Call of the Sea
A Lovecraftian adventure of transformation and choice.
Call of the Sea is a first-person adventure game developed by Out of the Blue and published by Raw Fury. Set in the 1930s, players control Norah as she searches for her missing husband on a remote island in the Southern Pacific. The game is notable for its narrative-driven, non-combat gameplay and its inspiration from the surreal and oneiric elements of H. P. Lovecraft's works, distinguishing itself as a story of transformation rather than horror.
Quick Facts
- Title
- Call of the Sea
- Developer
- Out of the Blue
- Publisher
- Raw Fury
- Platforms
- Windows · Xbox One · Xbox Series X/S · Amazon Luna · PlayStation 4 · PlayStation 5 · Nintendo Switch
- Director
- Tatiana Delgado Yunquera
- Producer
- Manuel Fernández-Truchaud Lorenzo
- Designer
- Álvaro González Pérez · Alfredo González-Barros Camba
- Programmer
- Manuel Fernández-Truchaud Lorenzo · Javier Serrano García
- Artist
- Daniel Nombela López
- Composer
- Eduardo de la Iglesia
- Writer
- Alfredo González-Barros Camba
- Engine
- Unreal Engine 4
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
Call of the Sea was announced on May 7, 2020, during a digital event hosted by Xbox Game Studios. It is the debut title of Out of the Blue, an independent studio based in Madrid, Spain, with a team of about 12 people. Founder Tatiana Delgado stated the game was heavily inspired by the works of H. P. Lovecraft, specifically the surreal and oneiric aspects, and emphasized that it is not a horror game but rather a narrative-focused experience where puzzles are integrated with the story. The game also drew influence from adventure titles such as Firewatch, Myst, Soma, and Subnautica.
The game was released for Windows, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S on December 8, 2020, followed by versions for Amazon Luna on April 15, 2021, and for PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5 on May 11, 2021. A Nintendo Switch version was released on September 9, 2025. A sequel, Call of the Elder Gods, was announced in June 2025 and released on May 12, 2026, for Windows, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X/S, with Yuri Lowenthal and Cissy Jones returning to voice roles.
Reader's Guide
Call of the Sea received positive reviews from critics, who praised its narrative and island setting, though some found certain puzzles obtuse. On Metacritic, the game holds generally favorable reviews, and on OpenCritic it was recommended by 69% of critics. The game's significance lies in its deliberate departure from typical Lovecraftian horror, instead presenting a story about a woman undergoing a physical and existential transformation. The player's final choice—to complete the transformation into a sea creature or reject it—determines the ending, with Norah either gaining eternal life underwater or living out her remaining years with her husband. The game's puzzles, while criticized by some, were defended by reviewers like Neil Baker in Black Gate, who argued they are achievable with patience and use of in-game hints. The sequel, Call of the Elder Gods, was inspired by H. P. Lovecraft's The Shadow Out of Time.
Did You Know?
- The game was released for Nintendo Switch on September 9, 2025, nearly five years after its initial launch.
- The protagonist Norah is voiced by Cissy Jones, and her husband Harry is voiced by Yuri Lowenthal.
- The game's sequel, Call of the Elder Gods, was published by Kwalee and released on May 12, 2026.
- The game's story was inspired by the surreal and oneiric elements of H. P. Lovecraft's works, not by horror.
More in Adventure Games of the 2020s, Part 1 1-24
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