Spectral Residence Delhi

Introduction

In the bustling heart of India’s capital, where auto rickshaws honk through narrow galleys of Chandni Chowk, where the Red Fort’s sandstone walls whisper tales of Mughal grandeur, and where Delhi Metro’s sleek trains cut through the chaos of Connaught Place—there lies a game that captures the soul of Delhi like no other. Spectral Residence Delhi isn’t just another horror title; it’s a love letter to Delhi’s layered history, a spine-chilling adventure that weaves together centuries of folklore, urban legends, and the raw energy of desi life.

Developed by the Delhi-based indie studio Desi Horror Studios and published by India’s leading gaming platform Daman Games, Spectral Residence Delhi launched in March 2024 to widespread acclaim, quickly becoming one of the most downloaded mobile games in India. What sets it apart? Unlike generic horror games that rely on jump scares and Western tropes, this title is deeply rooted in Indian culture—drawing from Mughal-era tragedies, British colonial horrors, post-independence urban decay, and even modern-day Delhi’s unique blend of tradition and modernity.

An in-game screenshot of Chandni Chowk’s iconic lanes, recreated with meticulous attention to detail—note the samosa vendor’s cart, the kite strings hanging between buildings, and the faint glow of the haunted haveli in the distance.

At its core, Spectral Residence Delhi is a first-person horror-adventure game that follows Aarav, a young journalist from Noida, who travels to Old Delhi to find his missing sister, Meera. Meera, a history researcher, had been investigating the “Spectral Residence”—a forgotten Mughal haveli hidden between the crowded markets of Shahjahanabad. Local legend claims the haveli is haunted by the spirit of Princess Zainab, a Mughal noblewoman who was betrayed by her lover and buried alive within its walls over 300 years ago.

What starts as a search for a missing person soon turns into a fight for survival. As Aarav delves deeper into the haveli’s labyrinthine corridors, he discovers that the spirit of Zainab is just one of many ghosts haunting the residence—each tied to a different era of Delhi’s history. From British soldiers who died during the 1857 uprising to homeless children who perished in the 1990s Delhi riots, the haveli has become a repository of the city’s unresolved trauma.

But Spectral Residence Delhi isn’t all scares. It’s also a celebration of Delhi’s diversity. Players will interact with a cast of authentic desi characters—from Raju, a street-smart Chandni Chowk vendor who offers chai and crucial tips, to Inspector Khan, a corrupt cop on the payroll of a builder who wants to demolish the haveli. The game’s dialogue is a mix of Hinglish and pure Hindi, with accents that reflect Delhi’s linguistic melting pot—you’ll hear Punjabi inflections, Urdu phrases, and even a touch of South Indian slang from a visiting engineer.

What makes Spectral Residence Delhi truly special is its ability to balance horror with heart. Yes, there are moments that will make you jump out of your seat—like when a ghostly hand grabs your ankle in a dark corridor or when Zainab’s wail echoes through the haveli—but there are also moments of warmth: sharing a paratha with Raju, reading Meera’s heartfelt notes about Delhi’s history, or helping a lost spirit find peace. It’s a game that doesn’t just entertain; it educates, inviting players to learn about Delhi’s rich heritage while keeping them on the edge of their seats.

Development

The Idea Behind the Game

The story of Spectral Residence Delhi begins in 2020, when a group of five friends—all Delhi NCR natives and avid gamers—gathered at a chai stall in Hauz Khas Village to vent their frustration. “We were tired of playing horror games that didn’t feel relatable,” recalls Rakesh Sharma, the game’s lead designer. “Every horror title out there was set in a Western mansion or a Japanese forest. Where were our stories? Where were the haunted havelis, the desi ghosts, the urban legends we grew up hearing from our dadi and nani?”

That chai pe charcha (chat over tea) led to the birth of Desi Horror Studios. The team’s mission was simple: create games that reflect Indian culture, using local folklore, settings, and characters to tell stories that resonate with desi audiences. For their debut project, they chose Delhi as the setting—largely because of the city’s unique history. “Delhi isn’t just a city; it’s a living museum,” says Priya Singh, the game’s writer. “It’s been destroyed and rebuilt seven times. Every lane has a story, every building has a ghost. We knew we could tap into that rich tapestry to create something truly unique.”

