- 14 voice actors
- 10 nationalities in the cast
- Jan 2027 Steam release
- VR version later in 2027
The Memphis Chronicles is the first game from High Road Stories, a Berlin studio that has spent almost a decade making immersive experiences for XR, interactive installations and domes. It’s a first-person exploration game set in the imaginary city of Memphis, “where dreamers and the dead dance”, and it’s coming to Steam in January 2027, with a VR version to follow later in the year.
Welcome to Memphis
It starts with a canoe trip that goes sideways. You swim to the surface of a lake and come up in a city full of questions, where everyday objects are charged with memories of your own past and other people’s. Along the way, you’ll run into an elephant, some well-dressed demons, an elusive arsonist and a homeless prophet, and the deeper you look, the more personal it gets.
There’s a catch, too. As you move forward, doors close behind you, and anything you choose not to look at is gone for good. The studio says it’s a story about finding closure, and what you leave behind matters as much as what’s ahead.
Who You’ll Meet
You play from a gender-neutral perspective, and the main story follows a complicated mother figure and questions traditional family relationships. The dialogue is voiced by 14 actors from 10 countries, led by Megan Gay (Hannah Arendt, Berlin Calling) and Colin Griffiths-Brown (Annette), and the score comes from interactive music composer Phivos-Angelos Kollias (The Lost Glitches, El Hijo).
One of the stranger details is the city’s cinema, where you can sit and watch a real hour-long documentary by the director Jonas Mekas about the death and funeral of the poet Allen Ginsberg. Its themes run right through the game.
Side Quest Who Was Allen Ginsberg?
Allen Ginsberg was an American poet and one of the leading figures of the Beat Generation. His 1956 poem “Howl” was put on trial for obscenity and became a landmark free speech case, and he was openly gay at a time when that was rare. He died in 1997. You can read more about Allen Ginsberg.
Accessibility Snapshot
Accessibility Snapshot
Accessibility checked: 2 October 2026
This comes from the announcement and the Memphis Chronicles Steam page, not hands-on time. I’ll update this if more info becomes available.
Visual
Not confirmed
No details yet on text size, colour options or flashing. A lot of the game is dimly lit.
Audio
Reported
The dialogue is fully voiced by a cast of 14. No word yet on subtitles.
Communication
Reported
Single-player, and Steam currently lists English only.
Input/Controls
Not confirmed
No word yet on controller support or remapping.
Cognitive
Heads-up
The game doesn’t tell you what matters, and doors close behind you, so anything you don’t look at is gone for good. That could feel freeing or stressful, depending on how your brain handles missing things.
Motion/Sensory
Heads-up
It’s first-person exploration with psychological horror, and the developers say some encounters are downright terrifying.
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You can try the demo and wishlist the game on Steam.
Maybe skip the canoe trip before you play.
- Tragic Comic
- Wandering Unsettled
Stay unruly.
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