Where Dolls Hang: Steelkrill Studio uses real photos for dolls in survival horror
Steelkrill Studio’s survival horror Where Dolls Hang is inspired by Mexico’s Isla de las Muñecas, with some dolls built from real photos.
- The game draws on the folklore of Isla de las Muñecas, the Island of the Dolls in Mexico.
- Steelkrill says some doll models were made with real photos, and those photos will also appear in the game.
What happened
Steelkrill Studio is working on Where Dolls Hang, a survival horror game that has recently been linked to Isla de las Muñecas in Mexico. The game was shown earlier this summer in a Horror Game Awards showcase, according to the source that brought the title back into the spotlight. In the provided sources, the game is still described as upcoming, and no release date has been announced.
The developer explicitly ties the project to the island’s well-known doll legend. In the shared tweet, Steelkrill describes how the dolls on Isla de las Muñecas have hung from the trees for more than 80 years and references the folklore surrounding Don Julian Santana and a drowned girl. The same tweet also notes that Where Dolls Hang appeared in the recent Horror Game Awards showcase, confirming the title has already been publicly presented.
According to Steelkrill, some of the doll models in Where Dolls Hang were made using real photos, and those photos will also appear in the game itself. That means the game is not only taking inspiration from the location’s atmosphere, but also using image material directly connected to the real place. The available sources do not name specific photos, list the assets used, or explain how closely the game follows the location or its folklore.
The official trailer for Where Dolls Hang was published on YouTube under the name Steelkrill Studio. The video title confirms it is a reveal announcement trailer, but the provided metadata does not include any additional release date or gameplay details.
Timeline
More than 80 years ago to now — The shared tweet says the dolls on Isla de las Muñecas have been hanging from the trees for more than 80 years.
Over the past few years — The folklore around Don Julian Santana and a drowned girl has remained part of the island’s notoriety, according to the source.
Summer 2026 — Where Dolls Hang was shown in a recent Horror Game Awards showcase.
2026-10-06 — The game is still described as upcoming in the provided sources; no release date has been announced.
After the showcase — Steelkrill posted on X/Twitter that some doll models were made with real photos and that those photos will also appear in the game.
Background
Isla de las Muñecas, also known as the Island of the Dolls, is a real location in Mexico famous for the many dolls hanging from trees. The shared tweet refers to the folklore of a drowned girl and to Don Julian Santana, who according to the legend collected dolls from the water to honor her spirit. The tweet also says the dolls on the island have been hanging from the trees for more than 80 years.
Where Dolls Hang uses that background as the thematic basis for a survival horror game. The available sources confirm the inspiration and the use of real photos for some assets, but they do not provide a release date or details on how closely the game follows the location and folklore. It is also not specified which photos were used for the doll models, so the only confirmed point is that Steelkrill says this was part of production.
The YouTube video from Steelkrill Studio is titled Where Dolls Hang - Official Reveal Announcement Trailer. That confirms the game has been officially revealed, but the provided description only adds that the game uses real-life elements; further concrete gameplay details are not included in the source material.
Sources
- Gamespot: "Solo Horror Dev Makes A Creepy Connection To A Real Haunted Island In Mexico"
- X/Twitter: @steelkrill, status 2100990888759497173
- YouTube: "Where Dolls Hang - Official Reveal Announcement Trailer"