Sandman author Neil Gaiman working on his first game, Wayward Manor

English author Neil Gaiman has created some of the best-loved characters and stories of the past thirty years - and now he's ready to try his hand at writing a video game.

The new project, called Wayward Manor, draws on equal parts H.P. Lovecraft and Blithe Spirit and is set in an imposingly large New England manor house.

You'll be playing the role of the protagonist in the story but, unfortunately, you're dead as soon as the game begins.

Thankfully, this isn't the end of your character's journey. As a ghost, your goal in Wayward Manor is to chase out the fleshy, breathing inhabitants of your house so you can have some much-needed alone time.

Despite the supernatural setting, Gaiman describes the inspiration behind Wayward Manor as the "crazy, mordent, playful, funny, weird" source material from the early 20th century - which means it should feel at home with his work on Coraline.

We don't know much about the mobile version yet, but we've learned that a release for 'tablets' is planned for the autumn.

This will only be the first planned installment of Wayward Manor, however, and if the game strikes a chord with Gaiman's fans (and their wallets...), future installments may be released.

If you're interested in learning more about Wayward Manor, or are looking to pick up some exclusive pre-order goodies, you can visit whohauntsneil.com.

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