There's customer service, and then there's customer blessing, and indie game creator Luka Hizo Algo is now adept at the latter. The benevolent horror dev recently released an update for liminal space horror game Buenos Aires Mirror Line just because one guy wanted him to.

Earlier this month, Algo and co-developer Rafael Di Carlo shared a minor fix for Buenos Aires Mirror Line, an hour-long horror experience about being trapped in a time loop in a grungy edition of Argentina. But Steam user MadMcMan didn't care. MadMcMan needed to invert their mouse, and so Buenos Aires Mirror Line devs fell to the floor and obliged.

"An update with no invert mouse, literally the worst," scoffed Steam user MadMcMan on June 18, reacting to Algo and Di Carlo's small update. By June 21, Algo got to say, "You're welcome." He had – as he put it in a Steam announcement post – "added Invert Y option specifically for MadMcMan."

"You could say I'm a people pleaser," Algo continues in the post.

MadMcMan eventually admitted the new feature was "nice" in the comments of Algo's announcement, and they completed a Buenos Aires Mirror Line playthrough on June 27. This all culminated in the Steam user's glowing review of the horror game: "Its good."

I can't think of a better ending for a heartwarming tale about inverting the Y-axis in a game, which I didn't realize anyone actually did. According to visual science research (thanks, The Guardian), people who invert their controls may have developed a preference for it by playing games like Microsoft Flight Simulator through the '80s, though they aren't necessarily predisposed to it. So MadMcMan likely would have thought "its good" about Buenos Aires Mirror Line had they given its default controls a chance, but it's important to be adamant about what you want.

I've been playing Steam Next Fest demos for over 5 years, and here are the 12 demos you shouldn't miss during the June event.

Hideo Kojima says he was called "crazy" while pitching the concept for his upcoming horror game OD, and only former Xbox CEO Phil Spencer understood what he was trying to do.

Speaking to Entertainment Weekly, Kojima explains that he had trouble getting OD picked up by any publisher since "I pitched to many people, to the big companies, and also to the up-and-coming companies. All of them said the same thing."

Kojima continues, "They said that I'm crazy, and that they really don't understand the concept – that they will not be able to do it."

First unveiled during The Game Awards 2023 (following leaks the prior year as Overdose), OD claims it's going to be a horror experience "no one has ever seen before," and it's being made in collaboration with the likes of horror director Jordan Peele and a larger group of collaborators Kojima is calling his "Avengers." OD's concept (and namesake) is for the player to "overdose" on horror, with Kojima hyping it up as a game that goes "beyond the limit of 'scariness.'"

The idea ultimately appealed to Phil Spencer, who understood the concept and took it on board. Current Xbox CEO Asha Sharma also calls the project a "deeply moving game." She adds, "I've got great artists and creatives that can pick a great game better than I can, and so I want to give it space, but most importantly, I think it just represents another kind of game."

OD currently doesn't have a release date, and outside of a very naked leak and a couple of quick trailers, we really don't know too much about what it has to offer. It seems like the studio was waiting until Death Stranding 2 launched before going all-in on development, as Kojima said his studio was just beginning to work on OD last year. Both OD and Kojima's upcoming stealth game Physint were impacted by the SAG-Aftra strike in 2024, so it'll probably be The Game Awards at the earliest before we see another glimpse of them.

Hideo Kojima recommended Norman Reedus his "favorite" anime, and it sounds like The Walking Dead actor wants to turn it into a live-action movie.

If video game royalty Hideo Kojima is to be believed, Kojima Productions' upcoming single-player horror game OD is going to scare you so much that you'll contemplate quitting, but the game is designed in such a way to help you persevere.

If that all sounds incredibly vague and confusing, don't blame me. Kojima tiptoed around the topic of OD in an interview with Entertainment Weekly for Xbox's 25th anniversary. He's been tightlipped about the project since its reveal back in 2023, and it doesn't help that he's previously described it as "a new form of media" that "explores the concept of testing your fear threshold, and what it means to OD on fear." What exactly that means still isn't clear, but Kojima says there's a whole new system that'll help you navigate the horror if OD happens to go beyond your threshold for fear.

"I wanted to go beyond the limit of the 'scariness' that other games had reached," he says. "It's a single-player game, and I wanted to make it as scary as possible.

"But for those that might stop playing when it gets too scary, I have thought of a system that will allow them to keep going. I can't say much more, because it'll give too much of a hint on the system, and I could get in trouble for saying too much!"

As a self-professed scaredy cat, who just happens to love horror games much to the detriment of my blood pressure, I'm cautiously reassured by this. Kojima is responsible for one of the scariest games I've ever played in PT, and if that "playable teaser" was any longer than an hour or so, there's no way I would've been able to beat it in one sitting. I'm relieved to hear Kojima and co. are considering wimps like me while developing OD, but it's hard to feel completely comfortable until we know the details of this new system.

Capcom tackled the issue of fear thresholds masterfully in Resident Evil Requiem, which frequently bounces between the unbearably tense Grace Ashcroft sections and the cathartic, action-packed Leon Kennedy sequences, offering much-needed breaks from the tension that you don't get in Resident Evil 7 Biohazard, which director Koshi Nakanishi has admitted was "possibly too scary." Hopefully we'll learn more soon about Kojima's plans to keep sissies like me from tapping out while playing OD.

Hideo Kojima recommended Norman Reedus his "favorite" anime, and it sounds like The Walking Dead actor wants to turn it into a live-action movie.

Slimy tentacles slithering out of a decapitated skull. Flies descending on a corpse, grey and mottled beneath a waxy sheen of rot. Watching the latest ILL trailer shown during Summer Game Fest, every frame feels meticulously crafted to make your skin crawl.

"We have our own vision of how horror should work," studio co-founder and ILL's creative director Max Verehin tells me. While the game is inspired by survival horror games like Resident Evil – specifically the "resource scarcity and management, exploration, and the level design" elements – Team Clout aims to "lean towards the physics-based action gameplay."

The heft of each movement, be it the weight of a gun in the protagonist's hand as the trigger is pulled or the feeling of prising a pipe out of a wall by force, are paramount in creating a "fun playground for players to play with these characters". A distinct physicality sits at the heart of ILL's design ethos, from its anatomically-precise dismemberment system to the weapons used to defend yourself.

Having worked as an artist for IT: Welcome to Derry and various other Universal and Sony productions, it's clear Verehin lives and breathes the horror genre. This cinematic edge can be keenly felt in ILL, as Team Clout approaches its upcoming horror game with the creative techniques of filmmaking to make each gory scream off the screen.

Knifemare

Body horror is a huge hook in ILL. It's also one of Verehin's fascinations when it comes to what makes the genre tick in film, especially in terms of practical effects, with ILL recapturing "the feeling of making a shot" by taking the theory of cinematic mise en scene – the composition of a camera shot, from framing to characters, items, lighting, and more – and applying it to a video game.

"ILL is definitely a cinematic experience by its nature," says verehin. "When we started to grow the project and decided that there was going to be a story with [cinematic] cutscenes, we used our experience in how movie production works – how they make their animation drafts, and how they turn into the final results that you see on screen.

"I had the opportunity to see very early drafts of the scenes from Welcome to Derry, for example, and we are actually trying to make it the same [way] in ILL," Verehin says of the draft animation to final-product pipeline. Team Clout also storyboards each scene shot for shot, bringing the frames to life in steps. "Of course, there is the limitation of not being able to reproduce super photo-real visuals, but [we are] aiming in that regard to the fidelity of what you see visually in the movies, and using camera tricks to make it cinematic as well."

Along with a visceral dismemberment system and gnarly weighted weapon impact, striking a cinematic tone is "our main goal," he says. "We are trying to stay true to [a cinematic feel] and make it feel as immersive as possible, but we are never aiming for super realism," Verehin clarifies. "It is not a simulator game. We are trying to exaggerate things, so it feels cooler."

That means certain video game rules still apply – all melee weapons are breakable, though can be upgraded to enhance their hardiness. Bullets are in short supply, too, though the core combat function is more heavily weighted toward gunplay, though we can expect some scenes where the protagonist (voiced by Resident Evil Requiem and Remakes' actor, Nick Apostolides) finds himself totally defenceless.

Camera tricks come into play in all of the cutscenes we've seen so far, especially in the latest trailer, which is the first piece of story exposition we've been treated to. "We are trying to stick to the first person [perspective], but we allowed ourselves to be more real here, and we actually sometimes bring the camera away from the protagonist."

Verehin knows that some FPS fans might find that a bit immersion-breaking, but hey – they did it in Dying Light: The Beast, and no one batted an eye. "You cannot really create a cinematic experience if you're not playing with FOV or zoom effects, so we're playing a lot with this and having some fun around that."

One key difference between Dying Light hero Kyle and Nick Apostolides' character in ILL is the fact that we don't actually get to see his face. Shades of Resident Evil 7 again, right? Kind of – keeping the character's face a mystery is not only helpful for creating a similar "everyman" feeling to that of Ethan Winters' character, but it helps avoid "a lot of [development] headaches," Verehin laughs. "There are a lot of headaches. This is one of them."

