Experience Inc. has announced a full reboot of its cult horror adventure Death Mark (originally released on PS Vita in 2017) as part of the series’ 10th anniversary celebrations. The project, currently titled Death Seal -Re-Spirit-, was revealed yesterday through the developer’s official X account and launched on the crowdfunding platform Campfire.
The first comparison image highlights how cutscenes are being rebuilt with additional detail. In the reboot, Moe now appears alongside Mashita in the Kujou mansion, replacing the simpler original shot.
Moe joins Mashita in a refreshed cutscene for the reboot
A New Take on Classic Horror
Producer Sent? confirmed that the reboot will rebuild Death Mark from the ground up with updated visuals, gameplay, and expanded scenarios. While the core premise and characters will remain, players can expect:
- Expanded lore and new settings for curses, monsters, and haunted locations.
- A revamped 3D movement system to replace the original’s 2D navigation.
- Reworked confrontation scenes based on improvements from Shibito Magire (Death Mark II).
- Overhauled visuals including new character poses, expressions, and fear effects.
- Added voice acting, rearranged and new music tracks, and stronger sound design.
System overhauls are another focus. A side-by-side of the “Live or Die” screen shows how confrontation choices have been redesigned, with bolder visuals and sharper tension than the original.
The Live or Die screen is redesigned for sharper tension.
The reboot aims to capture the series’ signature atmosphere of quiet, creeping horror while modernizing its presentation and mechanics.
Exploration has also been rebuilt. The forest sequence now plays out in a first-person view, with spirits like Shimi-O far more visible than before, emphasizing atmosphere and dread.
The reboot’s 3D movement makes spirits like Shimi-O stand out.
A Commemorative Project
Death Mark marked Experience’s first horror release and laid the foundation for follow-ups NG and Shibito Magire. Together, the trilogy has shipped over 400,000 copies worldwide. The studio describes Re-Spirit as both a celebration of the series’ origins and a chance to create “a deeper, more playable, more terrifying experience.”
Crowdfunding and Support
The project is being funded through Campfire using an “all-in” method, meaning development will proceed regardless of whether the target amount is met. Backer rewards range from digital wallpapers and soundtracks to physical collector’s editions with artbooks, soundtrack CDs, and storage boxes.
At present, support is limited to residents of Japan, though Experience notes more details on release platforms will be confirmed closer to launch. Development is in the planning stage, with release timing still unannounced.
Editor’s Take
This announcement was a fantastic surprise. Seeing Death Mark get a polished 10th-anniversary reboot makes me thrilled—it’s the series that ignited my love for adventure games and visual novels.
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