The Mortuary Assistant dev on laying his cancelled Paranormal Activity game to rest, resurrecting it as a Halloween freebie, and a potential return to his biggest game
Brian Clar, the developer behind the acclaimed horror game The Mortuary Assistant, has released Playable Archive as a free Halloween experience. This 30-minute found-footage horror game represents the resurrection of Clar’s previously cancelled Paranormal Activity project.
The game’s title is a playful reference to the “Playable Teaser” (P.T.), Hideo Kojima’s legendary demo for the cancelled Silent Hill game. By releasing the cancelled project as a freebie, Clar expressed his relief that the effort wasn’t wasted, noting it “makes me feel like it was not all done in vain.”
This Halloween release hints at broader creative plans ahead. The article suggests a potential future return to The Mortuary Assistant, Clar’s breakout horror title that established his reputation in the genre. The decision to resurrect the abandoned Paranormal Activity project—even in this limited form—demonstrates a commitment to game preservation and creative legacy, transforming what could have been lost into a memorable free experience for the horror-gaming community.