Slay and pray

Seeing the world through the eyes of our as-yet nameless hero, woken from a coma to nightmarish horrors overtaking the research facility, is a sight to behold. I pick up on strange bits of retro tech in certain frames, old computers and typing equipment that would seem more at home in the 80s rather than the 2020s. "We are trying to create this feeling of analog sci-fi horror," Verehin says, channeling the retro '80s sci-fi movies that inspired him in the first place in a style similar to that of Alien: Romulus. "The game is set in the '80s too, but I'm not going to spoil exactly when."

One thing's for sure, though: ILL is not a zombie game. "We're actually trying to get away from the feeling that we have zombies in our game," Verehin says. The game's official Steam page describes the humanoid monsters as "aberrations" with violent tendencies and "unique behavioral abilities," though where they came from and what exactly happened at the facility is yet to be revealed.

There also seems to be a degree of unpredictability as to when and where Aberrations might show up. "They might appear in really funny and surprising circumstances, animation-wise," Verehin says. "You might walk around, see a fridge, and there is an enemy in the fridge who just slams open the door and takes you into the fridge. This is a random situation. This is not from the game, I'm just making it up," he says, but the point is that the enemies don't always do "bad" things – they get a little weird, too.

In a trailer filled with blasted-off limbs, grinning naked men inching toward you with a weapon, and a gigantic toothsome head crashing through a solid concrete wall to take a side-swipe at you, being yanked into a refrigerator sounds quite relaxing. ILL's penchant for cinematic oddity seems tapped from an endless well of grotesque, delightful weirdness, and I can't wait to experience the ghoulish torment for myself when I finally get my hands on it in 2027.

With over 41 DBD killers in the game now, it can be hard to know who to play and which ones to unlock first, especially when some of them require real-world money to unlock.

My DBD killer tier list below ranks characters on their overall ability and average difficulty, but I'll go into a bit more detail too, so hopefully I can help you decide which killers are right for you. Just don't forget it's not always about which are the most prolific killers, but sometimes more about which are the most fun to play.

All DBD killers ranked

As I've mentioned above, my DBD killer tier list bases killers on their average performance, so this might not be totally accurate for, say, someone playing in the top or bottom MMR. It also doesn't take the likes of perks and add-ons into consideration either.

Instead, this is a rough guide to generally playability, killer power, how easy they are to counter, and how much success you're likely to have at mid-level. I'll also pick out a few special mentions and go into more detail on them below. Honestly, though, all the killers below can be fun to play, and The Dredge is my personal favorite, despite being in the bottom tier, so you do you!

The best DBD killers to unlock first

The above tier list might help you choose which killers to try first, but their are other things to consider than just their performance. A big one is their unique perks, meaning some of the worst killers might actually be some of the best to buy. So, whether you're looking to spend Iridescent Shards on original characters or real money or licenced ones, here are some of the best killers to consider first:

• The Slasher
• The Clown
• The Artist
• The Trapper
• The Wraith
• The Huntress
• The Hag

The Slasher

The Slasher is a new DBD killer, and is immediately one of the best, both in terms of power and fun. Like The Huntress, who I go into more detail about below, The Slasher, AKA Jason Vorhees, is a projectile killer, meaning he can throw objects at survivors in order to injure or down them at range.

While this does mean you need good aim, learning to play as Jason is incredibly fun, and once you've mastered him, he's one of the most deadly DBD killers to date. Whether he's nerfed in the near future I don't know, but until then, he's an essential if you're willing to part with real-life money.

The Clown

The Clown, meanwhile, is an original killer, meaning you can unlock him with free in-game currency called Iridescent Shards. He's highly cited as being the most important original killer to unlock thanks to his unique Perk Pop Goes the Weasel, which causes massive regression on kicked gens. So, even if you're terrified of clowns, he's still worth buying.

Speaking of Coulrophobia, that's another of his Perks, and significantly slows down survivors' healing speed when they're near you. Finally, there's Bamboozle, another hugely popular killer Perk, temporarily blocking windows whenever you use them yourself.

The Artist

The Artist can be an incredibly dominant force, but she's also very hard to play well, hence her position in my tier list. That said, she's another original character that it's worth unlocking for her Perks, even if you want to work your way up to playing her, or don't like her at all.

All three of The Artist's Perks are fantastic, but you'll likely hear of Pain Resonance and Pentimento the most, two of the best killer Perks.

The Trapper

The Trapper is a base game killer, so you don't need to unlock him, but he's getting a mention here since the OG, the iconic face of DBD, sometimes gets a bad wrap, and you'll likely have seen him far lower down other tier lists than he is on mine above.

In my opinion, this is because most of the tier lists you see are made by people in the very highest MMR, but if you're a more casual player, and the survivors you play against are too, The Trapper can actually be an incredible force. The key is not to spend too much time placing traps at the start of a match, and make sure when you do place them that they're in good positions, particularly in doorways and near pallets that can't be avoided in chase.

The Huntress

Default killers like The Wraith, The Trapper, and The Huntress each offer very different playstyles, but they're all good for beginners, with The Huntress being a great choice for FPS experts.

If you're a fan of shooters, you'll likely find DBD's projectile killers slightly easier, since you'll have a natural feel for angles and distance. Like The Trapper, you won't actually have to unlock The Huntress either, so she's an honorable mention here just to say that it's worth giving her a try if you haven't already. Then, if you like her, you could consider moving on to the likes of Springtrap and Jason.

The Hag

You might be wondering why The Hag is the bottom of the tier list, but on this list. Well, this comes down to her having two of the game's most devastating killer Perks: Ruin and Devour Hope. Both are Hex perks, with Ruin causing generators to regress immediately whenever a survivor lets go, giving you great gen control. Meanwhile, Devour Hope increases in value the more survivors you hook, eventually allowing you to instantly down and kill them.

While you can buy Perks in the weekly rotating Shrine of Secrets, you'll still have to part with Iridescent Shards, so you may as well spend a few more to unlock the killer herself. You can do it any time, you've got the killer unlocked for good, and you've got her other perk, too, all for just 2,500 Iri Shards.

Finally, if you're wondering which killer to get next, you might just want to consider your favorite horror franchises. With the likes of SAW, Resident Evil, Friday the 13th, FNAF, Silent Hill, and so many more all on the DBD killer roster, pick the killers you'll enjoy most - that's what it's all about, after all.

Once you've chosen, be sure to redeem the latest DBD codes for Bloodpoints to level up your new character. Then, take a look at the most recent DBD roadmap to see who's going to be added to this list next!

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It looks as though it's gonna be "game over, man" for a whole new crew of Colonial Marines, because the Alien RPG is getting an all-new campaign that's shoving them through the meatgrinder. I'm sure they'll be fine, and their mission will go exactly to plan with no issues whatsoever.

Following the launch of its new version earlier this year (Alien RPG Evolved Edition, which we gave four and a half stars in our review), Operation Leading Edge is a standalone adventure designed for three to five players. It'll launch in Q4 2026, and is up for pre-order via publisher Free League's store now.

While it can be played as a one-off, publisher Free League says that Operation Leading Edge is actually part two of the Jeremiah Saga trilogy (following on from Rapture Protocol, launched around the same time as Alien's Evolved Edition). With the exception of the core rules, it contains everything you need to run the campaign; you're getting the adventure itself, double-sided battlemaps, five pregenerated characters, playing cards with info on character agendas, tokens, and handouts. In terms of the story, it apparently "lets the players take the roles of a team of Colonial Marines sent to secure a rich mineral deposit on the remote moon Jeremiah VI. Just a routine drop n’ stop mission. What could possibly go wrong?" What indeed.

Judging by our experience with the Alien RPG, the answer is "a lot." We've long held this up as one of the best tabletop RPGs around, and I honestly think you'd struggle to find a more tense experience. The way it builds up and ekes out anxiety is masterful, and it's a struggle not to be perched on the edge of your seat. I played through the Alien RPG Evolved Edition Starter Set a few months ago, and it was perfectly unsettling – it absolutely nails the sense of desperate dread the movies are known for.

This was just one announcement of many, though; Free League also showed off Evolved Edition versions for previous releases, including the Chariot of the Angels cinematic adventure, the Colonial Marines sourcebook, and the Building Better Worlds book. While the previous versions were technically compatible with Evolved Edition, these reprints bring everything up to date.

For more recommendations on what to play next, why not check out the best board games?

In what is quite possibly the most stacked DBD roadmap to date, the game's 11th year has so much in store, with a lot of it announced during the tenth anniversary celebrations, and much more still to come.

Through the rest of 2026 and into 2027, there are new licensed crossovers, fantastic new events, stunning new Rifts, and even a new map, all of which I'm super stoked for. If you are too, here's all that and everything else revealed in the latest DBD roadmap.

DBD roadmap 2026

I mean, just look at it!! The DBD roadmap above takes us all the way through to April 2027, and features an incredible amount of content. Let me break it down for you:

• June 2026
  • New original survivor, Shane Wiigwaas
  • The Black Banquet anniversary event
  • Ice Nine Kills collab
• July 2026
  • Sunflesh Rift
  • Limited time modes
• August 2026
  • Chorus of Sin Chapter
• September 2026
  • 2v8 returns!
• October 2026
  • New Rift
  • Haunted by Daylight is back!
  • Diablo IV x Dead by Daylight
• November 2026
  • Art the Clown comes to town
• December 2026
  • New original map
  • Bone Chill returns
  • Scooby-Doo!
• January 2027
  • New Rift
• March 2027
  • The Casting of Frank Stone finally comes to DBD
• April 2027
  • A new survivor enters the Fog
• and beyond!
  • Graphical update!
  • More INK!
  • DBD in real life!
  • More Silent Hill!

