ToeJam & Earl Creator Reveals New Game: Dancing With Ghosts

Posted in: Games, Video Games | Tagged: Dancing With Ghosts, ToeJam & Earl

ToeJam & Earl Creator Reveals New Game: Dancing With Ghosts

Dancing With Ghosts is a new uplifting narrative game from the creator of ToeJam & Earl, coming to Early Access on October 8

Published Tue, 29 Sep 2026 06:44:09 -0500
by Gavin Sheehan
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Article Summary

• Dancing With Ghosts, a new narrative game from ToeJam & Earl creator Greg Johnson, launches in Steam Early Access on October 8.
• Set in a Thai river village, Dancing With Ghosts follows Mai and a friendly ghost, Pim, through grief, healing, and hope.
• Players help villagers by boating, cooking, and more, earning Karma for Pim through Thai-inspired acts of kindness.
• With music, dancing, and emotional storytelling, Dancing With Ghosts celebrates Thai culture while exploring joy after loss.

HumaNature Studios, the game development company founded by ToeJam & Earl's creator Greg Johnson, has a new game coming out soon called Dancing With Ghosts. This is a new passion project for Johnson, born in the wake of the tragic passing of his 28-year-old daughter in the 2023 Maui wildfires, as he was able to find solace in the Thai culture and traditions his wife Sirena brought into his life. The philosophy of learning to grow from grief sparked this new cozy experience that celebrates joy and Thai culture, as you befriend a cheery ghost who helps the village while they regain their memories. The game is set to be released on Steam in Early Access on October 8, but for now, enjoy the trailer and details here.

Dancing With Ghosts

In Dancing with Ghosts, after a tragic accident claims the lives of her parents, 15-year-old Mai must rebuild her life in the Thai river village where she grew up. As Mai processes the loss of her family and struggles with grief, she meets a friendly young ghost named Pim struggling to remember almost any of her time in the world of the living – but is overjoyed to discover Mai can see and talk to her.

Help Mai and Pim make something positive out of their unfortunate situations by helping others, inspired by the Thai concept of utit suan boon kusohn, dedicating good karma to ease the way for those who have passed. Play mini-games like making deliveries by boat and scooter, and cooking up delicious Thai food to help villagers with their daily tasks and earn Karma for Pim.

Groove to original music performed by Genevieve Goings (Disney's Choo Choo Soul) and internationally renowned reggae artist Conkarah as Mai learns the dance moves from her late mother and sketches in her journal to process her raw emotions. Enter villagers' bodies as Pim to hear their innermost thoughts and collect Heartlights that help them escape shadow spirits.

"Dancing With Ghosts is a deliberately joyful experience," said Greg Johnson, creator of Dancing with Ghosts and founder of HumaNature Studios. "We all experience sadness because that's a natural part of being human – I had to find my way back to joy, and I want this game to help others on their path, while celebrating the Thai culture that guided me there."

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