The Sinking City 2 Unveils First Gameplay Teaser and Kickstarter Campaign

After months of silence, Frogwares has resurfaced with brand new gameplay footage for The Sinking City 2 while simultaneously launching a Kickstarter campaign to support its development.

Developed using Unreal Engine 5, The Sinking City 2 has been in development for over two years despite the war in Ukraine. As a sequel to 2019’s The Sinking City, this survival-horror game transports players to a Lovecraftian 1920s United States and is set to launch on PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X in 2025.

This first gameplay teaser gives fans a glimpse of the decaying yet hauntingly beautiful city of Arkham, where a supernatural flood has left the streets teeming with eldritch horrors. The footage briefly shows off the game’s core mechanics—combat, exploration, and of course, Frogwares’ renowned investigation system.

Kickstarter Campaign

With Ukraine still facing the challenges of war, Frogwares is turning to its community for support, mirroring the approach taken with Sherlock Holmes: The Awakened in 2023. The studio’s Kickstarter campaign aims to raise €100,000 ($105,000) to fund additional features and create a financial safety net for the team.

“After 3 years of this horrid war hanging over our daily lives, we’ve learned to adapt, though it has never been easy” said Wael Amr, CEO of Frogwares, regarding launching the Kickstarter campaign. “From power outages and the need for team members to relocate on short notice, to having to pause development for days, this safety net was crucial. Given that The Sinking City 2 is a far more complex and demanding game, we’ve decided to take the same route as before.”

Backers will have access to exclusive rewards, including two limited-edition physical Collector’s Editions available only through Kickstarter.

Support the Kickstarter campaign.

At the time of writing, the Kickstarter’s goal has already been met!

From Sherlock Holmes to Lovecraft

While Frogwares has built its reputation on investigative gameplay, The Sinking City 2 marks a deliberate shift toward a more horror-focused experience. Publishing Director Sergiy Oganesyan explains that the sequel puts a greater emphasis on combat and exploration, while still retaining investigative elements as a core mechanic. However, unlike before, players are not required to find every clue to complete an investigation, but you will earn gameplay-altering rewards for solving the mysteries:

“When we announced The Sinking City 2 back in 2024, we stated this is going to be our chance to shift our studio into creating games that are more ‘horror-first’ focused and the results we’re all seeing internally are extremely promising.”

Fans eager for more insight into the game’s development can check out a deep-dive developer diary, offering additional in-game footage and behind-the-scenes details:

With its eerie setting, refined gameplay, and a passionate development team behind it, The Sinking City 2 is shaping up to be a must-play for horror fans in 2025.