South of Midnight Reaches 1 Million Players in First Month

South of Midnight, the newest game from Compulsion Games, has welcomed over 1 million players since its release on April 8, 2025.

The fantasy adventure game takes place in the Deep American South and blends local folklore with Southern Gothic elements to create a modern fairy tale with darker themes.

In contrast to their earlier survival game, We Happy Few, set in an alternate 1960s England, South of Midnight takes players to the American South, where they must navigate life's difficulties while forming bonds with companions.

Guillaume Provost, CEO and Studio Head of Compulsion Games, announced this player milestone during a recent interview with Game Rant.

The game joins other successful recent Xbox Game Pass titles. Avowed gained nearly 6 million players by March, while Atomfall exceeded 2 million players by April.

The journey to create South of Midnight began after Microsoft bought Compulsion Games in 2018. After finishing the DLC for We Happy Few, the team explored several concepts before landing on what would become their Southern Gothic adventure.

One standout feature that players and critics alike have noticed is the game's unique storybook-like visual style. This distinctive artistic approach helps the game stand out in today's crowded gaming market.

Provost believes the Deep Southern setting helped the game connect with so many players because it explores an area often overlooked in video games. While titles like Kentucky Route Zero and Red Dead Redemption have featured parts of the region, Provost felt that "no one had really kind of dived in and mined the mythology of the area and looked at what made it iconic."

The studio head also shared his thoughts on Compulsion's role within the larger Xbox Game Studios family. Rather than creating blockbuster titles like Call of Duty, he sees their mission as providing "games that add distinctiveness, where we can either serve audiences that haven't been served before or create projects that add diversity to the portfolio."

Critics have given the game mixed but generally positive reviews, resulting in a 76 Metacritic score. Steam users have been more enthusiastic, giving the game a "Very Positive" rating with 94% of the 1,800 reviews being positive. Many players have praised the narrative, art style, and soundtrack. One reviewer described the game as "an artist's dreamland" and "narrative gold," comparing it to a Southern folklore version of Alice in Wonderland. However, some players mentioned that the gameplay and combat aren't particularly innovative.

For those interested in narrative-driven games with unique settings, it's worth checking out, especially for Xbox Game Pass subscribers who can try it at no additional cost.