South of Midnight: How we brought the Deep South to life with Compulsion Games

Every now and then a game comes along that looks and feels truly singular. South of Midnight, the new action-adventure game from our partner Compulsion Games, has achieved that feat. Our artists, who worked on the title for about four years from March 2021, are proud to have contributed.  

Set in the American Deep South, South of Midnight is decidedly Southern Gothic: despair and decay are woven into small towns soaked in atmosphere, where time seems to have stood still, only to be disturbed into life by Hazel, the game’s protagonist.  

South of Midnight’s stop-motion, timeworn art style is a central part of its melancholic feel. Every detail carries the weight of the past, from reed overgrowth to the game’s fantastical creatures inspired by real Southern folktales. 

“The genesis of Midnight was my desire to create a love letter to the South,” said David Sears, South of Midnight’s Creative Director.  

This project came with much responsibility.  

See the full case study on the Room 8 Group website.