The team spent six months researching Delhi’s haunted sites and folklore. They visited Feroz Shah Kotla (famous for its djinn sightings), Agrasen Ki Baoli (a stepwell said to be haunted by the spirits of lovers who drowned there), and even the abandoned Willingdon Hospital (rumored to be haunted by British doctors). They also interviewed local historians, folklore experts, and residents of Old Delhi, collecting stories of ghosts, curses, and unexplained phenomena.

“One old man in Chandni Chowk told us about a haveli near Gali Paranthe Wali that’s been locked for decades,” says Rakesh. “He said his father used to talk about hearing women crying from inside at night. That story became the inspiration for the Spectral Residence. We wanted to create a place that felt like it could exist in real Delhi—something that locals would look at and think, ‘Oh, I’ve passed that haveli before.’”

Development Challenges

Developing Spectral Residence Delhi wasn’t without its hurdles. As a small indie studio with limited funding, the team had to work with a tight budget and tight timeline. “We didn’t have the resources of a big studio,” says Amit Patel, the game’s technical director. “We had to be smart—use jugaad solutions to get the most out of our tools.”

One of the biggest challenges was recreating Delhi’s iconic locations with historical accuracy. The team used Google Maps Street View, visited Old Delhi multiple times, and even took 360-degree photos of Chandni Chowk’s lanes to ensure that the in-game environments were as authentic as possible. “We wanted players to feel like they’re actually walking through Delhi,” says Priya. “When you pass a samosa vendor’s cart, we wanted you to almost smell the aloo filling. When you see the Red Fort in the distance, we wanted it to look exactly like the real thing.”

Another challenge was balancing horror with cultural sensitivity. The team was careful not to trivialize Delhi’s tragic history—like the 1857 uprising or the 1990s riots. “Those are real events that affected real people,” says Rakesh. “We didn’t want to use them as mere backdrop for scares. Instead, we wanted to honor the victims by giving their stories a voice. The ghosts in our game aren’t just monsters—they’re people with unresolved grief. That’s what makes the horror feel personal.”

The team also had to optimize the game for mobile devices, which are the primary gaming platform in India. “Most Indian gamers play on mid-range or budget phones,” says Amit. “We had to make sure the game ran smoothly on devices with 2GB RAM or less. We reduced the polygon count of some models, added graphics settings that let players adjust the quality based on their device, and optimized the game’s file size to under 1GB. It was a lot of work, but it was worth it—we wanted the game to be accessible to everyone, not just people with high-end phones.”

The Desi Horror Studios team during a playtesting session in their Delhi office—note the wall covered with Delhi maps, folklore notes, and concept art for the game.

Playtesting and Feedback

Before launching Spectral Residence Delhi, the team conducted extensive playtesting with over 5,000 Indian gamers from different parts of the country. They wanted to ensure that the game’s cultural references were relatable, the puzzles were challenging but not frustrating, and the horror elements were effective without being too graphic.

“We had playtesters from Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore, Kolkata—even small towns in Uttar Pradesh and Bihar,” says Priya. “Their feedback was invaluable. One playtester from Lucknow told us that the chai cups in the game looked nothing like real desi chai cups, so we redesigned them. Another playtester from Chennai pointed out that the dialogue had too much Delhi slang, so we added subtitles and adjusted some lines to make them more understandable for non-Delhi players.”

The team also received feedback about the game’s difficulty. “Early versions had some puzzles that were too hard for casual gamers,” says Rakesh. “For example, one puzzle required players to know about Mughal architecture, which not everyone does. We added hints that players could unlock by collecting folklore artifacts, so even if you don’t know much about Delhi’s history, you can still solve the puzzle.”

Another key piece of feedback was about the game’s length. “Many playtesters said they wanted more content,” says Amit. “The original version had a 6-hour main story, but we extended it to 8-10 hours and added side quests that let players explore more of Delhi. We also added multiple endings based on the choices players make, which encourages replayability.”

Partnership with Daman Games

In 2023, Desi Horror Studios partnered with Daman Games, a leading Indian gaming platform known for promoting desi content. The partnership was a game-changer for the small studio. “Daman Games gave us the funding we needed to finish the game,” says Rakesh. “They also helped with marketing, distribution, and user support. Most importantly, they believed in our vision—they didn’t try to change the game to make it more ‘Western’ or ‘mainstream.’ They wanted it to stay authentically Indian.”

