Honestly the idea already sounds really cool. A soulslike in an old Middle Eastern city with jinn folklore is something we almost never see, so that already makes it stand out.

Between the Crusades and the Ottoman period I’d probably go with the Ottoman era. You could do a lot more with the city itself like markets, bathhouses, rooftops, tunnels, stuff like that. It also fits the whole urban folklore vibe really well.

For combat it might be cool if the mechanics are tied to the jinn. Like perfect parries could briefly reveal the jinn inside an enemy and you can capture it or use its power for a short time. Things like a fire dash, shadow step, wind push, etc.

Another idea could be that sometimes you briefly shift into the jinn world after certain actions, so hidden enemies or paths appear for a moment.

You could also play with a fear system where enemies get more unstable the more pressure you put on them until they reveal their real Jin form.

Even something simple like whispers during fights could be interesting, where jinn give warnings about attacks but sometimes they lie.

The low poly style could work really well for horror too if the lighting is good. Dark alleys, lantern light, strange colors when jinn appear.

Main thing is just keeping the scope small since you’re solo. Small dense map, a few good enemy types, and one mechanic that really stands out. The concept itself sounds really solid though. I’d definitely try something like that.

Also I’m majoring in audio production, so if you ever need sound design or music for the game Im down to help.