Ghost on the Shore is an upcoming first-person narrative adventure game about a young woman named Riley exploring an island while talking to a ghost named Josh who has ended up in her head. The demo begins very abruptly, with narration from Josh about how he wanted to talk to Riley followed by a black screen that states Riley came to accept this. Then you’re put in control of Riley on the island, already in conversation with Josh.
I’m not certain if this is the actual start or if the full game will have a clearer introduction, but as I played, I started to think the vague beginning was intentional. In their conversations, Riley and Josh make vague references to the incident that resulted in them being together like this, so that might be part of the story that unfolds over time. On the other hand, it’s a little strange to start with a protagonist casually chatting with the ghost in her head like it’s perfectly normal, even if it is implied she came to terms with it off-screen.
Josh can’t remember much about his past, so as Riley explores the island, she decides to look for clues that might help jog his memory. You can inspect objects and documents in the environment, and Josh comments on them if he remembers anything. Nothing makes an item you can interact with stand out from the rest, so you’ll need to explore carefully if you want to find everything. Fortunately, the game alerts you if there are key items you need to find in a particular area, although this doesn’t include the numerous documents and other items that add background about the island and its inhabitants.
Riley is also an artist, frequently making sketches in her journal as you explore. Sometimes this is a player-initiated prompt when you come across a new location, while other times it’s automatic when you pick up a particular item. At one point, each collectible I found in the house added new pieces to Riley’s drawing of the family that lived there, which is an interesting way to flesh out the island and her perspective of it.
The two characters talk quite a bit as you walk. Some of their conversations are about the storm that stranded Riley on the island or about Josh’s lost memories, while others are simple banter or casual conversation as they get to know each other. You’re presented with dialogue choices at certain points, with a limited amount of time to pick your answer. It’s not clear from the demo what these choices affect, but the game’s description says they’ll shape your bond with Josh and influence the game’s ending. Visually, the island looks nice enough, although the frame rate struggles a bit at times. The voice acting is quite good, with the conversations sounding natural and believable (aside from Riley’s easy acceptance of the ghost in her head).
Now, it seems Josh isn’t the only spirit on this island. The spectral form of a woman speaks to Riley in surprise and apparent anger, as if she knows something about her. Later on, Riley hears voices that Josh can’t hear and witnesses a past conversation between a little girl and her mother about will-o’-the-wisps. After this strange encounter, that’s where the demo ends.
There are clearly strange forces at work on the island, and the demo seems to imply there are mysteries surrounding not only Josh, but Riley as well. While it doesn’t really provide a strong narrative hook this early, it did leave me with several questions about the island, the characters, and their situation.
