Unseen, the Tokyo-based studio led by Ikumi Nakamura, revealed Kemuri: Hunt the Unseen during today’s State of Play. The yokai-possession action game is coming to PlayStation 5 in 2027, and the reveal included a gameplay trailer. Nakamura went viral at Bethesda’s E3 2019 press conference, where her enthusiastic on-stage reveal of Ghostwire: Tokyo, then in development at Tango Gameworks, drew a wave of memes and fan art.
Kemuri is set in Kemuri City, described as the city closest to the afterlife, a place on the boundary between life and death that has become an unusual tourist destination. Paranormal phenomena are part of everyday life there, and players explore a sprawling vertical city of rooftops, alleyways, and underground ruins where the line between reality and the afterlife constantly shifts. The yokai range from traditional folklore creatures to original ones unique to this world, all born from “Kemuri,” the lingering emotions and thoughts of humanity.
Players take on the role of a yokai hunter, searching for yokai, forming contracts with them, and growing stronger by wielding their powers. Combat varies between hunters, with some favoring close combat, others striking from a distance, and others using prayers and talismans. Central to the gameplay is the Foxwindow, a hand gesture players peer through to reveal hidden fractures between worlds and step into yokai realms.
Forming contracts with defeated yokai manifests their powers as Possession Apparel, which changes both the player’s appearance and how they fight. Hunters are accompanied by other characters and contracted yokai in single-player, and Kemuri also supports online co-op for up to three players, with one player discovering, one guiding, and one striking the final blow.
