Fix Up a Haunted Seaside Hotel, Solve Mysteries and Sing Ska in There Are No Ghosts at the Grand
There Are No Ghosts at the Grand is an upcoming narrative-driven adventure from indie studio Friday Sundae that mixes renovation sim mechanics, a spooky mystery, and musical moments. I tried a short hands-on at Gamescom and spoke with creative director Anil Glendinning; here are the concrete details about how the game plays, what inspired it, and when it will arrive.
- What the game is: renovation sim meets narrative adventure, with musical elements.
- Hands-on: tool-based decorating, open-world hotel and village exploration, light puzzles.
- Creative notes: game began as a ghost story and later became a musical; music draws on late‑’80s/early‑’90s British ska/reggae/punk influences.
- Platforms and timing: Windows PC and Xbox Series X (coming to Game Pass) in 2026.
Reveal trailer and early impressions
Friday Sundae showed the game during the Xbox Games Showcase earlier this year, and the reveal included a number of distinct beats: a grandfather singing and dancing through a hotel, a village that needs renovating, and characters who sometimes break into song. The trailer also shows renovation tools and some light, atmospheric creepy elements.
At Gamescom I started the demo inside the Grand Hotel and used tool-like devices that look similar to advanced Super Soakers. Instead of water, those tools are used to spray paint, move furniture, blast sand, and vacuum floors. They also provide guidance in-game as player helpers.
Gameplay mixes renovation, mystery, and music
The game is primarily a narrative-driven adventure set in an open world. Players can explore the hotel, choose rooms to decorate, and spend time restoring spaces. Moreover, the village around the hotel is also open for decoration and exploration. At certain points, however, the story interrupts the decorating loop so players can investigate the underlying mystery and solve puzzles.
On music, Glendinning said: “What was a little bit unexpected was the way it also became a musical, as it was just because of the music we were listening to at the time.” He added that the team listened to “a lot of spooky ska, reggae, punk… A lot of music from the British scene around the late ’80s, early ’90s.”
How the musical elements fit
The game features characters who sing, and the player will occasionally join in. According to Glendinning, the team designed those parts so that “everything that we’ve done in the game is in service of the story, including the musical elements.” He also noted that many songs are inspired by protest songs and named bands such as The Selecter, Madness, and The Clash as reference points.
Tone, story, and accessibility
Glendinning said the project began as a ghost story: “The very first thing we wanted to create was a ghost story. It all started from there.” Consequently, the narrative centers on renovating a potentially haunted hotel in a dilapidated U.K. seaside town.
While the setting includes supernatural themes, the team describes the game as atmospheric rather than a traditional horror title. Glendinning said: “The game has a spooky atmosphere, sometimes a creepy atmosphere, but it’s not really a horror game in that traditional sense. Mostly, we want to tell a story about the characters.
“There are not very many jump scares, not very many monsters, and certainly no gore or anything like that. It’s all really about atmosphere, and it’s suitable for everyone.”
Platforms and release window
There Are No Ghosts at the Grand will release for Windows PC and Xbox Series X in 2026. Additionally, the game will be available on Xbox Series X through Game Pass.