Just look at that jam-packed line up! Aside from the obvious things, like the Scooby-Doo and INK collaborations and Frank Stone finally coming home, I'm particularly excited about the graphical update coming in the future. Sadly, this isn't included in the roadmap as it's over a year away, but some details were revealed during the tenth anniversary broadcast and it looks amazing. Especially that dynamic weather.

Another high point for the future of DBD falls in December this year, when a long-awaited new original map arrives: The Mall! This has been a fan-requested map destination for a long time, and we're finally seeing it come to fruition, along with some much-needed Dwight lore.

Then, there's the events and modes we love to see year after year. DBD 2v8 returns in September, with Haunted by Daylight coming back for Halloween and Bone Chill returning in December. The new anniversary event, The Black Banquet, also looks amazing, and might help us recover from the tragic loss of Trixie.

With all that and more coming to Dead by Daylight, keep an eye on GamesRadar+ for the latest details! And don't forget to check out my list of the latest DBD codes for free cosmetics and Bloodpoints.

© GamesRadar+. Not to be reproduced without permission.

The Black Banquet is a new DBD event, replacing the old Twisted Masquerade as the annual anniversary celebration. The opulence and decor you remember remains in the new setting, but the mechanics are entirely new, as you prepare or corrupt a lavish feast.

Of course, there are also heaps of new rewards to collect this year, as well as a new store collection, so here are the details of the DBD Black Banquet event, when it starts, and the rewards and outfits available.

DBD Black Banquet release date

The DBD Black Banquet event takes place from June 25, 2026 at 8am PT, 11am ET, 4pm BST, and runs until July 16.

Thanks to the latest patch notes, we now know a bit more about The Black Banquet ahead of its release. For a start, we know that, obviously, food is involved. This year, instead of picking up invitations or waiting for Trixie to trigger in-match events, survivors will be gathering ingredients for some disgusting corpse-based meals, unleashing more modifiers as you build out a great feast. All the while, killers will try and taint the food to turn things in their favor. with poison bottles that can also be thrown at survivors.

Meals are split into just two courses (which doesn't feel very opulent, but it is less complex): Main Course and Dessert. Main Course affects the majority of the game, until either four generators are completed or one survivor remains, whichever comes first. Then, Dessert effects are triggered.

There are then three types of effect: one that takes place throughout the entire match, one granted to survivors when they interact with food, and one that impacts survivors greatly when enough food is placed on Banquet Tables. These effects will all be based on one of three Menus of the Day, determining which game mechanic is effected. For more details, you can check out the patch notes, or wait until the begins!

We also know about some of the outfits, cosmetics, and other rewards that will be available during the new event. These are based on the opulence of the banquet setting combined with some horrifying masks, and are available for The Legion, The Doctor, Kate, Claudette, The Trapper, The Oni, and The Trapper. Unfortunately, these are all only available for purchase, but, as ever, killer weapons, character masks, and player badges and banners will all be available for free for completing event quests.

For other free rewards, be sure to check out my list of the latest DBD codes, and take a look at what else is coming once the Banquet ends in the most recent DBD roadmap.

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There's something familiar about ILL. From a voice that sounds suspiciously like Resident Evil Requiem's Leon S. Kennedy (aka Nick Apostolides) to the gory first-person melee and shooter action, I watched the latest trailer of the upcoming horror game with rapt intrigue. It came out of nowhere during June's Playstation State of Play showcase, brushing the cobwebs off of a new game I've had my eye on for years and treating us the most violent display of the evening. It even gives Marvel's Wolverine a run for its money, and if you've seen Logan's brutality for yourself already, you'll know that's a bold (but fair) statement.

ILL, developed by Team Clout, looks like a hodgepodge of all my favorite horror games in one. It also seems to be taking from one of the best zombie games of the last five years when it comes to making a statement.

Gunslinger

Dead Island 2 totally changed the game when it comes to anatomical realism in horror games. Dambuster had its work cut out for it, inheriting the project from Dying Light studio Techland after a lengthy period of developmental hell, and it paid off in bloody spades.

Shortly before launch, I spoke with game director David Stenton about the dynamic FLESH system introduced in Dead Island 2. Each hack and slash has accurate anatomical payoff; you can melt away flesh to expose the bubbling yellow fat beneath, see the grey matter glisten on your knuckles after punching a hole through a zombie's head, and lay down the machete whacks with near surgical precision to lop off specific parts of a limb.

It was a new frontier for the physicality of zombie-slayage, refining the logic behind Capcom's precise gunshots and the force with which they knock zombies back in in Resident Evil 2 Remake.

I see shades of this technology throughout ILL as a decapitated head, pinned to a wall by a knife, sprouts tentacles out of the hole where its neck should be. A few seconds later, the protagonist punches what looks like a botchling from The Witcher 3 over and over again in its grotesque bloated head. A bullet rips through an eye socket, cheek tendons dangling from the wound like half-cooked strands of pici pasta. It's glorious, frankly, and I love trying to connect the dots in theorizing what drove Team Clout to go so hard on the gore.

Dead Island 2 is my first theory, so it's no surprise that, as the original Dead Island developer, I'm also getting echoes of Techland's Dying Light games. There's a shared sense of urgency as pockets of survivor militias pop up in the wake of a zombie-like emergency; ILL's protagonist has woken from a coma to find the hospital overrun by humanoid horrors, while Kyle Crane has pretty much the same experience in Dying Light: The Beast.

There are shades of Resident Evil 7, too – close-quarters scares in tight, dark passages as the protagonist seems to grapple with a firearm for the first time in his life – but I'll be honest that I might just feel that way because Nick Apostolides almost definitely voices the protagonist and I am deeply fond of his work as Leon S. Kennedy over the last 7 years.

It's heartening to see flavors of the games and horror series I love given a fresh coat of red paint. ILL is doing everything I think all the best survival horror games should do by not trying to reinvent the wheel here. Instead, Team Clout takes inspiration where it's due and runs with it, and the result looks like a thrilling new idea encased in familiar parameters for the perfect blend of novelty and nostalgia. Now if you don't mind, I'm off to squeal over the trailer one more time and start preparing my stomach for 2027.

Xenomorphs are making a comeback with Alien Isolation 2, and now we finally have some more details about the upcoming horror game.

After seeing a brief teaser for the highly anticipated sequel featuring Amanda Ripley's showdown with the perfect predator shown during Alien Day, the Summer Game Fest 2026 schedule just gave us a new trailer and a bunch of small details. And, like any fan of the best horror games, I'm ready to untangle all of the extraterrestrial webs.

Below I've gathered all the latest information and insights about Alien Isolation 2, looking at the new trailers, and story clues from a comic series that may shock you. I've also looked at the Alien movies in order to find easter eggs and clues. So scroll on for a complete overview of one of the most exciting new games on the horizon! Here's everything you need to know about Alien Isolation 2.

Alien Isolation 2 release date speculation

Currently there's no release date for Alien Isolation 2. However, I'm guessing a 2028 release, considering how little we've seen so far.

Considering that the game is still in early development, we'll be in for quite a wait. So, buckle-in folks. We will keep you posted as more news heads our way and if any delays happen. But, while we wait for more news you can read our Alien Isolation review if you want a refresher on the sci-fi horror story.

Alien Isolation 2 platforms

Alien Isolation 2 will be heading to PC, PS5, Switch 2, and Xbox Series X/S once it releases. This news came our way during the Summer Game Fest schedule.

This does mean that only the latest-gen consoles will be getting the spooky outing, so sorry, PS4 and Xbox One owners. Considering how the new Switch console can handle big titles, it's also great to see it coming to that console.

Alien Isolation 2 trailer

We got our first teaser for Alien Isolation 2 during Alien Day (aka April 26, 2026). In the clip, we see a shot of a ruined world as a spaceship door opens, as well as a shot of an emergency telephone booth. Intriguing.

During Summer Game Fest, we also finally got our first trailer, and it's a bit more beefy than the first teaser, thankfully. In that one, we see that we are on a colony and are being hunted out in the open...spooky.

Alien Isolation 2 story and setting

Currently, we don't know the full story of Alien Isolation 2. However, thanks to the brief teaser we got back in April 2026, there are some clues that we can start unpacking already. In the clip, we see what looks to be a crashed spaceship open its doors to reveal an Earth colony in ruins during a dark and rainy night.

Now this has been confirmed to be a Weyland-Yutani-style outpost called the Kurasaki Station, instead of Earth (as confirmed by the most recent teaser in Summer Game Fest Live), similar to Hadley's Hope (which was a human terraforming, research, and mining colony before a Xenomorph infestation caused havoc). And while Amanda Ripley wasn't shown in this teaser, I'm also fairly confident that she will be back, given how she was still technically alive at the end of Alien Isolation.

For more clues in terms of the potential story of the game and what we can likely expect from Amanda if she does return, we can look at the comic series Aliens: Resistance and Alien: Rescue, which consider the Alien Isolation timeline as canon to its story. The comic follows on from the events of Isolation, starting with Amanda being picked up safely and having to deal with some more Xenomorph-related nonsense.

