Ghost Master: Resurrection — the full remake of the 2003 cult haunting sim — launched today on Steam, PS5, Xbox Series X|S, and Switch, and immediately claimed the No. 1 spot on Steam’s New Releases chart.

The early numbers: 83% positive on Steam from 120 reviews, a “Very Positive” rating most indie remakes would kill for on launch day. Concurrent players sit at a modest 16, which tells you this is a niche crowd punching well above its weight in enthusiasm, if not population.

Developed by Mechano Story Studio and published by Strategy First, Resurrection rebuilt the original Sick Puppies game from the ground up in a new engine. The core pitch hasn’t changed — you’re a spectral middle manager commanding ghosts to terrorize mortals across Gravenville — but the package now includes 11 reimagined levels, expanded ghost rosters, a talent tree system, and both DLC packs bundled into the base edition. It’s 20% off at launch.

The Steam reviews are dripping with nostalgia. “omg my childhood is back <3” reads one. Another calls it “somewhere between a remake and a remaster without confusing a previous or a new player.” Players who logged hours in the 2003 original report it scratches the itch, though some note it feels shorter than they remember — a common gripe when rose-tinted memories meet modern playthroughs.

Not everything is spotless. Some reviewers have flagged AI-generated assets and a general lack of polish, issues that lingered through the game’s Early Access period since November 2024. For a budget-priced indie remake, though, the reception suggests Mechano Story Studio found the right balance between faithful and functional.

Ghost Master was always a weird little game — part strategy, part puzzle box, part B-movie haunted house simulator. Twenty-three years later, there’s still nothing quite like it. That alone might be worth the price of admission.

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