Daman Games also helped the team navigate India’s gaming market, which has unique challenges and opportunities. “India’s gaming market is growing rapidly, but it’s also very competitive,” says Rajesh Mehta, CEO of Daman Games. “We knew Spectral Residence Delhi had something special—its cultural authenticity. We focused our marketing on that, highlighting the game’s Delhi setting, desi characters, and folklore roots. We ran campaigns on Instagram, YouTube, and TikTok, partnering with desi influencers who loved the game’s premise.”

The marketing campaign struck a chord with Indian gamers. Teaser trailers showing the haunted haveli, Chandni Chowk’s lanes, and Zainab’s ghost went viral, with hashtags like #SpectralResidenceDelhi and #DelhiHaunts trending on social media. “Gamers were excited to see a game that felt like it was made for them,” says Rajesh. “They were tired of playing games that didn’t reflect their reality. Spectral Residence Delhi gave them something to connect with.”

Plot

Prologue: The Disappearance

The game opens with Aarav, a 28-year-old journalist working for a small online news portal in Noida, receiving a frantic phone call from his sister Meera. Meera, 25, is a history researcher specializing in Mughal-era Delhi, and she’s been staying in a guesthouse in Old Delhi for the past month, investigating a forgotten haveli known locally as the “Spectral Residence.”

“Aarav, I’ve found something,” Meera says, her voice trembling. “The haveli… it’s real. The stories are true. There’s a spirit here—Princess Zainab. She’s trying to tell me something. But there are others too—men in British uniforms, children… they’re scared. And there’s a man following me. I think he works for the builder who wants to demolish the haveli. Please, come quickly. I’m at the guesthouse near Gali Paranthe Wali.”

Before Aarav can ask more questions, the call cuts off. He tries to call Meera back, but her phone is switched off. Fearing the worst, Aarav leaves his office immediately, jumps on the Delhi Metro, and heads to Old Delhi. When he arrives at the guesthouse, Meera is nowhere to be found. The guesthouse owner, a middle-aged woman named Mrs. Sharma, tells Aarav that Meera left the previous night, saying she was going to the haveli. “I tried to stop her,” Mrs. Sharma says, shaking her head. “That haveli is cursed. No one who goes there after dark comes back the same—if they come back at all.”

Aarav searches Meera’s room and finds her research notes, a map of Old Delhi with the haveli marked, and a small locket with a portrait of a Mughal princess. The notes reveal that Meera had been researching the legend of Princess Zainab, the daughter of a Mughal nobleman who lived in the haveli in the 18th century. Zainab fell in love with a commoner, a poet named Aslam, but her father disapproved of the match. On the night of their planned elopement, Zainab’s father had Aslam killed and buried Zainab alive in the haveli’s basement.

Meera’s notes also mention that the haveli has been haunted ever since. Locals claim to hear Zainab’s wails at night, and some say they’ve seen her ghost wandering the lanes of Chandni Chowk, searching for Aslam. But Meera’s research uncovered something more: the haveli has been a site of tragedy for centuries. During the 1857 uprising, British soldiers used the haveli as a base and executed Indian rebels there. In the 1940s, it was used as a shelter for refugees during the Partition, and many died there from disease and starvation. In the 1990s, it became a hideout for criminals, and several homeless children who sought shelter there were found dead under mysterious circumstances.

Meera’s last note is a plea: “The haveli isn’t just haunted—it’s a prison. The spirits are trapped here by a curse, tied to the land and the pain that happened here. The builder wants to demolish it, but that will only set the spirits free to haunt all of Delhi. I have to find a way to break the curse. I have to help Zainab find peace.”

Act 1: Into the Heart of Old Delhi

Determined to find Meera, Aarav sets out to locate the Spectral Residence. Using Meera’s map, he navigates the crowded lanes of Chandni Chowk—dodging auto rickshaws, negotiating with cycle rickshaw wallahs, and avoiding the watchful eye of Inspector Khan, a corrupt cop who’s been hired by the builder to keep people away from the haveli.

Along the way, Aarav meets Raju, a 16-year-old street vendor who sells samosas and chai near the haveli. Raju is street-smart and knows Old Delhi like the back of his hand. He’s also heard all the stories about the Spectral Residence. “Bhai, that haveli is bad news,” Raju says, handing Aarav a cup of chai. “My dada used to say that Zainab’s ghost takes people who go there. But he also said she’s not evil—she’s just lonely. She’s looking for someone to listen to her story.”