The comic then goes into a story of Amanda and her comrade Zula setting out on a new planet in order to investigate a testing facility for the Weyland-Yutani bio-weapons program. Now, there is no confirmation if Alien Isolation 2 will draw on the comic for its story, but it does seem like there is at least some kind of connection, as the teaser states we won't be stuck in a space station this time around, but we will be exploring (and likely being hunted) out in the open. This is similar to at least a part of the comic's storyline.

Stay tuned for updates!

Alien Isolation 2 gameplay

Just like the previous game, Alien Isolation 2 is a survival horror game that incorporates stealth mechanics as you try to avoid becoming Xenomorph food.

However, unlike having to navigate a contained small space like we were in the first game, we'll be out in the open, navigating a planet's surface. Even with this new open setting, you'll need to sneak around and use the environment as cover to avoid being killed. In order to progress the story you'll also need to complete mission objectives. These will likely vary, but we are waiting to learn more about the details in general.

I'm also wondering if the gameplay for Alien Isolation 2 will be more action focused like James Cameron's movie Aliens. It will be interesting to see if we have more opportunities to actually fight Xenomorphs, as opposed to trying to outsmart and avoid them this time round. It's all very exciting and I'm keen to discover which direction the franchise will be going down, especially if the story does take some queues from Aliens which also has some Xenomorph infestations mentioned too.

Alien Isolation 2 development

Alien Isolation 2 is being developed by Creative Assembly. Now, considering how Creative Assembly developed the first game as well, I'd say we are in pretty good hands here, folks.

What we do know is that while Alien: Isolation used the Cathode Engine, there has been a sneaky confirmation that the sequel is an Unreal Engine affair. This news came our way thanks to spotting a past job listing on Creative Assembly's website.

"This is an excellent opportunity for a talented senior development manager to join the sequel to Alien: Isolation being built in Unreal Engine 5 (UE5)," read the post on the company's site.

This post is no longer available on the company's site. So we are still waiting for more details from the studio. Fans are concerned that shifting engines will result in a different feel and texture from the masterpiece that was Isolation. There have also been concerns about how the shift to UE5 will result in performance issues, but we'll just have to wait and see for ourselves. We'll keep you posted as soon as we receive comments and more information around the matter.

Love sci-fi? Check out our list of the best Alien movies of all time next, or for scares, we also have a ranking of the best horror games for you to play right now as well.

A24's Backrooms is such a monstrous hit at the box office that it's giving two co-op horror games, also set in the Backrooms, a massive bump in player numbers.

In what's proving to be an already historic year for horror movies, Backrooms recently set box office records with a worldwide opening-weekend haul of $118 million. The liminal-space horror put up A24's largest debut weekend of all time and made YouTube native Kane Parsons (AKA Kane Pixels) the youngest director ever to top the box office.

Together with the endless online theories and countless memes, the Backrooms movie led to a surge in player numbers for Escape the Backrooms and Backrooms: Escape Together - both of which also riff and expand on the viral 4Chan creepypasta that inspired a shared internet urban myth.

According to SteamDB, Backrooms: Escape Together hit an all-time concurrent player peak with almost 9,000 people logging in at the same time yesterday. The procedurally generated game first hit early access in 2022, but its renewed interested is in part due to an official in-game collaboration with A24 that lets players unlock a clip from the film.

2025's Escape the Backrooms is enjoying a similar resurgence, too. While it hasn't beaten its all-time player peak of 48,879, the game currently hovers around daily peaks of 16,000 players, way up from its average a few months ago.

Escape the Backrooms also stealth dropped into Xbox Game Pass with less notice than a barbed wire shadow monster, mere hours before the movie's release. TrueAchievements reports it's the subscription service's seventh-biggest game launch of the year - above mammoths such as Cyberpunk 2077 and Hades 2, and below the likes of Forza Horizon 6 and Subnautica 2.

I dabbled in as much of Escape the Backrooms as my fragile little heart could manage and thought it recreated its source material's winding, nonsensical, hauntingly mundane corridors really well. Proper scary stuff... until you see the monster goofily chasing whoever you're playing with, all while ignoring you, up to the point it tires and clips out of existence. Still, it's a more than serviceable co-op thrill.

Director of one of 2026's biggest surprise horror hits slams GenAI: "If I could snap my fingers and make generative AI disappear forever, I probably would"

Of all the games I did not expect among everything announced at June 2026's State of Play showcase, Until Dawn 2 was perhaps furthest from my imagination. More intriguing still is the fact that it's not being handled by the original developer, but a brand new one.

Supermassive Games' 2015 cinematic epic still stands out as one of the best horror games ever made, but with a Rotten Tomato-voted movie adaptation and a similarly mixed response to Ballistic Moon's 2024 remake, I assumed the IP would accept its fate and slink back into the shadows. But Until Dawn 2 is on the way from a different British dev team – Liverpool-based Firesprite – and that one announcement trailer has given me confidence that the upcoming horror game is about to fill the boogeyman-shaped hole Supermassive left behind.

Breaking dawn

With its mysterious setting on an abandoned island, misfit ensemble of young wannabe ghost hunters, and plenty of terrified screaming for good measure, Until Dawn 2 is what campy B-movie slasher flicks are made of. It's the DNA that made Until Dawn such a thrilling joyride over a decade ago, old-school and slightly simplistic though the premise might be, and I for one find it incredibly refreshing.

Part of that is down to Supermassive's latest endeavor, Directive 8020. The developer takes a knife to its tried-and-true formula here to carve up something a little more serious: its first ever "corporate horror" game featuring a cast of actual adults. The sci-fi terror has nary a werewolf, cryptid, or serial killer in sight as it experiments with cat-and-mouse survival horror – another first for Supermassive – with a greater emphasis put on co-worker paranoia than who's crushing on who's boyfriend.

Directive 8020 sloughs off teenage viscera to reveal a fresh new face, and while it certainly kicks off the second season of the Dark Pictures Anthology with a commendable evolution, I couldn't help but miss the schlock of past terrors like The Quarry, The Devil in Me, and of course, Until Dawn.

But I also don't want to see a developer stuck in its past when it wants to move on, which is why I'm grateful for Firesprite.

From what little we've seen of Until Dawn 2, it manages to hit all the right notes. Young people getting themselves stranded on purpose in decidedly dangerous territory. Risky revels in the dead of night. Romantic entanglements that break the cardinal rule of horror movies as laid out by Scream. Oh, and someone gets their guts spilled over their shoes in the first minute. It's cheesy, it's silly, it's everything I've been longing for since rolling credits on Directive 8020's sobering deep space terror, and it's just become my most wanted upcoming PS5 game.

I also love that it's truly leaning into the cinematic feel with the help of some familiar faces. Baldur's Gate 3 fan favorite actor Neil Newbon co-stars as one of the few discernible adults in town, something that made me audibly whoop at my TV while watching State of Play last night, and I can't wait to see how his character maybe-definitely turns out to be a bad guy (listen, after seeing him in Detroit Become Human, the guy plays bad so good).

He's joined in the Until Dawn 2 cast by Stranger Things' Dacre Montgomery, who you also might recognize from 2017's Power Rangers movie and the unforgettable Elvis biopic. This game only has one trailer, and it's already my favorite horror movie that doesn't exist.

That really says it all. The astonished grin that spread over my face while watching it is proof that you really can't go wrong with good, old-fashioned slasher horror. There's a unique charm about stripping back the complexities of what the genre has become – the societal commentaries of Jordan Peele, the high-brow esoteric indies of A24 – to expose the bone and muscle of the thing itself. There's a mindless purity in screechy body horror, a thoughtless glee cementing that it's just as fun to run screaming from cannibals as it is to analyze the symbolism of zombies in The Last of Us. Until Dawn 2 will ensure that I'll always have something to reach for when I'm hankering for the former – and here's to many more to come.

Want more interactive horror movie thrills? Check out these games like Until Dawn and fight to stay alive.

10 long years later, Until Dawn 2 has been revealed, but if you were hoping for a direct continuation of the first game from OG studio Supermassive Games, you'll be disappointed on both counts. Until Dawn 2 seems to revolve around an entirely new cast of characters, and it's in development at Firesprite, the first-party PlayStation developer behind Horizon Call of the Mountain and a handful of other VR-first titles.

PlayStation dropped the announcement trailer for Until Dawn 2 during today's State of Play showcase, revealing a group of ghost hunters who don't know they're about to become the hunted. The trailer shows the young fools partying it up at an exotic and seemingly abandoned tropical destination called Akashima Island, which of course is said to be haunted. Then Baldur's Gate 3 star Neil Newbon shows up and belly flops into a pool. "Who's the buff idiot," one ghost hunter asks. "Does no one know this guy?" another asks, possibly a wink at Newbon's household status.

From there, things take a dark turn. Notably, I didn't see any mention or sighting of a Wendigo, the former humans-turned-monsters that serve as the main bad guys of the first Until Dawn. Instead, the only antagonists shown in the reveal trailer are some masked, machete-wielding hunters, which whack off one of the characters' legs.

Assuredly, this is still an Until Dawn game. We see one extremely critical quick time event toward the end of the trailer that results in a lad named Luke falling off a cliff to his bloody death, and the trailer closes out with the reveal that the psychiatrist character from the first game is back. "Can you do what needs to be done?" he asks ominously as a 2027 release window is shown.

