Kyoto, Japan - July 10th, 2025 - Publisher CULT Games and developer White Owls Inc are thrilled to announce HOTEL BARCELONA - the surreal, bloodsoaked sidescrolling roguelite from legendary Japanese creators SWERY (Deadly Premonition) and SUDA51 (No More Heroes, Romeo is a Dead Man) - releases September 2025.
Hot off a smash-hit Steam Next Fest, where "the brutal, fun, and stylish roguelike HOTEL BARCELONA caught my eye more than any other" (PCGamesN), the game will be playable at BitSummit, the iconic games festival in Kyoto - taking place July 18th to 20th, 2025. Press and creators can go hands-on with the game and even meet its creative team, including the eccentric genius SWERY himself…
Part action, part roguelite, all fever dream. HOTEL BARCELONA is a sidescrolling slasher by two of Japan's most iconic cult game creators, SUDA51 (No More Heroes, Lollipop Chainsaw, Romeo is a Dead Man) and SWERY (Deadly Premonition, The Missing: J.J. Macfield and the Island of Memories, D4: Dark Dreams Don’t Die).
You are Justine, a fresh-faced federal marshal who wakes up with a serial killer in her head and a blade in her hand. Trapped in a twisted hotel inspired by iconic horror movie subgenres, you must fight, die, die again, and maybe - just maybe - defeat the Seven Slasher Killers out for blood. Your blood, to be precise.
So check in, WIPE 'EM OUT! Every kill makes you stronger in this re-invented roguelike where death isn't the end - it's just the start. Keep up the carnage and be rewarded with the devastating power of Dr. Carnival, the primeval monster possessing your brain. Exact vengeance on gnarly opponents with the Slasher Phantoms, an army of spirits who mimic your actions from previous runs. And supercharge your arsenal with almost 100 weapons to unlock and game-changing upgrades to uncover.
The demo for HOTEL BARCELONA is playable at BitSummit The 13th: Summer of Yōkai, Japan's largest indie game festival. Running July 18th to 20th at Miyako Messe in Kyoto, attendees can experience the opening section of the game, including its brutal first boss Jacob - a baseball-obsessed serial killer rumoured to strike every few years at the hotel's nearby baseball field. There's also opportunity to meet developers from White Owls Inc as well as game director Hidetaka "SWERY" Suehiro.
If you are attending BitSummit and would like to play HOTEL BARCELONA or interview SWERY, please contact david@thecultgames.com
HOTEL BARCELONA slaughters its way onto Steam, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X/S in September 2025. Wishlist the game on Steam now!
About White Owls IncFounded in November 2016, White Owls is an independent game development studio led by SWERY. The core team consists of original members who previously worked on Deadly Premonition and D4: Dark Dreams Don't Die. Since its founding, White Owls has established itself as a standout indie developer representing Japan.
Since the release of its debut title, The MISSING, in 2018, White Owls has continued to create unique games, including Deadly Premonition 2, The Good Life, and Death Game Hotel. These titles have received numerous awards and recognition worldwide.
About CULT GamesCULT Games is a brand new games label partnering with talented development studios to publish extraordinary games with a community-focused approach. Led by a team with decades of experience driving commercial and critical success in games and entertainment, the sometimes zealous, always hardworking, London-HQ'd collective is launching its first games in 2023.
For more information on HOTEL BARCELONA, visit - Steam