Raju agrees to help Aarav find the haveli, but only if Aarav promises to bring him a packet of gulab jamun from the famous Giani Di Hatti sweet shop. “It’s for my nani,” Raju says. “She’s been craving gulab jamun for weeks, but I can’t afford it.” Aarav agrees, and the two set off through the lanes of Old Delhi, with Raju pointing out landmarks and sharing local gossip.

When they reach the haveli, Aarav is struck by its eerie beauty. The haveli is a Mughal-era building with intricate carvings on its sandstone walls, but it’s dilapidated—its windows are broken, its doors are boarded up, and vines crawl up its sides. The air around it is cold, even on a hot Delhi afternoon, and Aarav can hear faint whispers coming from inside.

Raju refuses to go inside, but he gives Aarav a torch and a small pouch of holy water from the nearby Jama Masjid. “This will protect you from the ghosts, bhai,” Raju says. “And if you see Zainab, tell her Raju sends his regards. My dada used to leave her flowers outside the haveli every Eid.”

Act 2: The Haunted Haveli

Aarav enters the haveli, and immediately, he feels a sense of dread. The air is thick with dust and the smell of jasmine (Zainab’s favorite flower), and the only sound is the creaking of the old wooden floors and the distant wail of a stray dog outside. As he explores the ground floor, he finds Meera’s backpack—she’s been here.

As Aarav moves deeper into the haveli, he encounters his first ghost: a British soldier from the 1857 uprising. The soldier is trapped in a loop, reenacting his death—he’s being stabbed by an Indian rebel. When he sees Aarav, he mistakes him for a rebel and attacks. Aarav must use his torch to scare the soldier away—ghosts in the game are sensitive to light.

As he explores further, Aarav uncovers more of the haveli’s history. He finds a diary written by a British officer who was stationed there in 1857, detailing the execution of Indian rebels. He finds a tattered dress belonging to a Partition refugee, and a child’s toy that dates back to the 1990s. Each artifact triggers a flashback, showing Aarav the tragedy that unfolded there.

Along the way, Aarav also encounters the spirit of Zainab. Unlike the other ghosts, Zainab doesn’t attack him—she speaks to him. “You’re looking for your sister,” she says, her voice soft and melodious. “She’s here, but she’s in danger. The builder’s men are coming. They want to demolish the haveli tomorrow. If they do, the curse will be broken, but not in the way your sister hopes. The spirits will be set free, and they’ll take their anger out on Delhi. Your sister is trying to find the key to break the curse peacefully, but she’s running out of time.”

Zainab tells Aarav that the curse can only be broken if someone finds Aslam’s remains (which were buried in the haveli’s garden) and buries them next to Zainab’s in the basement. “We were supposed to be together forever,” Zainab says. “Our love was pure, but my father’s greed tore us apart. If our remains are united, the curse will be lifted, and all the spirits trapped here will find peace.”

The spirit of Princess Zainab, as she appears in the game—her design is inspired by Mughal miniatures, with a flowing salwar kameez and a veil that floats in the air.

Act 3: The Race Against Time

Armed with this information, Aarav sets out to find Aslam’s remains and locate Meera. He navigates the haveli’s upper floors, solving puzzles that require him to use his knowledge of Delhi’s history—for example, a puzzle that involves arranging Mughal-era coins in the order of the Mughal emperors, or a puzzle that requires him to read a British-era map of Delhi to find a hidden passage.

Along the way, Aarav encounters more ghosts—some friendly, some hostile. He meets the spirit of a Partition refugee who helps him find a key, and the spirit of a homeless child who leads him to a hidden cache of supplies. But he also encounters the spirit of a British officer who tries to kill him, and the spirit of a criminal who steals his torch.

As Aarav gets closer to the garden, he runs into Inspector Khan, who’s been sent by the builder to stop him. “The haveli is going to be demolished tomorrow,” Khan says, pointing a gun at Aarav. “The builder is paying me a lot of money to make sure no one interferes. You should leave while you still can, bhai.”

Aarav has a choice: he can fight Khan, run away, or try to reason with him. If he reasons with him, he tells Khan about the curse and the danger to Delhi. Khan, who’s lived in Delhi all his life and has heard the stories about the haveli, is hesitant. “I have a family, bhai,” Khan says. “I don’t want to put them in danger. But the builder is powerful. He’ll kill me if I don’t do what he says.”