I'm conflicted about this one. I have extremely fond memories of the first Until Dawn and have played it and re-played it at least a dozen times, but there's no denying Supermassive quality is inconsistent at best these days. That said, Firesprite hasn't proven itself as the lead developer on a non-VR, non-mobile first-party PlayStation game, so we'll have to wait and see how that shakes out. So far, I'm liking what I see.

Here are the best PS5 games you can play right now.

There are two Directive 8020 endings. This is, after all, a choose-your-own-adventure game, so your decisions have an impact on the outcome, something we have seen in previous Supermassive Games.

While you can kill each and every one of the Directive 8020 characters, and make what seem like significant decisions about the future of Earth itself, a major twist means that none of it really means anything, and your two potential Directive 8020 endings are just a slightly different monologue. Still, if you want to know more, here's how to get each one.

Warning: the following guide contains major spoilers for Directive 8020.

How to get different Directive 8020 endings

The Directive 8020 ending takes place after the credits, so be sure to stick through them, as the scene prior doesn't tell you how things wrap up.

There are two Directive 8020 endings: Scientist and Humanitarian. Here's how to get each one:

• Scientist: Increase Eisele's Rational Trait
• Humanitarian: Increase Eisele's Sympathetic Trait

You'll be able to change Eisele's traits throughout the game, by making certain decisions, like whether she shows empathy to her crew mates or sticks to her rigid science-first persona.

Directive 8020 endings explained

As you reach the Directive 8020 ending, you'll find out that your crew have been clones all along, and this isn't the first time they've been sent to their doom. The ever-suspicious Williams has always known about the aliens, and has been intentionally sending unwitting clone crews out to discover it to see how they react and what they can do with it, with each mission getting further than the one before.

With this in mind, the Directive 8020 ending becomes about whether the lives of clones should be considered as valuable as the original humans they were borne from, and your choice, though you don't know it, is whether the program should continue or be stopped.

Once you've listened through the crew's interviews during the credits, you'll meet the real Eisele, back on Earth, where she's been all along. There will be slight variation here, as Eisele confirms how many crew members survived your adventure, so check out my guide on how to save everyone in Directive 8020 if you want the whole crew to make it.

Then, Young - the real one - is being reprimanded for her interference in Cycle 13, and Eisele steps forward to make a statement to the panel. Really, though, it's to the player. What she says next depends on which of the above endings you reach, and determines whether you stop the program or let it go on:

• Scientist ending: Eisele will choose to continue the program, with hopes of using the alien matter to save humanity.
• Humanitarian ending: During the final cutscene, Eisele will decide to shutdown the program, sending no more clones to their demise.

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The Directive 8020 multiplayer mode makes some considerable changes to the systems we're used to in Supermassive games. This is, in part, down to the number of playable characters in the horror game, as well as how those characters participate in the story.

That said, there are two Directive 8020 co-op modes, and it still makes for a great couch co-op game. In either, you can even change each player's difficulty independently. There is no online multiplayer right now, but that is slated for release in a future update.

Directive 8020 Round Robin co-op explained

The first of the Directive 8020 multiplayer modes is Round Robin, which is a fun little local co-op mode, even though it may not scratch the itch left from previous Supermassive games.

Instead of each being able to play your own character, you instead just rotate each time the player character changes. Since this is local co-op, this method might not feel all that different from simply playing single-player and making decisions between you, but at least you each get a turn at controlling the characters. This can be played with up to five players in total, though you might be waiting a while between turns.

Directive 8020 Custom co-op

The Custom Directive 8020 multiplayer mode is little more like we're used to from Supermassive games, allowing each player to control specific characters. However, since there are six playable characters, each player much control multiple characters. You can play this with as few as two people, as each of you control multiple characters.

The great thing about this mode is that you can change which characters are in which player's control. You can even change how many characters a player controls, even having one player control five while the other controls just one, if you so wish. If this is the first time you're playing, though, my recommendation is to just stick with the characters that are automatically assigned. You may want to check out my guide on how to save everyone in Directive 8020, though, if you want to avoid killing off one player's characters.

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Whether you should send a distress call or a warning in Directive 8020 is one of the later decisions, but it also feels like one of the most important. The way the player character talks it up, you start to wonder whether this choice could have an impact on your overall outcome. This is a game of consequences, after all.

At least, that's what I thought, so I made sure to check what happens either way, but the crux of it is that it doesn't really matter, so go ahead and choose whichever you wish.

Should you choose to send a distress call or warning in Directive 8020?

Whether you choose Warn or Hope in Directive 8020 doesn't make a difference to the story, and only results in two alternative cutscenes.

In a way, this is a good thing, it means you can choose whichever answer you want. Narratively, though, it's a little disappointing, especially since the character discussing it suggests it could have a huge impact on Earth. Without saying too much, though, you'll soon learn that neither message means much at all.

What's more, three characters can be in play when making this decision. Depending on who remains alive - for which you may want to consult my guide to saving everyone in Directive 8020 - Stafford, Eisele, or Young could be making the call, but this also doesn't have an impact the affect.

The reason for this somewhat disappointing answer is that there's much more going on than you know at this point, so check out our guide to all Directive 8020 episodes to see how much of the story you've got left. You should also take a look at our list of Directive 8020 key codes if you're looking to see everything.

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There are a total of eight episodes in Directive 8020, but with the classic Supermassive choose-your-own-adventure playstyle, you might want to play through some scenarios more than once.

If you're wondering how long that might take you, then, I've rounded up the details on all the episodes and how long it takes to 'beat' Directive 8020 once, with a rough estimate of how long it might take to see every outcome. There are, of course, spoilers ahead, so don't say you weren't warned.

How long is Directive 8020?

One playthrough of Directive 8020 should take around eight hours to complete, but this will depend on your decisions, and whether you choose to look for collectible items.

If you want to experience everything Directive 8020 has to offer, though, you'll need to play through two to three times, leading to around 30 hours of gameplay. While you can use the turning points system to experience alternative outcomes to those you experienced during your first playthrough, some outcomes don't reveal themselves until later, meaning you may have to replay entire episodes to see the full effect. For example, if you kill a character in Episode 2, you have to fully play on from that scene to see their story play out in full.

How many Episodes are there in Directive 8020?

There are eight Directive 8020 Chapters, or Episodes, as they're known in game, each taking a different length of time to complete, getting longer as you near the end. Here's what to expect from each episode:

• Episode One - Little Star
  • Little Star is mostly linear and will take around half an hour to complete. The only alternate outcome here is whether you save Simms or let her go. This has a major impact on what's to come, and I'd recommend saving her for the story to make more narrative sense.
• Episode Two - Best Laid Plans
  • Now you get to meet more members of the crew as they're rudely awakened alarms. Again, this is a fairly short and relatively linear chapter, but you might want to take a look at my guide to saving everyone in Directive 8020 before you make a major decision during this episode.
• Episode Three - The Sample
  • In Episode 3, things start to kick off, and you can witness your first death here if you're not careful. Otherwise, it's another linear chapter with only a few alternate cutscenes, but that death has massive consequences going forward, so you may again want to check out the guide linked above.
• Episode Four - Dragnet
  • This is where a lot more impactful decision start to arise, and you can lose some more crew members here. While there isn't a lot of non-linearity here, there are more outcomes for your decisions, and more replayability.
• Episode 5 - Mr. Williams
  • Ultimately, most decisions in this episode don't hugely derail the story, so you can pretty much do as you wish. There is a potential death here, but it's mostly locked in from episodes 2 and 3. Otherwise, this lengthy chapter builds on the story more than anything.
• Episode 6 - Hostile Takeover
  • As we start to approach the game's climax, Episode 6 branches out more than any other so far, though much of this depends on which crew members have survived to this point. If you want to get the most out of this Episode, you'll need to replay the game a good two or three times at least.
• Episode 7 - Revelation
  • Episode 7 is a tale of two halves, split across an adventure outside of the Cassiopeia and dealing with the consequences of your actions back inside. While mostly linear, there are a couple of 50-50 decisions here that will change your overall outcome.
• Episode 8 - Come True
  • The big one. Reaching the ending of Directive 8020, you'll be faced with a lot more quick-time events that are the difference between life and death. Meanwhile, there are a lot of carrying outcomes in Episode 8 that depend on your previous actions, so seeing everything here requires a few playthroughs at least.

As you might expect from a Dark Pictures Anthology entry, then, there's a lot to see here. Ultimately, though, nothing impacts the ending massively, as I touch upon in my guide to choosing between sending a warning or a distress call, so don't worry too much about the choices you make, especially if you're not planning on experiencing every outcome - just play as you want to, and enjoy the consequences you face thereafter.

For more on the full experience, or if you're trying to decide whether to play, check out our Directive 8020 review to read Jasmine's thoughts.

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During this puzzle, Anders asks Cooper to make some Diazepam in Directive 8020. While you don't now why yet, she's definitely going to drug someone - after all, suspicions are high throughout the crew at this point. While the game directs you to the chemical formula to make the drug, it doesn't tell you what they are.

It's up to you to know (or find out) which are the three chemical names relating to the formulas, as you'll need to pick them out of the storage container holding nine different chemicals. When you know, you'll need to enter a three-digit code by interacting with the cabinet. These three digits are the three numbers associated to the three chemicals, entered in the sequence shown on the Directive 8020 Diazepam synthesis poster. If you're still a little lost, follow my walkthrough below.

