fear kickstarted this, with multiple devs trying their hand at creating the creepiest little spookfest they can think of.
The Renovator: Origins is the latest vying for your undivided attention.
A Bit of TLC Needed
Available for the first time on consoles (Xbox, PlayStation and Switch), The Renovator: Origins has found a home on PC since July of 2024. Playing as the son of a museum restorer who died in tragic circumstances (it’s always tragic or mysterious, you see), you will experience worlds beyond this mortal realm, with each painting and exhibit you find in the museum transporting you to places beyond your wildest nightmares.
In pretty standard psychological horror game fare, you must navigate some pretty creepy-looking environments, avoid whatever fiendish monsters are stalking you throughout, and perhaps you’ll even get to the bottom of the mystery at hand.
Just what exactly happened in this museum?
The Renovator: Origins Key Features
- Attention to environmental details
- The world of art that you can enter
- Environmental interactivity
- Random events during the passage
- Partial non-linearity of the game
Will You Survive?
Well, there’s only one way to find out – pick up a copy of The Renovator: Origins on Xbox Series X|S or Xbox One today! You can find it over on the Xbox Store for £12.49, or alternatively the game is available for PS5, PS4, Switch and PC.
Keep your eyes peeled for our full review of The Renovator: Origins on Xbox, coming soon!
The Renovator: Origins Description
The Renovator: Origins is a first-person psychological horror game. Explore the mysterious world of art, where each exhibit contains the mysteries and secrets of its era and its creator. The game will immerse you in the past and another world that is behind the paintings.
You play as the son of a restorer, a museum worker who died tragically. While searching for the memorabilia, the door suddenly closes and strange things begin to happen. The hero is waiting for immersion in the world of art and the paranormal.
As someone who’s been following the evolution of psychological horror for years, I find The Renovator: Origins particularly intriguing for its use of art as a gateway into the surreal. The idea of turning museum exhibits into portals for psychological terror is both fresh and thematically rich. If the developers manage to balance narrative depth with atmospheric tension, this could quietly become one of the standout indie horror titles of the year. Curious to hear if anyone else sees echoes of Layers of Fear here—or maybe even What Remains of Edith Finch?