The Final Cut of Lilith Cunningham is a novel FMV mystery

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It's not just that Causeway Studios utilizes full-motion video for its next game, but it's the way it's used that makes it intriguing.

Ozzie Mejia September 8, 2026 3:00 PM Causeway Studios 1

Full-motion video (FMV) games were a unique phenomenon in the mid-90s, but it was an idea that gradually faded out in favor of more modern gaming concepts. In recent years, indie developers have found clever ways to implement FMV into games, but the most eye-opening use of the concept for me was at PAX West. I stopped by to visit with Causeway Studios, which had just announced The Final Cut of Lilith Cunningham, and was astonished by how FMV was weaved into the game's central mystery.

The Final Cut of Lilith Cunningham follows the title character, who is searching for her missing daughter, Sara, and her daughter's partner, Todd. Set in the same universe as Causeway's The Haunting of Joni Evers, Lilith Cunningham begins her search in an abandoned hotel/drive-in theater, where her daughter was last seen. The idea is to collect clues to try to piece together her whereabouts, something that begins to unfold like a traditional mystery, but soon gives way to much more unconventional investigative methods.

Lilith can access the astral plane from the physical realm at any time, something that allows her to access the mystery board in her mind. This is where players can string together the various clues that they've found over the course of their investigation. If nothing else, it provides guidance on where to go next or what to search for nearby. In the early part of the demo, this often led to puzzle sections, like a locked glass container holding some of the keys to the nearby hotel rooms.

Eventually, Lilith will notice that somebody has tampered with her section of the astral plane, placing a strange film reel inside. The film reel contains an FMV sequence of events, which provides some insight into what might have happened to the missing parties. As Lilith continues to fill out her mystery board, she'll gradually unlock additional film strips. This allows her to re-edit the film reel, switching around strips to create different cuts of the film that result in different outcomes. These different outcomes can have major effects on the physical world, opening up new sections of the hotel that each hold their own clues.

While the demo I played was a linear showcase of the game's concept, Causeway Studios notes that the outcome of a player's investigation can vary, often depending on what they do with the film reel. Characters can meet different fates depending on how the film is cut. For now, the manner in which FMV was utilized makes this one of the most novel indie titles I've seen in some time. There's much more to look out for from this game, including additional mechanics, character performances, and more of how the film editing element works, but I did walk away from this demo feeling impressed by what Causeway has put together so far. The Final Cut of Lilith Cunningham is set to release on PC in 2027.

This preview is based on a PC demo played on the PAX 2026 show floor. The final product is subject to change.

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Ozzie Mejia Senior Editor

Ozzie has been playing video games since picking up his first NES controller at age 5. He has been into games ever since, only briefly stepping away during his college years. But he was pulled back in after spending years in QA circles for both THQ and Activision, mostly spending time helping to push forward the Guitar Hero series at its peak. Ozzie has become a big fan of platformers, puzzle games, shooters, and RPGs, just to name a few genres, but he’s also a huge sucker for anything with a good, compelling narrative behind it. Because what are video games if you can't enjoy a good story with a fresh Cherry Coke?

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