Indie Japanese developer Smiley Dog Studio is launching their short first-person horror DON’T STOP SMILING game this month.

While lots of horror games rely on jump scares or some kind of otherworldly creature that constantly keeps you in suspense, in this game you have to keep smiling.

No matter what happens in the dimly lit, creepy school atmosphere, you have to keep smiling. The more it gets impossible to keep smiling, the more the horror unfolds.

DON’T STOP SMILING is set to launch later this month for Windows PC (Steam), on June 12th.

Here’s a rundown on the game, plus a new trailer:

Even when you don’t want to smile… you must.

DON’T STOP SMILING is a first-person short horror game that reads your facial expressions through your PC camera in real time.

If your smile fades—even for a moment—you die. This simple rule creates a uniquely disturbing experience built on tension, guilt, and forced emotion.

You explore an eerie, dimly lit school corridor, solving small puzzles and pushing forward while maintaining a smile.

The more the situation makes smiling impossible, the more your body and emotions become directly tied to the horror unfolding on screen.

Playtime: Approx. 45–60 minutes