All Directive 8020 Diazepam chemicals

At the first screen you're directed towards, you'll be shown the three chemical compound formulae that make up Diazepam. Luckily, if you aren't a chemistry whiz, the names of these compounds can be found around the room.

The chemical names are found on three separate posters. To make things easier, though, I've listed them below, and you can see them in the image above.

• Chloroacetyl Chloride
• Ammonia
• Dimethyl Sulphate

Because I'm nice, this list also shows the three chemicals in the correct order, so how do you combine them?

How to combine the Diazepam chemicals

Back at the storage cabinet, you'll be given a prompt to combine the chemicals, which actually opens a Directive 8020 key code screen. This number is only three-digits long, relating to the numbers of the three chemicals listed above.

In the cabinet, these chemicals are associated with the following numbers:

• Chloroacetyl Chloride: 1
• Ammonia: 6
• Dimethyl Sulphate: 8

• Diazepam key code: 168

Now simply enter these numbers, in this order, into the key code screen. The Diazepam will be automatically produced, and you'll be able to return to Anders to see what she's up to.

Though you're already playing the game, why not check out our Directive 8020 review to see what Jasmine thought of the horror game? And take a look at how many Directive 8020 Episodes you've got left.

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Fortunately, most Directive 8020 key codes aren't required to further the story. However, they do contain special collectible Secrets and other interesting and useful information to flesh out the story.

If you're interested in seeing what these locked doors are hiding, I've listed every Directive 8020 key code below, including one that is needed as part of the story. That said, if you'd rather try and find them yourself, they're never too far from the code reader itself.

If you'd prefer to just get on with things, though, keep reading for all the Directive 8020 key codes you need.

All Directive 8020 safe codes

If you want to find these yourself, I've listed them all separately below. If you're not bothered, though, here's every Directive 8020 key code:

• Locker room key code: 13576
• Carter's PC key code: 0828
• Food storage key code: 0402
• Diazepam key code: 168
• Anomaly Log key code: 3196

Locker room key card

For the first key code you come across, this is actually the hardest to find. To locate it (if you want to, though you can just use the code shared below), you must leave the locker room, head back to the Atrium, and use the stairs to reach the top level. Across from you, you can open a shutter with your utility strap. Look through the window and use your utility strap again to unlock the door before heading in. In here, you can find a couple of Secrets, but you'll also be able to access a security camera. This is where you'll see the key code for the locker room.

• Locker room key code: 13576

Carter's PC key code

The clue to finding Carter's PC key code lies in the sticky note on his monitor, which shows the word Luna, the name of Carter's daughter, and a party hat. If you've not already seen it, there's a calendar in the previous room - which also holds one of the many Directive 8020 Secrets - and on the calendar is where you'll find the date of Luna's birthday: August 28.

• Carter's PC key code: 0828

Food storage key code

To find the food storage key code during the Search quest, you actually need to unlock an extra room. Using the wedge tool, you need to unlock the room in one of the corners of the Mess Hall - it's the only one you can open with the wedge tool. Feel free to have a look around inside, but the code is actually on the door on the way out.

● Food storage key code: 0402

Diazepam chemicals code

This isn't your normal key code, but it does still appear as a key code screen, this time with three digits. I've got a full walkthrough to the Directive 8020 Diazepam chemicals puzzle if you want it, otherwise, the code you need can be found below.

• Diazepam code: 168

Anomaly Log code

Stranded on your own as Cernan, you need to find the rest of your crew. It won't help, but there's a screen in Bridge Ops, where you start the quest, that is locked by yet another Directive 8020 key code.

To find the code, walk through the door to the right of the screen and down the corridor to the cockpit. In here, you'll find another Secret, as well as a sticky note that reads: Anomaly Log code CAIF.

Of course, back at the keypad, you'll realize you need numbers, not letters, but it's a simple cypher. Simply correlate the numbers 1 to 9 with the first nine letters of the alphabet, and you've got your solution.

• Anomaly Log code: 3196

That's every single Directive 8020 key code solved for you, so you can find them yourself or skip it altogether and go straight to entering the right digits.

If you found this helpful, you might also want to check out my guides to saving everyone in Directive 8020, and my walkthrough for powering the Directive 8020 control room as Cernan.

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It looks like whatever entity has infiltrated the Cassiopeia has got to Williams, and now you need to stealth your way around him and power the control room door in Directive 8020 to get away.

Unfortunately, while you’re busy concentrating on Williams' whereabouts and whether he’s about to turn you into a mindless host for this apparent parasite too, you might not see where it is you need to go. Reaching the control room door is one thing, but powering it requires you to retrace your steps across the room, and I guide you through it below.

How to power up the Directive 8020 control room

To power the control room door while playing as Cernan and stealthing around Williams, you need to head back to the room at the other side of the area. To get in, you must open the window hatch, which can and should be done from the control room door so you’re safe from Williams. Hold RMB or LT to zoom in on the door panel opposite the control room door and click LMB or A to trigger it.

Next, stealth your way over to the window and hit RMB or A to vault over the window ledge. Once inside, turn to your right where there’s another open window to vault through. In here, you’ll need to interact with the panel on the wall ahead of you to power the control room door.

To leave, you’ll have to use the vents as Williams has now spotted you in this room. Use the vents to get back into the next room over, then stealth your way back to the control room door as you did before, using E or X to scan for Williams' location when needed.

Now the door is open, you can make your way through with ease - but that won’t be the end of it. Just make sure you hit every QTE you're given if you want to save everyone in Directive 8020, including Cernan.

As you progress from here, you're going to need to find a few Directive 8020 key codes, but I can help you out there. And, in another important puzzle, I can help you find the right chemicals to make Diazepam in Directive 8020.

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As a Supermassive game, you might be wondering whether you can save everyone in Directive 8020. After all, like the developer's previous games, including the Dark Pictures Anthology that it's part of, 8020 forces you to make constant decisions, changing the outcome of the story and the characters, including whether they live or die.

On a spaceship already in orbit, the cast list here is quite slim, so there aren't too many lives in your hands, but some can - and probably will - fall victim to a poor choice or a missed quick-time event, unless you know how to save them. My biggest tip throughout this whole guide is to avoid missing those QTEs, as plenty of deaths are possible by missing them. Most of those aren't in this list, as there are a lot of them. Instead, I'll warn you about specific decisions that can lead to deaths, but be warned, there are spoilers ahead.

Can you save everyone in Directive 8020

While you can't save Simms or Carter, you can save the main crew members who appear in the majority of the story, and whose stats and personalities are tracked and changed as you progress, along with Williams.

If you want to save everyone you can, again, hit every QTE. While some don't lead to any deaths, plenty do, especially in the late game, so don't risk it. If you do happen to miss any, you can rewind if you're quick, but it's best to try and hit them all first time. for other eventualities, I'll tell you how to save everyone below, but, again, there are serious spoilers here, so proceed with care. Here's a quick runthrough of the major moments to look out for:

• Save Stafford during the crash landing.
• Save Mitchell during the fire.
• Save Cernan and Eisele during their flashforwards.
• Don't shoot Williams when given the choice.
• Don't send the Eiseles through the scanner.
• Shoot the right Eisele when given the choice.
• Find the right Anders on Tau Ceti F.
• Hit every QTE during Episode 8.
• Take Williams with you when you get the chance.
• When given the option, help your crewmates, don't run.

It's also worth mentioning that, if you're doing this on a second playthrough, you will have to play the entire game, as just picking up from specific events won't change your history.

Episode 2 - Power up the Reactor

The first avoidable death arrives in Episode 3, but you'll need to make your first impactful decision in Episode 2, which also affects the life of another character later on, too.

During Power Games in Episode 2, when playing as Young, you can choose to either reroute power from the Landing Computer or Fire Control, but your choice affects what you do later on, and has the potential to kill both Stafford and Mitchell.

If you choose the Landing Computer

During Episode 5, Mitchell gets caught in a fire, so you must ensure that the Fire Control system is online for Mitchell to survive. If you rerouted the power from the Landing Computer in Episode 2, Simms will turn Fire Control off later in the Episode 2, as Eisele is following her. In this case, you must avoid Simms, get to the console, and turn Fire Control back on. If you fail, there is still a chance to save Mitchell by simply choosing to do so when given the option during the fire in Episode 5. In a disappointing revelation, narratively speaking, the alternative doesn't result in the death of another crew member.

During Episode 3, you'll have to crash land the Cassiopeia. During your descent, Stafford will try to reboot the landing gear using the back up system. Of course, you've turned it off. As such, the only way to save Stafford is to force him to Sit Down when he gets up - allow him to reboot the computer and he'll die.

If you choose Fire Control

If you did reroute the power from the Fire Control System back in Episode 2, it's already off, but you can still save Mitchell. This time, while playing as Eisele and trying to avoid Simms later in Episode 2, you must still avoid Simms and get to the console to activate the Fire Control System. If you fail, you can still save Mitchell by simply choosing to save him when given the option during the fire in Episode 5. Somewhat disappointingly, the alternative doesn't result in the death of a different crew member.

In Episode 3, during the crash landing of the Cassiopeia, Stafford will get up and try to reboot the landing gear using the backup system. While the decision to turn off the landing gear earlier can lead to his death, you chose the Fire Control System, so Stafford can safely reboot the computer and live.

