The House of Hikmah: the new adventure game that turns grief into a journey of healing

During today’s PC Gaming Show: Most Wanted event, Lunacy Studios officially revealed The House of Hikmah, a new 3D adventure game that blends historical intrigue with a deeply personal story.

In The House of Hikmah, players assume the role of Maya, a 14-year-old girl navigating the difficult waters of grief after her father’s death. The game is set within the awe-inspiring House of Wisdom, inspired by the real intellectual hub of the Islamic Golden Age. As Maya, players will interact with historical scholars of the era—encounters designed to be more than just educational. These scholars are also processing their own grief, offering wisdom and comfort that help Maya—and potentially the player—understand the complexity of healing.

Prior to its announcement, we spoke with Creative Director Faris Attieh to learn more about the game and how the grieving process shaped its core experience.

Behind The House of Hikmah lies the grieving process

Attieh explained that the loss of his father, five years before founding the studio, became the catalyst for the project. “I thought a lot about what story I wanted to tell, and this one was very close and clear to my heart,” he told us. “I wanted to tell a helpful story about grief. This was the game I wish I had when my father passed away. I found one of my friends, she’s a writer from the Middle East, and she joined the project to help see the world through the eyes of a young lady.”

When discussing the game’s mechanics, Attieh emphasized the importance of avoiding violence or traditional fail states. “From the beginning, we didn’t want to have elements where you were attacked, shot, or killed. In the end, it’s a story about grief,” he said. “You’re solving puzzles in the environment. Sort of the idea of setting a puzzle game was something I thought was important.”

He added that his own experience with grief shaped this design philosophy. “When I was going through my grieving process, getting out of bed in the morning was a goal in itself. I can just get out of bed in the morning. Brilliant. Like, you know, like there’s a win for the day. It just kind of turned into sort of gamifying my life. I was like, well, what’s the small win I can have today? And then I can grow from there. And by having those wins in order and creating systems around my life, it’s what helps me grow and helps me get up and get back on my feet. You don’t actually solve grief, right? But by solving sorts of things in your life around it, and helping yourself, is what growing from your grief is all about.”

Regarding the game’s world, Attieh explained that despite its heavy themes, they deliberately chose a vibrant tone. They wanted players to “see the world through a very beautiful lens.” He added that this perspective stems from telling the story through the eyes of a child: “And for a child, everything is quite wonderful. Um, you know, there’s a lot of novelty in the world, there’s a lot of newness.”

Who is behind Lunacy Studios?

Lunacy Studios is composed of industry veterans who have worked on major franchises such as Star Wars: Battlefront, Mass Effect, and Assassin’s Creed Brotherhood. The game’s auditory experience is supported by composers and audio programmers who have contributed to critically acclaimed titles like Journey, The Pathless, and Life is Strange.

The House of Hikmah is scheduled to launch on PC via Steam in the first quarter of 2026.

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