Split Fiction

As with Hazelight's previous game, It Takes Two, Split Fiction was specifically designed for split screen cooperative multiplayer, which means that it must be played with another player through either local or online play. In the game, players assume control of either Zoe or Mio, two authors who both become trapped inside their own stories after being linked to a machine. The two strangers must work together to escape and overcome numerous challenges along the way, as Mio's science fiction story interweaves with Zoe's fantasy story, putting both characters in grave danger.

The game is an action-adventure video game played from a third-person perspective, requiring players to complete platforming challenges and occasionally combating against hostile enemies. Stages are often accompanied with a unique one-off gameplay mechanic. The ability for both characters within each stage is also different, meaning that the two must collaborate with each other and utilize the respective abilities of their playable characters in order to progress. There are also side stories in each area, which can be accessed by entering a portal.

Mio Hudson (Kaja Chan) and Zoe Foster (Elsie Bennett) are writers invited by a company called Rader Publishing to test out an experimental simulation device along with four other writers. While the eccentric Zoe sees this as an opportunity to be published as a real author, the reserved Mio is only interested in the payout. D. Rader (Ben Turner) introduces "The Machine", which allows occupants to experience the stories they submitted as reality.

As the Machine starts up, each occupant is encased in a bubble and placed into suspended animation while they experience their story. Suspicious of the experiment and Rader's motives, Mio panics and tries to back out; however, Rader forces her to stay, and a scuffle leads her to inadvertently fall into Zoe's bubble.

Split Fiction was first announced by Hazelight Studios and its game director Josef Fares at The Game Awards 2024. Its development started following the release of It Takes Two in 2021. A team of 80 people built the game using Unreal Engine 5. The two characters are named after Fares' two daughters, and Fares compared the game's narrative to that of a "buddy movie" as the two characters start as complete strangers who must slowly bond with each other in order to survive.

Fares wrote that one of the biggest challenges developing a game with diverse gameplay mechanics was to ensure that each mechanic was fully polished. While a gameplay sequence utilizing a certain gameplay mechanic may only last for several minutes, the team had to work on them for months to ensure its controls were sufficiently intuitive.

Split Fiction received "universal acclaim" from critics, according to review aggregator website Metacritic. OpenCritic reported that 98% of critics recommended the game. In Japan, four critics from Famitsu gave the game a total score of 34 out of 40.

Split Fiction sold over 1 million units within 2 days after release, and surpassed 2 million units sold in a week since release. By May 6, 2025, Split Fiction had sold over 4 million copies worldwide. It was the 19th best-selling game of 2025 in the US. As of April 2026, Split Fiction has sold 7 million copies worldwide.