Dancing with Ghosts

About the game

A closer look.

Dancing with Ghosts is a deeply personal project from the heart and history of Greg Johnson, creator of ToeJam & Earl. The village is modeled on Bang Pa-In in Ayutthaya Province, the real-life hometown of his Thai family, and the game is fully illustrated and animated by Thai artists, with Thai voice underway. Our tiny team is making this with a lot of love, and it's our sincere wish that Mai and Pim linger sweetly in your hearts as well, long after their last dance! Mai used to dance - before it all happened. These days she keeps to herself in her riverside village, running errands, drawing in her notebook, and feeling lost... until Pim wanders in, a little ghost who's lost most of her memories but exactly  none of her joy.  Who she was and how she died, Pim couldn't tell you - but helping her find out is what slowly brings Mai back, cheerfully, to the Thai dance she learned from her mom. A fully voiced, interactive story of healing and compassion across 6-8 hours of narrative gameplay and original minigames, inspired by a Thai spiritual belief called  utit suan boon kusohn,  or dedicating  boon (good karma)   to ease the way for those who have passed. Two ways to respond, and no wrong picks! Help Mai express herself out loud. Get to know dozens of villagers, each with their own homes, jobs, and, sometimes - gossip! Learn the steps Mai's mother once taught her. Plenty of songs with multiple speed and difficulty levels! Slip into villagers as Pim to sense their hidden wishes, then return to Mai to help grant them. Chop up some papaya salad, help knead dough, and serve delicious roti to your neighbors. Weave your scooter through traffic, chickens, and the occasional neighborhood dog. Play all of these minigames and more to earn karma that recovers Pim's memories and progresses the story. Mai's journal is where she says what she can't say out loud. Bit by bit, she finds her way back to joy, learning to be kind to herself by being kind to others.

From the game