Today the UK based game developers, Darkling Room, have officially announced production of The Lost Crown: a ghosthunting adventure.

Written by Jonathan Boakes, the creator of the two Dark Fall games, The Lost Crown promises to blend classic ghost stories and modern ghost hunting techniques, combining the works of Charles Dickens, M.R.James, Arthur Conan Doyle and E.F.Benson with today's night-vision cameras, E.V.P. and other gadgets.

The game will have players "travel with Nigel Danvers, to an eerie seaside town on England's east coast" where you'll "learn to use advanced techniques used by real paranormal investigators, and uncover an ancient mystery, and treasure. But beware, not all of the town's residents will help in your mission, whether they are alive or dead. Murder, mystery and suspense await..."

The Lost Crown uses a point & click interface, and features both first and third-person perspectives as you explore and hunt for ghosts in real time. According to Boakes, "much of the ghosthunting will be carried out in 1st person realtime 3D, placing the gamer at the heart of a truly haunted location. Their success, or failure, in locating wandering spirits will depend on their skill as an investigator. Placing motion detectors, nightvision cameras and temperature gauges correctly will reveal a locations haunted past, and expose terrifying apparitions. With nerves of steel, and wits to match, the player will soon be discovering long lost secrets, known only to the dead".

Many members of the development team are personally experienced ghost hunters, having taken part in actual investigations with This Haunted Land. This first-hand knowledge will be "woven into the gameplay featured in The Lost Crown. No other game features such realistic methods, tried and tested by ghosthunters across the globe."

The Lost Crown is being designed exclusively for PC, and is scheduled to be released in spring 2006. For more information about the game, be sure to check out the game's official website.