PAX East 2026

DreadXP is the bread and butter of PAX conferences, and the Paranormal Activity: Threshold demo had horror fans flocking in droves. Lines wrapped around the exclusive tented area where you can immerse yourself in a dark room while investigating demonic terrors.

I secured a slot to play the Paranormal Activity: Threshold demo, and afterward, I had the honor of speaking with the creator of the game: Brian Clarke. If the name sounds familiar, he is the mastermind behind The Mortuary Assistant. More on that later, but first, my thoughts on the Paranormal Activity: Threshold demo.

Paranormal Activity: Threshold Demo Impressions

The demo opens with a young couple, Jessica and Daniel Stewart, who purchase their starter home. Despite their enthusiasm, they find that the home is quite the fixer-upper — derelict and littered with garbage. As Daniel documents their first days, the pair stumble upon a mysterious box within their walls. The demo then screeches to a halt and fast forwards to present day. You are now a homicide detective, staring down at the bloodied bodies of Jessica and Daniel. It’s up to you know to investigate and figure out what happened.

Gameplay involved exploring the house, finding clues, manipulating occult items, and playing though recordings that took place in the past when the couple was still alive. As you progress and alternate between past and present, a demonic presence grows stronger and stalks you. After solving a few puzzles and suffering a few scares, a mysterious portal opens, and the demo concludes.

Paranormal Activity: Threshold is played in a first-person perspective, and the game maximizes the entire setting. The lighting and sound design are on point, constantly working to build tension until the next scare. Of course, the demo doesn’t rely on cheap scares. Oh, no. It’s quite the opposite. Brian intentionally sliced up the demo to showcase what Paranormal Activity: Threshold had to offer: slow burn scares, lore on demonology, and layers of characterization.

The game definitely had the DNA of The Mortuary Assistant; however, despite similarities with demons and occult paraphernalia, Paranormal Activity: Threshold solidifies its own identity. There were no bugs or quirks during my experience.

While the demo was thrilling (I did tap out for a minute and have my colleague handle some of the scares), the most enjoyable part of the appointment was speaking with Brian Clarke.

Interview: Brian Clarke

Paranormal Activity is horror franchise that spans seven movies. It is known for leveraging the found footage format and focuses on a relentless demon that haunts, kills, and takes what is theirs. Brian explained that Paramount was interested in a Paranormal Activity game and were open to his ideas. The level of flexibility allowed Brian to think freely and even solidify some lore for the franchise. With this major but exciting responsibility, Brian told me that he wanted to lean in as much as possible on what Paranormal Activity is. There are seven movies, each with their own twists and focuses, and Brian wanted to include a little bit of everything and capture the essence of Paranormal Activity. A whole whiteboard of ideas later, Brian was fast at work on this passion project.

I asked how he’s able to apply the unique storytelling that the movie franchise brings to the horror genre in a video game, and Brian explained that, while challenging, a video game adaptation allowed more room to draw the audience in with shifting perspectives between time and characters. The movies are hamstrung by only what is recorded by the device. Paranormal Activity: Threshold is free from this limitation. Brian explained that he wanted to rely on both past and present in gameplay, with the past represented as playable “found footage”. He wanted to grant the player that feeling of living that past experience and applying it to the present-day portions. For example, you can enter any combination for the safe code in the past, and it will become the current day safe code.

Given Brian’s history with The Mortuary Assistant, I was also curious about possible branching paths and endings. Brian confirmed there will be branching paths and multiple endings; however, we all will have to wait patiently for the details. While the anticipated gameplay aims to be around 10 to 15 hours, Brians plans to structure the game so that the player can replay Paranormal Activity: Threshold with knowledge of the first play through. Only time will tell to see what surprises lay in store upon replay.

This is Brian’s most ambitious game to date, and his passion for lore building during the development process is clear in the demo. Paranormal Activity: Threshold promises to deliver the same insidious terror and more by placing you in the drivers’ seat, and many of us at Boss Rush Netowrk are looking forward to playing the final product.

Thank you to DreadXP and Brian for this opportunity to play the Paranormal Activity: Threshold demo! Release date is still TBD, so follow us at Bush Rush Network for news and updates on the game. Until then, feel free to wish list it on Steam and watch the trailer:

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