South of Midnight comes to South of Midnight leans heavily on Southern Gothic storytelling, with eccentric characters to encounter throughout the game, many of whose disturbing stories will be a major focus of individual chapters.

Southern Gothic works also specifically feature folklore born from the American Deep South, and Hazel's story quickly descends into a fantastical version of the region. Mythical creatures and otherworldly enemies abound, and Hazel's newfound magical abilities will help you traverse a wild landscape and take on any threats in a refreshing experience for Xbox's publishing ventures. A storybook aesthetic frames each of South of Midnight's chapters, complimenting the stop-motion-inspired animation used throughout.

South Of Midnight Has 14 Chapters

Some Are Longer Than Others

South of Midnight's story contains 14 total chapters of varying length. Some are rather straightforward, with clear objectives for Hazel (and you) to accomplish and minimal obstacles. Most chapters, however, meander at least a bit, giving you plenty of room to explore and find collectibles and upgrade materials called Floofs. Each chapter begins with a storybook segment, usually with narration recapping recent events and setting up the next leg of Hazel's journey.

How Long It Takes To Beat South Of Midnight

Roughly 10–12 Hours

Compared to many modern games, South of Midnight is a humble 10–12-hour game from start to finish. Your mileage may vary, of course, especially since there are plenty of proverbial stones to turn when looking for Floofs. These often require exploring optional routes, with minor traversal puzzles to figure out. Runtime may also depend on how proficient you are in South of Midnight's combat – if you struggle with certain encounters, you may end up overshooting 12 hours, though changing the difficulty is always an option.

You don't need to find every Floof in the game to completely upgrade Hazel's abilities.

Its price tag is fitting at $40, but the relatively short story makes South of Midnight a perfect Xbox Game addition, where it's available on release. This is only developer Compulsion Games' third title, and even though it's comparatively short, it's clearly a labor of love. Many players will be refreshed by the length as well, as it's not uncommon for AAA games to contain upwards of 100 hours of content. South of Midnight is tightly designed and heavily story-focused, and this brief runtime, separated into 14 chapters, is reflective of that.