Goodnight Universe had one of the most compelling demos I played at SXSW Sydney 2025. With such a strong premise – you play as a six-month-old psychic baby named Isaac, voiced by Lewis Pullman (Thunderbolts*, Top Gun: Maverick), who takes on a capitalist conglomerate – it was quick to draw to me in. Getting hands-on, it was clear the game is special, much like its pint-sized protagonist.
The uniqueness stems from the perspective of Isaac. He’s essentially a mature adult trapped in a tiny body, discovering the world for the first time.
Outwardly, he can only express thoughts like a regular baby. He speaks gibberish syllables, and is treated with a kind but patronising intent by his family. Inside, he has a complex inner monologue, with deft dialogue outlining how his thoughts form, as he begins to question the nature of living.
Goodnight Universe preview – quick links
Life from the perspective of a tiny baby
Isaac wonders why life is the way it is, marvels at the simplest things, and forces you to reckon with your own assumptions about the world. As his psychic powers develop, he also becomes the window into his family drama, as secrets are revealed, and inner thoughts crystallise.
The game’s narrative pulls off these reveals well. As it opens, Isaac is just a simple baby, with the expectations of being a simple baby. His family peers in to check on him. He giggles, kicks his feet, and feels love. Then one day, after encountering strange symbols in an old family journey, Isaac begins to hear thoughts. He realises he can move objects with his mind. Suddenly, he’s not just a baby – he’s a superhero trapped in a small, relatively useless body.
And where previously, he felt only love, he begins to reckon with a tumult of emotions, as he realises more about his family’s inner thoughts. His father, tired but kind-eyed, reveals struggles with bills and anxiety about the future. His sister pokes fun at him, with light touches of resentment. The more he looks into their minds, the more he understands the fractures that exist in his previously perfect world.
So, as a tiny baby, he must figure out how he can help them repair their relationships, and address their struggles. It’s the weight of the world, resting in tiny hands. Isaac begins his interventions slowly, using his powers to clean a kitchen, where his sister forgot. Then sending himself to bed, when his father becomes too busy and distracted.
Using your eyes to navigate a strange world in Goodnight Universe
These movements are made simple, presented to players in puzzle form. You ‘play with your eyes’ to embody Isaac, using mouse swishes and clicks to deploy his newfound powers. In this first-person perspective, you view the world around you as enormous, and feel the gravity of each new development.
It’s a big world, and you are only very small. Goodnight Universe does an excellent job reflecting that scale, amplifying the uncertainty and horror facing Isaac. The closing moments of the game’s demo indicate this will be explored even further in the full game, with a brief interlude revealing that waking one morning, Isaac finds himself in a strange facility, far away from home.
Having psychic powers, it seems, is enough to warrant attention from the worst sorts of people, with Isaac becoming the subject of mysterious desires, when all he wants to do is be safe at home, wrapped up in the love of his family.
At SXSW Sydney 2025, Goodnight Universe was a revelation. It’s weird by nature, but entirely engaging, with its unique premise forging an instant connection. The plot may twist and turn from here, but gripping on tight, I’m here for the ride.
Goodnight Universe is set to launch for PC, Nintendo Switch 2, Xbox Series X/S, and PlayStation 5 on 11 November 2025.
