FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
From Studio Ortica‚ the creators of Loan Shark, a 2026 Italian Video Game Awards finalist for Best Italian Debut Game‚comes a critically praised, post-apocalyptic psychological horror in which the last human alive discovers that the mountain is watching back.
“I didn’t think there was any way bird watching could become fear-inducing, but Birds Watching proved me very wrong.”
PC Gamer
“Birds Watching is a surprisingly scary game about a common hobby”
Kyusai Media
“Sort of like Firewatch, but completely bonkers.”
Steam player review
BUSAN, SOUTH KOREA / TURIN, ITALY , August 12, 2026‚ Independent publisher Dark Product and Italian developer Studio Ortica announce that Birds Watching will be released for PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S on August 2024.
Following its acclaimed PC debut‚where it has earned a Very Positive user rating on Steam‚ Birds Watching brings its strange, darkly funny and deeply unsettling take on observation to consoles.
An endless global fire has destroyed the world. You are the last human alive, surviving alone at the top of a mountain‚ the only place the flames have not reached. Your days are quiet. Peaceful, even. With binoculars in hand, you explore the reserve, observe its wildlife and catalogue the birds that escaped there with you.
Then a voice breaks through the radio.
You are no longer alone, and the only creatures that may be able to save you are the birds. Unfortunately, they are particular about whom they trust. Satisfy them or lose everything. Be honest. Be ruthless. Be careful.
The birds are watching.
Studio Ortica has a rare ability to take one familiar action and turn it into something deeply uncomfortable, Loan Shark made fishing feel like a debt you could never escape. Birds Watching does the same with observation: the longer you look, the less certain you become about who is watching whom.
Studio Ortica previously created Loan Shark, the distinctive fishing-horror game named a finalist for Best Italian Debut Game at the 2026 Italian Video Game Awards. With Birds Watching, the Turin-based team again transforms a simple, familiar pastime into a compact horror story driven by atmosphere, absurdity and uncomfortable choices.
Key Features
- A complete horror story in one sitting ‚Experience a short but impactful open-world psychological horror adventure of approximately 60 minutes.
- Go birding at the end of the world ‚Use your binoculars to find, observe and catalogue every bird in the reserve.
- Explore a handcrafted mountain ‚Search an open environment filled with hidden locations, unsettling details and secrets.
- Choose whom to trust‚ Complete quests, form alliances and make decisions that affect how the story ends.
- Follow your animal companion ‚Your closest friend may be your best guide through the final days of humanity.
- Remember: not everything on the mountain is a bird.
Birds Watching is available from August 20th 2026 for PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S. It is developed by Studio Ortica and published on consoles by Dark Product. The PC edition is available on Steam.
Links
- Steam: https://store.steampowered.com/app/3979870/Birds_Watching/
- Dark Product: https://www.darkproduct.com/
- Studio Ortica: https://linktr.ee/studioortica
*please note Nintendo Switch version will be announced at a later date.
About Studio Ortica
Studio Ortica is an independent Italian game developer based in Turin. Founded in 2025 by former AA developers, the studio creates short, narrative-driven horror games with distinctive premises, focused scope and a strong authorial identity. Its released titles include Loan Shark and Birds Watching.
About Dark Product
Dark Product is an independent games publisher based in Busan, South Korea, focused on bringing distinctive titles to players across PC, PlayStation, Xbox and Nintendo Switch.
Media Contact
office@darkproduct.com
https://www.darkproduct.com/