Episode 6 - Close Encounter

This one fits the bill of hitting QTEs, but it's worth mentioning just in case. In Episode 6, the crew gets split up, and both Eisele and Cernan face the consequences of earlier flashforwards in which they battled with alien Stafford and alien Williams, respectively. If you survived these events, you've nothing to worry about, and my guide to powering the Directive 8020 control room in Cernan's flashforward can help. However, if either or both characters were injured, they can be killed in Episode 6, so be careful.

• If Cernan was injured during his encounter with Williams, either choose to send Eisele as backup at the end of Episode 5, or ensure he doesn't get caught by the alien version of himself in Episode 6.
• Similarly, if Eisele was injured during her encounter with Stafford, send Cernan as backup at the end of Episode 5, or be careful to avoid the alien Eisele.
• If both were injured, you can choose whomever you want to send out at the end of Episode 5, but just make sure they survive the encounter with their alien mimic.

Essentially, if either Cernan or Eisele get injured twice, they'll die in a cutscene during Episode 6 - no QTEs can save them.

Episode 6 - Should you shoot Williams?

This one's pretty simple, but in Episode 6 you'll be faced with the decision to shoot Williams or not. In this case, he's not an alien, so don't shoot Williams - the scanner's about to tell you as much anyway, so shooting him would be a bit extreme.

It'll also reveal sedatives in his system following the Directive 8020 Diazepam mission, for which I've got a full walkthrough if you need it.

Episode 6 - Scanner

During Episode 6, you'll start sending characters through a scanner to prove if they're real or not. Here, there's a chance to lose Eisele or Cernan, depending on whether Eisele is still alive. However, we'll assume she is given you're following this guide.

During the Scanner mission, you'll be faced with two Eiseles, and you'll need to decide whether to ask them to prove themselves, or force them both through the scanner which, if you ask me, if the obvious choice. However, to keep Eisele alive, you must choose the Test option. I'll let you use the network of Turning Points to see what happens if you don't.

However, this isn't the end. Ask the two Eiseles to talk themselves out of a bad situation, and you must then choose which you trust, shooting the other. Here, you must choose to shoot Eisele, not the newcomer, as the latter is the real deal.

Episode 7 - Anders' Imposter

Once you've landed the SEV on Tau Ceti F and have taken your first few steps on the planet with your remaining crew (which, with this guide, should be all of them), you'll soon get split up, leaving Anders alone. Naturally, those tricky aliens are going to try to lead you to a fake Anders, so make sure you go the right way.

This one's kind of obvious, but the alien is the one using a new contact, you can trust the existing Anders contact on your PDA, so should follow the direction they lead you in. When the unknown contact tells you you're going the wrong way, ignore it.

Episode 7 - Geoscience

If you're unlucky, there are a few ways to lose your entire crew in Episode 7, so while they're just QTEs and not decisions, they're definitely worth bringing attention to here.

As the crew tries to make it back through the infected Cassiopeia, Young will be cut off. Run into the lifeform and miss QTEs when she's in the Pod Room, and she'll die. Then, the others carry on. If the player character making their way through Geosciences or to the elevator is caught and killed, every single crew member from the Charybdis mission dies. In other words, during the crew's return to the Cassiopeia, don't miss any QTEs.

Episode 8 - Take or leave Williams

You get another chance to kill Williams in Episode 8, when faced with the option to take him with you or leave him behind on the doomed Cassiopeia. Obviously, if you want to save everyone, you need to take him with you, but I'll let you decide whether that's what you really want to do.

Episode 8 - Let Mitchell in

If you keep Mitchell alive during the fire, you still have a chance to lose him in Episode 8. The first time comes when he's locked out, and your player character has a chance to let him out or leave him behind. Obviously, you're going to want to save him - he can be trusted.

Episode 8 - Ceiling beam

The next time Mitchell is vulnerable in Episode 8 also comes as the remaining crew are trying to refuel the SEV to get off the Cassiopeia. A lifeform will pull down a ceiling beam, forcing your player character into a QTE. If you miss this, Mitchell will push them out of the way, leading to his own demise, so make sure you hit the QTE when the lifeform breaks the ceiling beam to save him.

Episode 8 - Help or run

Again during Episode 8, one of your player characters will be forced to choose between saving a team mate and running away as you come head to head yet again with a massive lifeform.

You should choose to help, of course, but be aware that you must then also pass a resultant quick-time event to save both characters.

Episode 8 - Getting out alive

Here's one last QTE-based mission that determines whether your team gets out safely. Nearing the end, the team have made it into the SEV and are grabbed by the giant lifeform on their way out of the Cassiopeia. One single QTE here is the different between life and death. Cooper will grab an oxygen tank and go to throw it out the door of the SEV, be sure to hit this QTE to ensure the survival of your crew.

With that, you've saved almost everyone aboard the Cassiopeia, though you might want to go back through the other Directive 2080 Chapters to see what other fates exist when you change your mind.

If you want to see everything the deadly horror game has to offer, make sure you find all the Directive 8020 key codes for secrets and collectibles.

© GamesRadar+. Not to be reproduced without permission.

Is there anything worse than waking from a four-year hypersleep to the sight of your CEO marching about in their underpants? Directive 8020's answer to that harrowing question is simple: yes. Because you could see all of your colleagues in their underpants, actually, and there may even be a murderer in the office as well.

The office in question is a space ship called the Cassiopeia. Sent by Corinth, a corporate entity owned by the aforementioned stripped-down CEO, Directive 8020 begins as the crew of this pioneering spacecraft conduct a recon mission into the orbit of an alien planet that humanity intends to colonize. It took the Cassiopeia years to get here, but mere seconds for me to accidentally get a key character killed after the ship gets invaded by a hostile alien life form.

Playing cat-and-mouse is a format twist I get along with. Directive 8020 has a greater focus on player agency than any other Dark Pictures game, although this experimental structure could be a sticking point for those who enjoy the arm's-length action of past instalments. Directive 8020 also features one of the most inconsistent casts in terms of voice acting performances, which frequently pulls me out of the moment for a brief wince. But when it's good, it's very good, and when it's not, I'm back in hypersleep.

Night shift

Developer Supermassive Games may have hacked off the official series moniker in the game title, but make no mistake: this is a Dark Pictures game through and through, and dying is one of my favorite parts of a Dark Pictures game.

I'm pleased to report that Directive 8020 has plenty of opportunities to slake that thirst for violence. The comforting familiarity of Supermassive's choose-your-path format assures me of this by its very design, while the survival horror gameplay poses a little extra challenge and suspense as I fight to keep the crew alive.

Well, most of them. One of Directive 8020's biggest challenges with its ensemble cast is that only a handful of them are genuinely likeable. A cold professionalism underscores most of the crewmates' conversations, making their motives or any deeper subtext much harder to parse than the bare-faced teen dramatics of The Quarry.

Themes of workplace paranoia prove far more stark and serious this time around, but there are glimpses of genuine, pre-established working relationships here. Medic Cooper is a close friend of science geek Anders, for example, while Commander Stafford's friendship with pilot Brianna Young's late father grants him in loco parentis status. In a game where there's not meant to be one standout Final Girl or Final Boy, Young's significance throughout the story refutes that entirely.

Despite my reservations about how well Supermassive might handle a more stoic setting and theme after years of teen slasher kicks, I'm largely impressed. Small touches point to the uniformity of life under Big Corp employ, with the crew's array of identical utility tools stripping back rank or character-specific items seen in past Supermassive games to put them all on equal footing.

Exploring the Cassiopeia armed with little more than a scanner, a screwdriver-like wedge tool for opening doors, and Corinth's answer to Slack strapped to my wrist makes for a simple, straightforward experience. I can check my messages with fellow colleagues intermittently, with my responses to their growing distrust, fear, or other anxieties helping shape a given character's personality traits. Build traits up high enough, and certain destinies get locked in place after reaching key story beats – should said character survive to see them.

As is par for the course in a Dark Pictures game, chances of survival in Directive 8020 are greatly improved if you have sharp reflexes. Atop quicktime events, pivotal decisions that can be rewound using the Turning Points time reversal screen, and building up character traits, stealth plays a huge role. Hiding from roaming mimics in real-time is a brand new level of stomach-churning tension, but really, it's nothing I haven't seen done better before in games like Outlast.

Stepping on broken glass draws enemies' attention, and keeping an eye out for distractions by way of TV screens to turn on and off would be useful if opportunities weren't so few and far between. There's no way of fighting back against the invading life forms, save for a timely wedge tool to the jugular the first time you get caught (if you're lucky), so progression really is a matter of plotting a careful path through the dimly-lit spaceship and knowing when to make a run for safety.

Survivor's guilt

While the survival horror and stealth elements offer a refreshing twist on Supermassive's known formula, implementation is rough around the edges. Manually running from enemies for a few seconds while juggling punishing QTEs feels clunky and confusing, and most of the time, an interactive cutscene would have kept up the pace. Back-to-back chase or hiding sequences are ramped up in frequency towards the back end of the game, getting less scary and more regimented each time – find a battery, power a door, crouch-run to it, repeat. There's a push-pull relationship here as The Dark Pictures' classic DNA merges with Directive 8020's newness – a solid effort, although the novelty of it all didn't persist through the 10 hours of playtime.

Everything I love about past Dark Pictures games is still here in Directive 8020 – it's an atmospheric, tense interactive movie with moments of high-stakes choice and consequence – but the rudimentary survival horror inflections don't feel robust enough to make stealth stand out as a major unique selling point.

