The Gorgeous Photography Sim Video Game, ‘Lushfoil,’ Arrives in April

Feb 25, 2025

Zack Morrison

A serene coastline at sunset, with gentle waves lapping against a sandy beach. Silhouetted trees and rocky formations sit under a golden sky, creating a tranquil and picturesque scene.

Annapurna Interactive’s upcoming landscape photography video game Lushfoil Photography Sim has a new trailer, and, finally, a release date: April 15, 2025.

In a world where games like New Pokemon Snap and Super Mario Party Jamboree are exposing casual gamers to the joys of photography with cute graphics and colorful characters, the upcoming Lushfoil Photography Sim from game developer Annapurna Interactive is taking a gorgeously natural and simplified approach.

A new trailer for the game was released this week, showcasing stunning photorealistic landscapes from regions around the world, a tranquil and serene gameplay style focused on exploration, and an excitingly-soon release date.

Launching on April 15th for PlayStation, Xbox, and Steam, Lushfoil Photography Sim aims to deliver a true-to-life photography experience that accurately simulates walk-around photography and camera features like automatic and manual focus, aperture, shutter speed, burst shooting, and more.

The image shows a small wooden boat on a clear blue lake surrounded by dense evergreen forests and snowy mountains in the distance, under a clear sky.

Armed with an in-game DSLR that functions much like you would expect a professional DSLR to function — from an optical viewfinder filled with visible zone focus point guides to customizable settings like white balance and flash — the game tasks the player with, simply, taking pictures in a handful of gorgeous outdoor environments.

Split image: Left side shows a blurred view through a camera lens or scope, focusing on a forest and snowy mountain in the background. Right side shows a clear, zoomed-in view of the same landscape with focus indicators on the mountain.

From the gameplay seen in the trailer, the game seemingly drops the player in fully explorable settings like a lakefront in Italy, a beach in Australia, a garden in Kyoto, Japan, a rainy countryside in northern England, and more. It’s unclear what the mission will be, or how the objective system will work.

Developer Matt Newell says that “Each environment is filled with objectives to reward players that have a good eye for angles and perspectives, and hidden secrets for those who are patient and observant.” Anyone who has played Pokemon Snap would be familiar with this style of gameplay that rewards players for a combination patience and curiosity.

A series of red torii gates form a tunnel along a forest path, casting shadows on the stone walkway. Dappled sunlight filters through the leafy canopy, creating a serene and peaceful atmosphere.

All rendered in Unreal Engine 5, the trailer is an incredibly impressive showcase of the game’s ability to immerse the player in the world. The vivid details of elements like lens flare or rain drops that real-world photographers would be used to are on full display. Players will also have access to a fully-controlled weather system, allowing changes to the sun’s position, weather conditions, and environmental settings to capture better photos.

Photography-obsessed gamers who cannot wait until April 15 for a new game should check out PetaPixel’s guide to 15 great photography games available to play in 2025 to find their next virtual fix.

Image credits: Annapurna Interactive