
You’re a grade-schooler at a religious institution where something feels off in this surreal, first-person adventure game. Do your genes make a difference in the outcome of your suffering? Will your faith be enough to shroud your fears? Perhaps you already know the answer.
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In Pelican Deep, you're late for convent school and hoping the nuns will go easy on you. Piece together the truth of what's really happening within the confines of the church and face familiar fears that have been hiding dormant. Remember your prayers, expose residual conversations, and navigate the disturbing choices presented to you.
Designed to be played in one 20-30 minute session, but depends on how much you explore and will save your game if you need to jump off early. Single-player. First-person. Features original soundtrack.
As you continue through your school day, you will follow the nuns' orders as they become progressively more ominous and questionable. This may lead you to places you were never meant to see... or perhaps never meant to return to.

Fear and uncertainty fester at the forefront of the human condition, inherited through a gene drip and learned unwittingly from those claiming to guide us. Rituals, whether in faith or psychological struggle, provide fleeting relief, but ultimately perpetuate a cycle of dread and repetition.
These subconscious codes are like heirlooms passed down and shrouded in morality and love. After generations of rehearsals, will you be able to break the loop, or will you succumb to the familial blueprint you were designed to act out?
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Languages: English**languages with full audio support
Reviews
Was interested until I saw some weird textures and checked the description on steam only to see the AI disclosure. Disappointing to have interesting ideas a somewhat novel visual style only to fall back on generative AI. And for what? Suddenly you're concerned about not being able to make a good enough looking texture? When the rest of your game has this wildly varying level of texture resolution and style why suddenly choose to use the least artistically interesting option.
It has a unique story with some really cool visuals. It's fun just sitting in the church and hearing different peoples experience with Church. You can really tell that the creator put a lot of effort into designing and creating the game.
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Pelican Deep feels like a very personal story that invites you into the life of the developer. Its specific storyline and niche subject matter give it an intimacy that’s not present in most other games. It provokes thought beyond whats presented on screen. This game is a rare find. I think that dismissing this game because it features some AI textures is counter productive. May I remind you that this game is FREE. This is obviously a passion project of the developer, who used AI as a tool to achieve their goal. The only elements that seemed AI generated to me were the portraits of the nuns and the illustrations in the school work. All other textures look normal, and you can tell the developer didnt use any pre made assets which is very refreshing. Give it a try!!
Pelican Deep is a masterclass in using sound to build dread. I was particularly blown away by the church acoustics—as you move through the room, you can hear different, overlapping conversations depending on where you stand. It makes the space feel alive and haunting in a way most indie horrors miss. The art style is striking, but it’s the rectory that really got to me. The layout feels like a suffocating maze you can’t escape, perfectly capturing that "trapped" feeling of religious school dread. The polish here is top-tier. Short, surreal, and highly recommended. This game manages to pack a heavy punch in its 40-minute runtime. It explores themes of inherited fear and religious trauma in a way that feels very personal and "loopy." If you enjoy surreal horror that focuses more on psychological unease than cheap jump scares, this is a must-play—especially since it's free.
wow people really don't know how AI works, extendiing textures or applying AI to originally crafted assets is far more creative than purchasing premade assets and slapping them together like every other indie game on steam. the visual style and narrative in this game are fantastic, any use of AI is clearly minimal as the dev has an incredibly decisive aesthetic. anybody who played the game for more than 5 minutes would understand that. just a shame people will miss out on this gem because they dont understand the nuances of AI or how it can be used in a way that isn't a shortcut or compromising.
An memorable ~30 min experience, especially for anyone who went through a catholic upbringing. This game brought back memories of church school I had forgotten. 10/10 would experience repressed memories again!
Bu gerçeküstü, birinci şahıs macera oyununda, dini bir kurumda okuyan bir ilkokul öğrencisisiniz ve bir şeylerin ters gittiğini hissediyorsunuz. Genleriniz çektiğiniz acıların sonucunda bir fark yaratacak mı? İnancınız korkularınızı örtmeye yetecek mi? Belki de cevabı zaten biliyorsunuz.
Unoptimized, pseudophilosophical kitsch. The only highlight was the recording of the man explaining his devotion in the back left of the church; that was actually compelling. He was right, by the way, while the woman was wrong—evolution isn't 100% proven. For a game this visually 'rough,' there should at least be basic video quality options for the user to adjust. Also, a question for the atheists: if you despise the idea of a 'magical God,' why do so many of you enjoy abstract games centered on magic, like Diablo or MMORPGs filled with spells and abilities?
Great surreal indiegame.
Not the strangest religious institution I've seen.
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