Silent Hill Creator Keiichiro Toyama’s Bokeh Game Studios Next Project First Info Unearthed
When it comes to horror franchises, Silent Hill is up there as one of the most known and respected. That’s why when its creator, Keiichiro Toyama, left Konami to start his own game shop, Bokeh Game Studio in 2020, people were anticipating greatness.
Unfortunately, the studio’s first game, Slitterhead, didn’t exactly resonate with critics, and by all accounts, wasn’t a major hit commercially too. While the studio, who self-published the game, didn’t divulge sales data, it’s been reported to sell less than 10,000 physical copies for the PS5 in Japan at launch, and its Steam numbers were even worse, as it only managed to hit a concurrent player high of 770+, and quickly dropped to low double-digit numbers soon after.
We don’t know the total development costs of Slitterhead, but given it is at the very least, a AA project, it’s highly unlikely the studio made back its investment.
That said, the studio is taking another shot at the horror genre, as the first details for Bokeh Game Studio’s next project have been unearthed by MP1st.
Bokeh Is Developing a New Horror Game to No One’s Surprise
Bokeh Game Studio is currently hiring for motion capture work for a few characters that will appear in their still-untitled game, and based on the number of people they’re looking for, this new project will feature a lot of characters.
A few common items mentioned in the casting sheet for almost all the characters are drug-related (trafficking, substance abuse, etc.), and there are also mentions of sex-related work, “fully clothed intimacy,” and other mature themes.
The names of each character and their backgrounds are available below. However, remember that things can change during development, and that applies to the characters’ backgrounds, names, and whatnot.
[ RIVER ]
Male, early 20s, White. A high-strung young man living at society’s edge, River is sharp, wounded, defensive, and quick to anger. Beneath his volatility is genuine vulnerability and a dark, tragic magnetism. Seeking a grounded, emotionally fearless performer with major dramatic range, physical intensity, and the ability to carry a complex antihero. Visual references are River Phoenix and Kurt Cobain – lean, angular, brooding, and effortlessly compelling, without impersonating either. Full body, face, and voice performance capture; photogrammetry and likeness anticipated. Content advisory: Mature psychological horror; violence; strong language; trauma and abuse; drug-related death; sex-work context; non-explicit, fully clothed interrupted intimacy.
[ DEAN ]
Male, early 20s, Hispanic. Dean’s closest friend, Dean is funny, resourceful, fiercely loyal, and street-smart, with an easy warmth and a dangerous edge beneath the surface. He should feel like a contemporary young man shaped by poverty and circumstance, never a criminal stereotype. Seeking a charismatic performer with natural humor, emotional complexity, quiet menace, and exceptional chemistry with River. Full body, face, and voice performance capture; photogrammetry and likeness anticipated. Content advisory: Mature crime-world material; strong language; sex-work context; drug-related death; violence and creature transformation.
[ LYRA ]
Female, late teens/early 20s, White. A beautiful, mysterious young woman with an ethereal presence, innocent charm, and an unsettling emotional intensity. Lyra should feel captivating, strange, and impossible to fully read – a singular heroine rather than a conventional ingénue. Seeking a magnetic performer who can combine vulnerability, allure, emotional isolation, and latent threat. Mia Goth is a tonal reference, not an impersonation request. Full body, face, and voice performance capture; photogrammetry and likeness anticipated. Content advisory: Mature psychological horror; abuse and coercive control; implied violence; non-explicit, fully clothed interrupted intimacy; stylized body-horror imagery.
[ HAZEL ]
Female, mid to late 40s, White. A battle-worn woman with formidable strength, fierce maternal instincts, and the emotional weight of a difficult past. Hazel can appear severe and controlling, but beneath that exterior are vigilance, guilt, grief, and a powerful need to protect. Seeking a commanding performer with toughness, authority, emotional complexity, and substantial dramatic presence. Full body, face, and voice performance capture; photogrammetry and likeness anticipated. Content advisory: Severe family trauma; psychological horror; violence; creature imagery; death-related material.
[ BECCA ]
Female, early 20s, Asian or Mixed Asian. Smart, perceptive, culturally grounded, and quietly driven, Becca is a contemporary video streamer with natural curiosity and an understated emotional life. She should not be portrayed as a loud or boisterous influencer; her appeal comes from intelligence, sophistication, restraint, and an observant presence. Seeking a grounded performer with subtle humor, emotional depth, and natural on-camera ease. Full body, face, and voice performance capture; photogrammetry and likeness anticipated. Content advisory: Grief, loss, and threatening horror environments. The source materials specify no explicit or graphic content and no creature-attack scenes.
[ DENA ]
Female, late 20s/early 30s, BIPOC. Bright, warm, and professional on the surface, Dena possesses a more complicated and conflicted inner life. She is personable and genuinely likable, but carries frustration, exhaustion, and a quietly rebellious desire for change. Seeking a layered performer who can balance humor, intelligence, warmth, compromised judgment, and emotional volatility without losing the character’s humanity. Full body, face, and voice performance capture; photogrammetry and likeness anticipated. Content advisory: Addiction and drug-trafficking themes; implied substance use; threat; implied murder; corpse and death-related material.
[ EMMA ]
Female, late teens, any ethnicity. A young woman surviving on society’s margins, Emma is sharp, fragile, funny, and deeply affected by the harshness of her circumstances. The role is brief but emotionally impactful and requires an actor capable of conveying intimacy, guardedness, exhaustion, and haunting vulnerability. Daisy from Love Lies Bleeding is a tonal and visual reference. A lean frame is envisioned, but any physical requirements will be handled safely and confirmed by production. Full body, face, and voice performance capture; photogrammetry and likeness anticipated. Content advisory: Sex-work context without explicit sexual activity; drug use and overdose; revealing wardrobe without nudity; corpse/death imagery; violence and creature transformation.
[ MARA ]
Female, age 8, Asian or Mixed Asian. Quiet, empathetic, independent, and emotionally perceptive, Molly is a grounded child who understands what it means to feel different and excluded. She possesses an understated courage, imagination, and instinctive loyalty. Seeking a natural young performer with warmth, sensitivity, intelligence, and an unaffected presence – never overly precocious or polished. Performance capture and photogrammetry anticipated, subject to all required guardian approvals and minor-performer protections. Content advisory: Bullying, alienation, grief, and loss. The source materials specify no explicit or graphic content and no creature-attack scenes for Molly.
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Based on the info shared regarding the amount of work that will be put in by the actors, it looks like River is the main character, and as mentioned, will be a white male in their early 20s.
When it comes to the enemy (enemies), it looks like some of the names mentioned above will be attacking River, as it mentions “creature transformation” and the like.
Given the project is just hiring for motion capture work, that means this probably won’t be getting released anytime soon. Let’s hope that whatever Bokeh’s next project is, it can at the very least keep up with the recent Silent Hill games.
In other horror gaming news, Konami has confirmed that second and third waves of Silent Hill games are already planned.
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