South of Midnight Guide#

South of Midnight is a third-person action-adventure developed by Compulsion Games and published by Xbox Game Studios at launch. It released on Windows and Xbox Series X/S on April 8, 2025 (Premium Edition unlocked early on April 3, 2025), with PS5 and Nintendo Switch 2 versions following on March 31, 2026. Built on Unreal Engine 5, it is a strictly single-player experience that joined Xbox Game Pass (Ultimate and PC tiers) on day one.

The story takes place in Prospero, a fictional Deep South town reeling from a hurricane: protagonist Hazel sets out to find her mother Lacey and, along the way, becomes a Weaver who mends broken bonds and soothes trapped souls. Combat layers Weaving skills on top of melee combos, with Strand Pull and Strand Push for crowd control. Stop-motion-inspired visuals, a Southern folk soundtrack, and chapter-style narration are the three selling points the studio itself emphasizes.

Game Information#

Note: pricing and publisher details change over time; the table marks the reference date for each figure. For the latest, defer to the Steam store page and official channels.

Core Features#

Linear, Chapter-Based Structure#

South of Midnight is a linear action-adventure, not an open world: the game spans 14 chapters that progress and settle chapter by chapter, and any chapter can be replayed at any time. GameSpot’s review flatly calls it a linear action-adventure game. There is no fast-travel network or region unlocking to study — put your energy into combat, collectibles, and the story instead; in-level exploration freedom mostly shows up in collectibles tucked into side paths.

Weaving Combat#

Combat is built around weaving: Hazel chains Weave attacks off melee combos, repositions enemies with Strand Pull and Strand Push, splits aggro with the Crouton puppet, interrupts enemies with Aerial Rend, and closes out weakened foes with the Unravel finishing sequence. There are no elemental spells and no skill tree — all progression consists of 21 upgrades bought with the collectible currency Floof.

Stop-Motion Visuals and a Southern Folk Soundtrack#

The studio lists the stop-motion-style presentation and the Southern folk score among its core selling points. Character animation and environments carry a puppet-theater texture that echoes the Deep South folklore subject matter; the game has also picked up awards at ceremonies including BAFTA, the D.I.C.E. Awards, and The Game Awards, including in music categories.

Episodic, Narrated Storytelling#

The story uses a chaptered framework: every chapter carries its own title and advances through narrator commentary. The official English chapter names and walkthrough notes for all 14 chapters are covered in the chapter walkthrough sub-guide.

Platforms and Where to Buy#

On the console side, Xbox Series X targets 4K / 60FPS; the PC version supports upscaling options such as NVIDIA DLSS. Neither the Steam store page nor technical documentation lists ray tracing support.

PC System Requirements#

Minimum Requirements#

Recommended Requirements#

The official spec sheet stops at these two tiers — there is no “ultra” configuration.

Version Timeline#

Reviews and Reception (as of October 2026)#

Guide Sections#

Quick-Start Tips#

1. Pick your difficulty before you start: four presets plus a custom slot, changeable in settings at any time — a wrong pick never forces a restart.
2. Don’t skip the tutorial: Chapter 1 walks you through movement, dodging, melee, and weaving skills; every later boss fight builds on those fundamentals.
3. Grab Floof on sight: the upgrade currency totals 2,210 across the game, and buying all 21 upgrades costs 1,940 — collect as you go from Chapter 1 and you will be close to maxed out before the credits.
4. No collectible is missable: Tin Flips, readables, and Health Filaments can all be swept at your leisure because chapters are replayable — anything skipped can be picked up later.
5. Lower the difficulty if a boss walls you: difficulty can be changed anytime and affects no achievements; if you truly do not want to fight, the assist options even include a boss-skip toggle.

Glossary#

Quick Answers#

What languages does the game support? Subtitles come in 23 languages, including Simplified and Traditional Chinese; there is no Chinese voice-over.

Can I play it through Game Pass? Yes — it was on Xbox Game Pass (Ultimate / PC tiers) from day one.

Is there a New Game+? No official source mentions a New Game+ mode; the game’s replay hook is that every chapter can be replayed at any time. Post-game activities are covered in the post-game content sub-guide.

More answers live in the FAQ sub-guide.

This section is based on fact cards verified online on October 8, 2026; prices, review scores, and publisher details reflect that snapshot. For time-sensitive details, defer to official store pages and announcements.

Related Games#

• Elden Ring — a soulslike action RPG
• Cyberpunk 2077 — an open-world action RPG
• Starfield — a space sci-fi RPG
• Horizon Forbidden West — a sci-fi open-world action RPG
• The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time (remake) — a classic action-adventure remake

Related Rankings#

Hardest Boss Fights in Games · Best Indie Games of All Time

Full Guides#

In-depth sub-guides — beginner basics, combat, weaving abilities, the 21-upgrade lines and Floof economy, the five mythic bosses, collectibles, achievements, and the full 14-chapter walkthrough — are available in Chinese on NTGame’s South of Midnight section.