If Aarav succeeds in convincing Khan, Khan agrees to help him. He tells Aarav that the builder’s men will arrive at dawn to demolish the haveli. “You have until sunrise to find your sister and break the curse,” Khan says. “I’ll try to delay the builder as long as I can, but I can’t hold them off forever.”

Climax: The Basement

Aarav finds Aslam’s remains in the haveli’s garden, buried under a peepal tree (a tree sacred to Hindus and Muslims alike). He digs them up, places them in a cloth, and heads to the basement to find Zainab’s tomb.

In the basement, he finds Meera—she’s been trapped there by the spirit of Zainab’s father, a powerful ghost who doesn’t want the curse to be broken. “My daughter betrayed her family for a commoner,” Zainab’s father says, his voice booming. “She deserves to be trapped here forever. And so do you and your sister.”

Aarav and Meera must work together to defeat Zainab’s father. They use the torch to weaken him, and the holy water to banish him temporarily. While Meera keeps Zainab’s father distracted, Aarav places Aslam’s remains next to Zainab’s tomb.

As soon as the remains are placed together, a bright light fills the basement. Zainab’s spirit appears, and she’s smiling. “Thank you,” she says. “After 300 years, I can finally be with Aslam. The curse is broken.”

The other spirits in the haveli appear— the British soldier, the Partition refugee, the homeless child—and they bow to Zainab before disappearing into the light. The haveli stops creaking, and the air becomes warm again.

Endings

Spectral Residence Delhi has three possible endings, depending on the choices the player makes throughout the game:

• Good Ending: Peace for All – If the player collects all folklore artifacts, helps the friendly spirits, and convinces Inspector Khan to help, Zainab’s curse is broken, and all the spirits find peace. Meera is safe, and the builder abandons his plans to demolish the haveli. The haveli is declared a historical monument, and Raju becomes its unofficial caretaker, leaving flowers for Zainab every Eid. Aarav writes a story about the haveli and its ghosts, which becomes viral, raising awareness about Delhi’s heritage.
• Neutral Ending: A Partial Victory – If the player collects some folklore artifacts and helps some spirits, but doesn’t convince Inspector Khan, Zainab’s curse is broken, but the builder’s men arrive and start demolishing the haveli before all the spirits can leave. Some spirits are set free and haunt parts of Delhi, but they’re not dangerous—they’re just lost. Meera is safe, but she’s heartbroken that some spirits didn’t find peace. Aarav and Meera start a campaign to save the haveli, and eventually, the builder is forced to stop the demolition due to public pressure.
• Bad Ending: Chaos in Delhi – If the player ignores the friendly spirits, doesn’t collect any folklore artifacts, and fights Inspector Khan, Zainab’s father manages to stop Aarav from placing Aslam’s remains next to Zainab’s tomb. The builder’s men demolish the haveli, and all the spirits are set free. They’re angry and confused, and they start haunting Delhi—causing accidents, power outages, and panic. Meera is killed by one of the spirits, and Aarav is left to blame himself. The game ends with Aarav standing in the ruins of the haveli, listening to the screams of Delhi’s residents as the spirits run amok.

Gameplay

Core Mechanics

Spectral Residence Delhi is a first-person horror-adventure game with a focus on exploration, puzzle-solving, and stealth. The game is designed for mobile devices, with intuitive touchscreen controls that make it easy to play on the go. “We wanted the gameplay to be accessible to everyone, from casual gamers to hardcore horror fans,” says Amit Patel, the game’s technical director. “The controls are simple, but the gameplay is deep enough to keep players engaged.”

The game’s core mechanics are built around three key elements: exploration, puzzle-solving, and stealth. Players control Aarav as he navigates the lanes of Old Delhi and the haunted haveli, using a virtual joystick on the left side of the screen to move and swiping on the right side to look around. Tapping on objects allows Aarav to interact with them—pick up items, read notes, open doors, and solve puzzles.

Exploration is a key part of the game. The haveli is a large, open-world environment with multiple floors, secret passages, and hidden rooms. Players are encouraged to explore every nook and cranny, as many of the game’s collectibles (folklore artifacts, Meera’s notes, Raju’s favorite sweets) are hidden in hard-to-reach places. Exploring also helps players learn more about the haveli’s history and the spirits that haunt it.

