Project Songbird is a cinematic, first-person, narrative, psychological horror game where you take control of Dakota, a musician who must find her music again after a heavy dose of writer’s block to record their newest album.
Psychological horror indie games have been on the rise for years, seeing varying degrees of success. Project Songbird (PSB) is the latest offering from the talented mind of Conner Rush, known for previous story-focused indie titles like Into the Unknown (2016) and Summerland (2020). While those were smaller-scale projects with moderate success on Steam, Project Songbird feels like a significant leap forward.
Flash forward to 2026, and we are back inside Rush’s mind. The game focuses on themes of grief, the struggle of moving forward, and the act of delving into the deepest parts of the subconscious.
Developed almost entirely by Conner Rush himself and published by FYRE Games (PC) with Dojo System on PS5/Xbox X|S. You play as Dakota, a young musician struggling to produce the music her fanbase expects. On her agent’s advice, she retreats to a cabin in the middle of nowhere to “lock in” and find her sound again. However, while isolated, she is forced to confront her past to survive her present.
Gameplay
The gameplay keeps things refreshingly simple. There are no overly complex mechanics to distract from the narrative, which firmly takes the lead. Players must collect items to progress through the various acts and carefully conserve supplies to ensure they aren’t caught empty-handed when tension peaks.
PSB feels like a spiritual successor to the classic PS1/PS2-era Silent Hill games in how it unfolds its story and requires “outside the box” thinking for its puzzles. While I’ll admit to overthinking a few of them, the puzzles are exceptionally well-designed—they reward you for paying close attention to your surroundings. This isn’t a game you can simply “dip in and out of”; it demands your full focus.
The visuals find a middle ground between realism and a unique artistic style. The environments are masterfully uneasy—think dark corridors with dim light bleeding through door gaps. This creates a constant ambiance of dread that builds the fear factor tenfold.
The creatures are equally unsettling. These messed up, unexplainable beasts would fit right into a Silent Hill roster, roaming narrow hallways and forcing you to solve puzzles while their presence looms just out of sight.
Lengthwise, you should be able to complete the game between 4-7 hours which is more than enough to tell the story it wants to tell you. Though maybe add some time if you’re bad at puzzles like I am!
Story and Cast
The story is best experienced with as few spoilers as possible, but the base summary is that you take control of Dakota, a musician who must isolate in a log cabin in the remote Appalachian forest amidst a writers block to record their newest album. The emotional core of the game is held together by stellar performances. Valerie Rose Lohman, who voices the lead character Dakota, bringing a visceral, emotional depth to the role, especially in the more intense scenes.
The supporting cast—including Jonah Scott, Aleks Le, Madelyn Murphy, William Champion, and Christian La Monte with Conner Rush himself popping by—elevates the experience. In many indie projects, voice work can feel jarring or forced, but PSB’s cast feels professional and grounded which ultimately helps elevate the experience.
Overall Verdict
Project Songbird is a beautiful yet haunting journey through a musician’s trauma. With genuine jump-scares, unsettling enemy designs, and clever puzzles, it is a must-play for fans of story-driven horror. It proves that you don’t need complex mechanics or throwaway gimmicks to create a deeply effective experience.
⭐⭐⭐⭐.5
Project Songbird releases on the 26th March 2026 on Stream, PS5 and Xbox Series X|S.
