Neil Gaiman’s Wayward Manor Coming to Haunt You this July

It’s creepy, and it’s crawly, and I swear you can hear Tim Burton laughing in the distance somewhere-but don’t be alarmed, this is exactly the type of feeling author Neil Gaiman’s puzzle solving adventure game Wayward Manor was designed to instill in us.

Gaiman, known for works such as Stardust, The Sandman, and Coraline , has joined forces with independent video game studio The Odd Gentlemen and Mobile game publishers Moonshark to whip up a thriller about a ghost who dwells on a Victorial Gothic Pastoral estate. You play the ghost, with the solid objective of scaring away any pesky intruders who attempt to invade your humble abode. The mechanics of the game are said to be more focused on player actions rather than the heavy cutscene approach, which Matt Korba, co-founder of The Odd Gentlemen, believes will increase overall player enjoyment. And probably fear. On a side note, while Scooby Doo and the gang may have consistently shown us how to unmask and defeat a multitude of villains, ghouls and spectres, it might just be a tad on the thrilling side to take a walk in the bad guy’s shoes.

Neil Gaiman’s Wayward Manor looks to be as eccentric as it is lovely. If you’re not afraid of the dark, you can pre-purchase the game right here,which will be available via Steamstarting on July 15 for PC, Mac, and tablets.

Update: Coraline was directed by Henry Selick, American stop motion director, producer and writer also known for his work on titles such as The Nightmare Before Christmas , and James and the Giant Peach.