Puzzle-solving is another core mechanic. The game’s puzzles are designed to be challenging but not frustrating, and they’re all rooted in Indian culture and Delhi’s history. For example, one puzzle requires players to arrange Mughal-era musical instruments in the correct order to unlock a door (based on the ragas Zainab loved to listen to). Another puzzle requires players to use a kite string to retrieve a key from a well (a nod to Delhi’s famous kite-flying festivals). And a third puzzle requires players to decode a message written in Urdu (with hints provided in Meera’s notes) to find a hidden passage.

“We didn’t want to use generic puzzles like sliding blocks or matching colors,” says Priya Singh, the game’s writer. “We wanted the puzzles to feel like they belong in Delhi. We wanted players to think, ‘Only someone who knows Delhi would solve this.’ That’s what makes the gameplay unique.”

Stealth is crucial for surviving the haveli’s hostile spirits. Most ghosts are sensitive to sound and light, so players must move quietly (by tapping the “crouch” button) and use their torch sparingly (since the battery is limited). If a ghost detects the player, it will chase them, and the player must either hide in a closet or under a bed, or use holy water to banish the ghost temporarily.

Resource management is also important. Players have a limited supply of torch battery, holy water, and health (represented by a chai cup icon—when the cup is full, Aarav is healthy; when it’s empty, he dies). Torch battery can be recharged by finding oil lamps scattered throughout the haveli. Holy water can be refilled by collecting water from sacred wells in the haveli’s garden. And health can be restored by eating samosas, gulab jamun, and other desi snacks found in the haveli or purchased from Raju.

Unique Features

Spectral Residence Delhi includes several unique features that set it apart from other horror-adventure games:

• Folklore Insight – Collecting folklore artifacts (like Zainab’s locket, Aslam’s poetry book, or a British soldier’s uniform button) triggers a narration by Meera, explaining the historical context of the artifact. For example, collecting Aslam’s poetry book triggers Meera’s voice saying, “Aslam was a famous Urdu poet of the 18th century. His poems about love and loss were popular among the Mughal nobility. Zainab fell in love with him after reading his poem ‘Tere Bin’ (Without You).” This feature not only adds depth to the story but also educates players about Delhi’s history and folklore.
• Urban Survival – Before entering the haveli, players must navigate the lanes of Old Delhi, which is a mini-open world. Here, players can interact with locals, buy supplies (like chai, samosas, and holy water) from vendors, and avoid Inspector Khan and the builder’s men. This section of the game captures the chaos and vibrancy of Old Delhi—players will hear the sound of qawwali from nearby mosques, the chatter of street vendors, and the honking of auto rickshaws. It’s a refreshing change from the dark, quiet haveli and adds a layer of realism to the game.
• Dialogue Choices – Throughout the game, players are presented with dialogue choices that affect the story and the ending. For example, when talking to Raju, players can choose to be kind (promising to buy him gulab jamun) or rude (dismissing him as a street urchin). Kind choices lead to Raju helping the player more (giving them extra holy water, warning them about dangerous spirits), while rude choices lead to Raju refusing to help. Similarly, when talking to Inspector Khan, players can choose to fight him, run away, or reason with him—each choice leading to a different outcome.
• Cultural Authenticity – Every aspect of the gameplay is designed to be culturally authentic. The puzzles are rooted in Indian culture, the characters speak Hinglish with Delhi accents, and the in-game items are things you’d find in real-life Delhi (chai cups, samosas, kite strings, Delhi Metro tickets). Even the game’s UI is inspired by Indian design— the health bar is a chai cup, the inventory is a jhola (a traditional cloth bag), and the pause menu is designed to look like a Mughal-era manuscript.

Gameplay screenshot showing the Mughal instrument puzzle—players must arrange the sitar, tabla, and harmonium in the correct order to unlock the door to Zainab’s bedroom.

Mobile Optimization

As mentioned earlier, mobile optimization was a top priority for the development team. India has one of the largest mobile gaming markets in the world, with over 600 million mobile gamers, but most of them play on mid-range or budget phones. The team wanted to ensure that Spectral Residence Delhi ran smoothly on these devices.

