South of Midnight
Updated: 5/24/2026, 7:29:01 PM Wikipedia source
South of Midnight is a 2025 action-adventure game developed by Compulsion Games and published by Xbox Game Studios. The game is set in a fictionalized American Deep South. It was released for Windows and Xbox Series X/S on April 8, 2025, with versions for Nintendo Switch 2 and PlayStation 5 released on March 31, 2026. Upon release, the game received generally positive reviews from critics. It won the Games for Impact award at The Game Awards 2025, Outstanding Achievement in Animation at the 29th Annual D . Awards, Best Character Animation in a Video Game at the 53rd Annie Awards, and Best New Intellectual Property at the 22nd British Academy Games Awards.
Infobox
Developer
Compulsion Games
Publisher
Xbox Game Studios
Directors
David Sears Jasmin Roy
Producer
Geneviève Forget
Designer
Alexandre Béland-Bernard
Programmer
Clément Robein
Artist
Whitney Clayton
Writer
Zaire Lanier
Composer
Olivier Derivière
Engine
Unreal Engine 4
Platforms
Windows Xbox Series X/S Nintendo Switch 2 PlayStation 5
Release
Windows, Xbox Series X/S April 8, 2025 PlayStation 5, Switch 2 March 31, 2026
Genre
Action-adventure
Mode
Single-player
Tables
Aggregate scores
Metacritic
Metacritic
Aggregator
Metacritic
Score
(PC) 75/100
(XSXS) 80/100
OpenCritic
OpenCritic
Aggregator
OpenCritic
Score
68% recommend
| Aggregator | Score |
| Metacritic | (PC) 75/100 (XSXS) 80/100 |
| OpenCritic | 68% recommend |
Review scores
Destructoid
Destructoid
Publication
Destructoid
Score
9/10
Eurogamer
Eurogamer
Publication
Eurogamer
Score
3/5
GameSpot
GameSpot
Publication
GameSpot
Score
8/10
GamesRadar+
GamesRadar+
Publication
GamesRadar+
Score
3 /5
Hardcore Gamer
Hardcore Gamer
Publication
Hardcore Gamer
Score
4/5
IGN
IGN
Publication
IGN
Score
8/10
PC Gamer (US)
PC Gamer (US)
Publication
PC Gamer (US)
Score
83/100
PCGamesN
PCGamesN
Publication
PCGamesN
Score
6/10
Shacknews
Shacknews
Publication
Shacknews
Score
8/10
The Guardian
The Guardian
Publication
The Guardian
Score
3/5
Video Games Chronicle
Video Games Chronicle
Publication
Video Games Chronicle
Score
3/5
| Publication | Score |
| Destructoid | 9/10 |
| Eurogamer | 3/5 |
| GameSpot | 8/10 |
| GamesRadar+ | 3 /5 |
| Hardcore Gamer | 4/5 |
| IGN | 8/10 |
| PC Gamer (US) | 83/100 |
| PCGamesN | 6/10 |
| Shacknews | 8/10 |
| The Guardian | 3/5 |
| Video Games Chronicle | 3/5 |
· Reception › Awards
2025
2025
Year
2025
Award
Golden Joystick Awards 2025
Category
Best Soundtrack
Result
Nominated
Best Lead Performer (Adriyan Rae)
Best Lead Performer (Adriyan Rae)
Year
Best Lead Performer (Adriyan Rae)
Award
Nominated
The Game Awards 2025
The Game Awards 2025
Year
The Game Awards 2025
Award
Games for Impact
Category
Won
Innovation in Accessibility
Innovation in Accessibility
Year
Innovation in Accessibility
Award
Nominated
2026
2026
Year
2026
Award
15th New York Game Awards
Category
Great White Way Award for Best Acting in a Game (Adriyan Rae)
Result
Nominated
Tin Pan Alley Award for Best Music in a Game
Tin Pan Alley Award for Best Music in a Game
Year
Tin Pan Alley Award for Best Music in a Game
Award
Won
29th Annual D . Awards
29th Annual D . Awards
Year
29th Annual D . Awards
Award
Outstanding Achievement in Animation
Category
Won
Outstanding Achievement in Story
Outstanding Achievement in Story
Year
Outstanding Achievement in Story
Award
Nominated
53rd Annie Awards
53rd Annie Awards
Year
53rd Annie Awards
Award
Best Character Animation – Video Game
Category
Won
International Film Music Critics Association Awards 2025
International Film Music Critics Association Awards 2025
Year
