The Final Cut of Lilith Cunningham Announced as Novel FMV Mystery

Causeway Studios has unveiled its upcoming project, The Final Cut of Lilith Cunningham, a novel full-motion video mystery game set in the same universe as the developer's previous title, The Haunting of Joni Evers. The title introduces an intriguing twist to the traditional FMV genre by weaving live-action video directly into the game's core investigative mechanics and narrative progression.

The narrative follows Lilith Cunningham as she searches for her missing daughter, Sara, and Sara's partner, Todd. The search begins in an abandoned hotel and drive-in theater where the missing parties were last seen. As players collect clues, the gameplay unfolds like a traditional mystery before expanding into unconventional investigative methods. A key mechanic involves Lilith accessing the astral plane from the physical realm to manage a mental mystery board. On this board, players string together discovered clues to receive guidance on where to go next or what nearby items to search.

During the investigation, players encounter puzzle sections, such as a locked glass container holding hotel room keys, and discover that a strange film reel has been placed inside Lilith's section of the astral plane. This film reel contains an FMV sequence offering insight into the missing parties. As players continue filling out the mystery board, they unlock additional film strips. These strips can be re-edited by the player to create different cuts of the film, resulting in varying outcomes that can have major effects on the physical world, open new sections of the hotel, and alter the fates of characters.

Although the previewed demo functioned as a linear showcase, Causeway Studios indicates that the final game's investigation outcomes will vary based on how the film reel is handled. The Final Cut of Lilith Cunningham is scheduled for release on PC in 2027.