To achieve this, the team implemented several optimization features:

• Graphics Settings – The game includes three graphics settings: Low, Medium, and High. Low settings reduce the polygon count of models, disable shadows and particle effects, and lower the texture quality—making the game run smoothly on budget phones with 2GB RAM or less. High settings enable all features, including realistic shadows, particle effects (like dust and smoke), and high-resolution textures—perfect for high-end phones.
• File Size Optimization – The game’s file size is under 1GB, which is small for a 3D horror-adventure game. The team achieved this by compressing textures, using procedural generation for some environments, and streaming content as the player progresses through the game.
• Battery Optimization – The game is designed to be battery-friendly. It automatically reduces the frame rate when the phone’s battery is low, and it disables unnecessary features (like vibrations) to save power. “We know that many Indian gamers play on the go, using their phone’s data and battery,” says Amit. “We didn’t want them to have to worry about their phone dying halfway through the game.”
• Offline Play – The game can be played offline, which is a big plus for Indian gamers who don’t have access to constant internet. Players only need to be online to download the game and receive updates.

Accessibility Features

The team also added several accessibility features to make the game accessible to all players, including those with disabilities:

• Subtitles – All dialogue and narration is subtitled in English and Hindi. The subtitles are large and easy to read, with a high contrast ratio to make them visible on all screen types.
• Adjustable Controls – Players can customize the position and size of the virtual joystick and buttons to suit their preferences. They can also enable “auto-run” to make movement easier.
• Visual Cues – For players with hearing impairments, the game includes visual cues for important sounds (like ghostly whispers or approaching enemies). For example, when a ghost is nearby, the screen will flash red, and a vibration will occur (which can be disabled).
• Difficulty Settings – The game includes three difficulty settings: Easy, Medium, and Hard. Easy mode reduces the number of hostile spirits, makes puzzles easier, and increases the supply of resources. Hard mode increases the number of hostile spirits, makes puzzles harder, and reduces the supply of resources. This allows players of all skill levels to enjoy the game.

Overall, the gameplay of Spectral Residence Delhi is designed to be immersive, engaging, and accessible. It’s a game that rewards exploration, encourages critical thinking, and keeps players on the edge of their seats with its tense stealth sections and spine-chilling horror elements. And most importantly, it’s a game that feels uniquely Indian—from its puzzles to its controls to its setting.

Characters

One of the biggest strengths of Spectral Residence Delhi is its cast of authentic, well-developed characters. Each character is inspired by real-life Delhiites, with distinct personalities, backstories, and motivations. The game’s voice acting is top-notch, with actors from Delhi NCR who bring the characters to life with their authentic accents and emotions.

Aarav (Protagonist)

Aarav is a 28-year-old journalist from Noida, a satellite city of Delhi. He’s intelligent, resourceful, and fiercely loyal to his sister Meera. Aarav is skeptical of ghosts and folklore at first—he’s a journalist, after all, and he believes in facts and evidence. But as he delves deeper into the Spectral Residence, he’s forced to confront the supernatural and question his own beliefs.

Aarav’s backstory is relatable to many young Indians. He comes from a middle-class family—his father is a government employee, and his mother is a homemaker. He studied journalism at Delhi University, where he met his girlfriend, Priya (who’s mentioned in his phone calls but doesn’t appear in the game). Aarav works for a small online news portal that focuses on social issues, and he’s passionate about exposing corruption and injustice.

What makes Aarav a compelling protagonist is his growth throughout the game. He starts off as a skeptical journalist, only interested in finding Meera and uncovering the truth about her disappearance. But as he interacts with the spirits of the haveli and learns about their tragedies, he becomes more empathetic. By the end of the game, he’s no longer just looking for Meera—he’s trying to help the spirits find peace. “Aarav represents the modern Indian youth—someone who’s caught between tradition and modernity, between skepticism and faith,” says Priya Singh, the game’s writer. “He’s relatable because he’s not a hero—he’s just a regular guy who’s put in an extraordinary situation.”

Aarav’s appearance is also authentic—he’s wearing a casual outfit of a plain white t-shirt, blue jeans, and sneakers, with a backpack slung over his shoulder. His hair is messy, and he has a slight stubble—like many young Delhiites who’re always on the go. His voice actor, Rohit Sharma, is a Delhi-based actor who’s known for his work in web series. “I wanted to give Aarav a voice that’s friendly and relatable,” says Rohit. “He’s not a tough guy—he’s scared, but he’s brave enough to keep going because he loves his sister.”

Princess Zainab (Ghost)

Princess Zainab is the ghost of a Mughal noblewoman who lived in the 18th century. She’s around 20 years old when she dies, and her spirit has been trapped in the Spectral Residence for over 300 years. Zainab is beautiful, with long black hair, dark eyes, and a flowing salwar kameez. She’s not evil—she’s lonely and heartbroken, trapped in the