International Film Music Critics Association Awards 2025
Award
Best Original Score for a Video Game or Interactive Media
Category
Nominated
24th Game Audio Network Guild Awards
24th Game Audio Network Guild Awards
Year
24th Game Audio Network Guild Awards
Award
Best Ensemble Cast Performance
Category
Nominated
Best New Original IP Audio
Best New Original IP Audio
Year
Best New Original IP Audio
Award
Nominated
Best Original Song ("Altamaha-Ha" by Olivier Deriviere)
Best Original Song ("Altamaha-Ha" by Olivier Deriviere)
Year
Best Original Song ("Altamaha-Ha" by Olivier Deriviere)
Award
Nominated
Best Original Soundtrack Album
Best Original Soundtrack Album
Year
Best Original Soundtrack Album
Award
Nominated
26th Game Developers Choice Awards
26th Game Developers Choice Awards
Year
26th Game Developers Choice Awards
Award
Best Audio
Category
Nominated
22nd British Academy Games Awards
22nd British Academy Games Awards
Year
22nd British Academy Games Awards
Award
Artistic Achievement
Category
Nominated
New Intellectual Property
New Intellectual Property
Year
New Intellectual Property
Award
Won
24th Visual Effects Society Awards
24th Visual Effects Society Awards
Year
24th Visual Effects Society Awards
Award
Outstanding Visual Arts in a Real-Time Project
Category
Nominated
25th Annual NAVGTR Awards
25th Annual NAVGTR Awards
Year
25th Annual NAVGTR Awards
Award
Animation, Artistic
Category
Won
Art Direction, Contemporary
Art Direction, Contemporary
Year
Art Direction, Contemporary
Award
Nominated
Character Design
Character Design
Year
Character Design
Award
Won
Lighting/Texturing
Lighting/Texturing
Year
Lighting/Texturing
Award
Nominated
Original Light Mix Score, New IP
Original Light Mix Score, New IP
Year
Original Light Mix Score, New IP
Award
Nominated
Song, Original or Adapted ("Altamaha-Ha" by Olivier Deriviere)
Song, Original or Adapted ("Altamaha-Ha" by Olivier Deriviere)
Year
Song, Original or Adapted ("Altamaha-Ha" by Olivier Deriviere)
Award
Nominated
| Year | Award | Category | Result | Ref. |
| 2025 | Golden Joystick Awards 2025 | Best Soundtrack | Nominated | |
| Best Lead Performer (Adriyan Rae) | Nominated | |||
| The Game Awards 2025 | Games for Impact | Won | ||
| Innovation in Accessibility | Nominated | |||
| 2026 | 15th New York Game Awards | Great White Way Award for Best Acting in a Game (Adriyan Rae) | Nominated | |
| Tin Pan Alley Award for Best Music in a Game | Won | |||
| 29th Annual D . Awards | Outstanding Achievement in Animation | Won | ||
| Outstanding Achievement in Story | Nominated | |||
| 53rd Annie Awards | Best Character Animation – Video Game | Won | ||
| International Film Music Critics Association Awards 2025 | Best Original Score for a Video Game or Interactive Media | Nominated | ||
| 24th Game Audio Network Guild Awards | Best Ensemble Cast Performance | Nominated | ||
| Best New Original IP Audio | Nominated | |||
| Best Original Song ("Altamaha-Ha" by Olivier Deriviere) | Nominated | |||
| Best Original Soundtrack Album | Nominated | |||
| 26th Game Developers Choice Awards | Best Audio | Nominated | ||
| 22nd British Academy Games Awards | Artistic Achievement | Nominated | ||
| New Intellectual Property | Won | |||
| 24th Visual Effects Society Awards | Outstanding Visual Arts in a Real-Time Project | Nominated | ||
| 25th Annual NAVGTR Awards | Animation, Artistic | Won | ||
| Art Direction, Contemporary | Nominated | |||
| Character Design | Won | |||
| Lighting/Texturing | Nominated | |||
| Original Light Mix Score, New IP | Nominated | |||
| Song, Original or Adapted ("Altamaha-Ha" by Olivier Deriviere) | Nominated |