Preview: There Are No Ghosts at the Grand is way more than a supernatural hotel renovator

Fancy restoring an old English hotel to its former glory? Don’t mind battling the odd ghost while you’re doing it? How about going off on the odd supernatural quest, or battling against sentient chair-spiders, or performing in an inpromptu musical number? Then I suggest you keep your eyes on There Are No Ghosts at the Grand.

Currently in development and due to land on PC and Xbox in 2026, There Are No Ghosts at the Grand casts you as Chris, a fellow who has just inherited an old hotel in a terrible state of disrepair. So far, so renovation sim, then. But while you’ll start the game by renovating the lobby, There Are No Ghosts at the Grand is much more than a renovation sim. And that’s what makes this quirky adventure so much fun.

I wasn’t lying when I mentioned supernatural quests, battles against chair-spiders or musical performances. Having watched a playthrough of There Are No Ghosts at the Grand’s demo, all that stuff — and more — happens. Developer Friday Sundae has set out with the intention of making a game that emcompasses multiple genres in order to make an entertaining and surprising experience. And from what I’ve seen so far, it’s certainly succeeded.

As I mentioned, the demo begins by renovating the hotel lobby. Don’t worry about getting bogged down with complex tools and fiddly controls, though: the renovation mechanics here are purposefully straightforward. Point a hoover tool in the general direction of trash and it’ll get sucked up out of sight. Haphazardly spray paint over a wall, and it’ll automatically neatly complete when you’ve covered enough of it.

Your efforts will soon be interrupted when a local woman, accompanied by a talking cat, appear at your front door. It’s your first indication that not everything is going to be as it seems in There Are No Ghosts at the Grand — and soon, a talking cat is going to be the least of your worries. With a task to complete, you’re soon on a boat with your new friend, and it’s there you’ll enjoy your first musical number. Not a one-off, I’m told, and with you being able to choose how you respond to its lines, you can shape the direction the song goes. A hilarious touch that you simply can’t enjoy without a smile on your face.

From the boat you’ll end up on a cursed island, and you’ll be introduced to some basic survival mechanics as you build a makeshift shelter. Soon after, you’ll encounter those spider-chairs I keep mentioning, where There Are No Ghosts at the Grand temporarily becomes a first-person shooter. The game’s already covered a handful of genres in just 20 minutes of demo, then, which is enough to tell me this is going to be quite the ride.

Just as the game’s renovation mechanics are simple, other mechanics in the game are easy to get to grips with, too. It’s been important to Friday Sundae that every aspect of There Are No Ghosts at the Grand can be enjoyed, even if you’re not necessarily familiar with the genre that it apes. You don’t need to be a lover of renovation sims to enjoy fixing up the hotel, for example. And you don’t need to be a first-person shooter pro to get to grips with dealing with the supernatural threats, spider-chairs or otherwise.

In fact, to complete the story of There Are No Ghosts at the Grand, you won’t have to do all that much renovation work at all. Much of fixing up the hotel will be optional, so if it strikes you as too much busywork, you can focus on the over-the-top narrative and adventure elements throw your way. But if you do find joy in fixing up run-down buildings, you absolutely can focus on restoring the Grand. Just, uh, beware of the ghosts, I guess.

Friday Sundae says that it’ll take roughly 10 hours to complete the story of There Are No Ghosts at the Grand, and this is a completely single-player affair. Presumably, there are several more hours of enjoyment to be had if you choose to fully renovate the hotel.

Needless to say, experiencing the demo has made me very excited for the full release. Sadly, there’s no release date just yet: it’s coming at some point in 2026, so watch this space for further announcements. It’s quickly shot to being one of my most anticipated games of next year though: a light-hearted renovation sim packed with humour, adventure, supernatural activity and a talking cat? I’m not sure what more I could want from a game, to be honest.