Players take on the role of Edward Carnby, the same protagonist from the previous games, now in present day New York City. Previous Alone in the Dark games take place in the 1920s, but this is the same character, and he retains full memory of being in the 20s. This new version of Carnby, dressed in modern clothes, is practically unrecognizable from the original, and part of the mystery centers on how he swept through time. In solving the mystery, players will uncover numerous environment puzzles and blast away evil creatures that leap from the shadows.

To up the game's intensity, Alone in the Dark won't have an on-screen interface. Players won't have meters to indicate how much health Carnby has or how many bullets are left. Everything appears on the characters, so players will know if he's been injured. Similarly, gamers won't switch across inventory screens. Instead, Carnby opens up his jacket, the inside lined with small pockets and holsters, to access items. This also means that he can't pick up any more than what he can fit in his jacket, nor does the game pause while he's rummaging through his stuff, so he's still vulnerable to attacks. The game will also bring back some old adventure game mechanics like combining objects to create more complex devices. For instance, players can use tape to stick a can of toxic spray onto the wall and then hide around a corner. In addition, they can then shoot the canister and spring the trap once an enemy walks by. Using a plastic lighter with an aerosol spay, for example, creates a makeshift flamethrower.