A silent torment in the woods, but a thunder that cracks
my skull from deep within. No one seems to hear it but me.
They blame me. They always have. Now I am the ghost in this house, and the walls bleed from the memories I carry. It drowns me in the rotten visions that do not belong to me, but perhaps the only path to the truth or madness.
Carved and buried underground. What if the monster was never in the woods? What if the mirrors don't lie?
Who am I ? What have I become? I will know one day,
in this life or the next...
Dagger Woods VR
Dagger Woods VR is a psychological thriller escape room experience inspired by true stories and dark folklore from Nova Scotia, Canada.
Step into the early 1960s as Maggie Carmichael, a single mother whose world shatters when her three children vanish in the ominous, snow-covered Dagger Woods. Maggie is convinced an ancient presence, the Hidey-Hinder (the Dagger Woods Howler), is responsible.
As you search through the mystery, you will unravel disturbing parallels between Maggie’s family plight and the century-old tragedy of the Caledonia Mills fires. The game blends puzzle-solving and clue-finding with psychological suspense, exploring the profound themes of trauma, memory, and the lasting harm of premature judgment. You must confront the horrors of the past and decide where the real monster lies.
Roots of Horror: The True Stories
The narrative is woven from unsettling, authenticated history and local lore in Nova Scotia:
The Hidey-Hinder: The Dagger Woods forest has a dark reputation, haunted by a creature of local folklore whose terrifying scream rushes from the darkness to hunt those who wander too far.
Historical Parallels: The game draws on the 1922 Caledonia Mills Fire Spook case blamed on Mary-Ellen MacDonald, the 1887 poltergeist haunting linked to a young Maggie Carmichael, and the strange mystery of a monstrous carving found beneath a local child's gravestone.
We invite you to step inside a nightmare woven from events that have remained unexplained for over a century.
Only Way to Enter the Woods
Dagger Woods VR was originally designed for VR, not as a flat-to-VR port.
VR is crucial because it delivers true immersion and empathy. By immersing you directly into Maggie Carmichael's experience, the psychological horror becomes immediate, allowing a stronger connection with her desperate struggle. If the VR version gains strong support and popularity, we will consider creating a traditional, non-VR version.
The Early Access works with most PC-VR headsets, but it was specifically tested on the Meta Quest.
The Early Access will be released on February 2026 on "Friday the 13th". This approach lets us build a community and gather player feedback. Once we have implemented community feedback, the full game is planned for release later in 2026 across PCVR, Standalone Oculus, and PSVR2.
The Indie Difference: Paracosm Studio
We are Paracosm Studio, a dedicated team based in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada, evolved from our parent company, MDAD. We are driven by a passion for pushing the limits of VR innovation.
Dagger Woods VR is a truly indie and self-published title. We choose this path because:
Creative Control: We maintain full artistic integrity over the story and design, ensuring the game is exactly as we envisioned.
Affordability: Since we do most of the work and refuse the large profit cut taken by publishers, we can offer the game at a more affordable price for our players.
Development Team
Here's the main development team at Paracosm Studio.
We are all deeply involved in every aspect of game design and creative decisions through various stages of implementation. The titles are merely distinguishing the responsibilities within the team.
Get Involved and Connect
We are excited by the fantastic and positive feedback on the early build! Community contributions have been crucial in helping us improve the puzzle difficulty and environmental storytelling. We sincerely thank you for your enthusiasm and dedication in shaping Dagger Woods VR. Please ensure you share your feedback via our gameplay survey or contact us through our social channels.
Dagger Woods VR was developed by the Paracosm Studio team.
Paracosm Studio is owned and operated by MDAD.
All other copyrights and trademarks are the property of MDAD.
All Rights Reserved.