It's clear that Supermassive missed a trick to push things to the next level. The toolset stays the same throughout the story, leaving limited scope for true interactivity other than texting your colleagues or hiding behind crates. My scanner has unlimited charges, meaning I can spam it with little consequence, and the stealth moments are so insular and clearly signposted that it detracts from the anxiety of knowing when I should or should not have my flashlight turned on. It all makes for a limited, slightly less sophisticated handling of the sub-genre's touchstones than I'd hoped to see as Supermassive takes a step in a very interesting new direction.

One area where Supermassive shines brightest is its cinematic writing, and there's plenty of narrative richness to be found here. Watching cracks form in the crewmates' resolves, one of them forcing all other survivors through a biometric scanner to confirm their humanity, makes for agonizingly satisfying storytelling. Flash-forwards and flashbacks offer more pieces to fit into the ever-growing puzzle. Before long, I'm right there alongside the crew wondering what is or isn't real.

It's just a shame that if you're a little too fastidious in checking your Turning Points, which I certainly am, you get major plot twists completely spoiled for you. It's a huge let-down. Considering how many twists and turns there are in Directive 8020, many of them are either hampered from the jump thanks to Turning Points or end up as red herrings with little meaningful consequence to the overarching story.

The disappointment makes it hard to replay Directive 8020 with hopes of seeing a more positive outcome – or a more grisly one if you're freaky like that – especially when I only started getting truly invested in the story around the fifth of its eight chapters after a grudgingly slow start.

Ultimately, Directive 8020 is not the groundbreaking intergalactic horror romp I was expecting, but it's not a bad time either. Well-written in places, overly derivative of its Alien or Dead Space influences in others, it's still a solid 10-hour adventure that gives me hope for the future of The Dark Pictures Anthology. It's heartening to see Supermassive being playful again, tinkering with the tools that brought us epic slasher stories like Until Dawn and, much like whatever is stalking the crew of the Cassiopeia, showing intentions to evolve further still.

Directive 8020 was reviewed on Xbox Series X with additional testing on PC using codes provided by the publisher.

Paranormal Activity: Threshold has been one of the most promising upcoming horror games on my radar since it was revealed back in 2024, and so it's with great sadness that I'm now reporting on its complete cancellation.

Brian Clarke, the legendary horror indie developer behind 2022 mortician simulator The Mortuary Assistant, took to social media to share the incredibly disappointing news of Paranormal Activity: Threshold's cancelation. The thing that makes this all the more stinging to digest is that the issue wasn't a lack of interest or direction on Clarke's part – it was license holder Paramount denying Clarke the additional time he felt he needed to deliver on his vision for the game.

"It's no secret that game development means constant change and challenges especially as a solo indie," Clarke wrote. "It became clear that the game needed more time to ensure it was the best it could possibly be. [Publisher] DreadXP stood by my need for more time and, together, we made a request to Paramount for a time extension."

Unfortunately, according to Clarke, "Paramount did not agree to extend development," which left the developer with "two choices: Rush through development and release a sub-par product I would not be proud of or request we go our separate ways." Clark "chose the latter."

While I selfishly wish Clarke was able to ditch the Paranormal Activity association and continue making the game with a new title and world, it seems he's moving on from the project entirely, adding, "DreadXP stood by me every step of the way and we parted ways with Paramount amicably. It was an honor to even be considered to work on an IP I love so much."

The Mortuary Assistant is a fantastic horror game that didn't deserve the middling 2026 movie adaptation it got, and Paranormal Activity, despite its inconsistency as a film series, is one of my favorite modern horror franchises and one I deeply feel is ripe for a game adaptation. Clarke's involvement seemed ideal, which makes this news a huge bummer, but I take some solace in him saying he's "not going anywhere."

"I may need a small vacation, but I am excited and eager to return to my corner of horror that you all have so generously allowed me to occupy."

Here are the best horror games you should be playing in 2026.

Mike Myers hasn't been on our screens much over the past few years, but he's eyeing up some future projects. The Shrek and Austin Powers star recently made a cameo in the Michael Jackson movie Michael. When promoting the film, he was asked what project he'd like to do next – and he had the perfect answer.

"I've never done a horror movie," Myers replied to Lionsgate Horror. "And my name is Michael Myers so it's a little weird that I have thus far avoided it." Of course, Michael Myers is the serial killer in the Halloween franchise and has appeared in all of the spin-offs. He's been played by several actors over the years too so the Austin Powers star could even end up behind the mask himself.

As for a full-on horror movie, we'd love to see what Myers would bring to that. While he's a great comedian, we've had glimpses of his dramatic acting chops too in movies like Terminal and his cameo in Inglourious Basterds. He also dipped his toe in horror comedy in the 1993 movie So I Married an Axe Murderer where he played a man who suspected his girlfriend of being a serial killer.

Next up for Myers is Shrek 5, which has been confirmed for 2027. The original cast are all coming back for that, including Eddie Murphy and Cameron Diaz, alongside newcomer Zendaya. Though, Antonio Banderas's Puss in Boots isn't confirmed yet.

For more upcoming movies, check out our guides to all the new horror movies and the new superhero movies coming out in 2026 and beyond.

We don't know much about Alien: Isolation 2 - there isn't even an official title yet - but it's been confirmed that the sequel is being built on another engine. Specifically, Unreal Engine 5, and this has raised a number of questions and concerns about the follow-up from Creative Assembly.

The studio's own website gave it away in job listings for the Xenomorph-filled project. "This is an excellent opportunity for a talented senior development manager to join the sequel to Alien: Isolation being built in Unreal Engine 5 (UE5)," reads a post on the company's site.

No further information is given on the game's status. This a marked change in direction, as the original was made using the Cathode Engine, a bespoke framework created for Alien: Isolation. Since that's the only game it was ever used on, there was perhaps a belief that Creative Assembly might maintain using it for a second installment.

That's not the case, and despite it being very early days on the sequel, this has sparked some worries among fans. Alien: Isolation stands out for the level of atmosphere and tension maintained throughout. The Xenomorph AI combined with the shadowy layout of the Sevastopol, which was very in line with the lived-in vibes of the Nostromo, made for a riveting, albeit terrifying, recreation of the spirit of Ridley Scott's classic film.

Switching engines could result in a different feel and texture, and fans are already bracing themselves for the change – and potential performance issues. "Welp, I'm not holding any hopes for the stability of the game," says one response on Twitter. "This completely ruins any enthusiasm I have for the game," says another.

The first proper teaser went live this past Alien Day, on April 26, providing a brief look at what might be an off-world colony, followed by one of the phones you'd use to save the game in Isolation. In the spirit of optimism, let it be known we're still months if not years away from playing this, and Creative Assembly is still the team constructing the terror. And, yes, there are plenty of good, stable Unreal Engine 5 games. Maybe let the devs cook.

Until Dawn dev's new sci-fi horror builds on Alien and The Thing's coworker paranoia: "It's a different, more mature way of viewing relationships"

By the time I figure out how to run, the danger has passed. It's my first foray into The Cassiopeia, the spacecraft where Directive 8020 is set, and my first duty is to learn the slightly baffling controls as I struggle to elegantly run away from Supermassive Game's newest slice of horror. But, there is something fitting about scrambling with the controls during my first taste of the upcoming horror game's stealth gameplay, desperately crouching-walking from behind a desk while a pulsating red aura around the edges of my screen warns me against it.

These moments of hide-and-seek stealth are a first for the series. Supermassive Games' The Dark Pictures Anthology, alongside Until Dawn and The Quarry, are cinematic horror narrative games where choice, consequence, and branching timelines govern everything. Enemy encounters are scripted, and save for some quicktime events and shotgun trigger-pulling, you're at the whims of a director like in the best of slasher flicks. Perform badly and blood and guts will spill no matter how stealthy you try to be.

After spending 25 minutes with it, Directive 8020 still holds true to most of these roots while attempting to elevate the second season of The Dark Pictures Anthology (yes, despite the dropped branding, this is still technically part of the series) to more serious, survival horror-tinged heights – and its dearth of screaming teenagers says it all.

Not-so quiet quitting

Gone are the days of boyfriend drama and timid sapphic awakenings; Directive 8020 has nary a frisky group of teenagers fighting werewolves in sight, nor is it an ode to splatter movies riddled with clever Easter eggs. Instead, it zeroes in on a group of adult professionals on their worst day at the job imaginable.

A professional context means professional attitudes. As Supermassive Games' senior producer Hannah Sigston puts it, Directive 8020 is a "corporate sci-fi" horror game. This focus on the world of work can be found throughout the spacecraft, from "patented, branded things" like the handy "tap strap" on each character's wrist (useful for scanning environments to find points of interest) to the multitools they carry at all times. Each character has the same set of utility tools; think of it as standard issue space-techie gear for employees of Corinth.

Sigston stands by the tagline of "The Thing in space" when describing Directive 8020, with a mysterious entity infecting and ensnaring Corinth employees, while survivors struggle to keep track of who they can trust. Who lives or dies is yours to decide. Or rather, it's down to how fast your reflexes are; scuffling with a roaming enemy leads to me missing a QTE and one of my characters getting a multitool to the left orbital socket as a consequence.

Relationships still play a role in Directive 8020, albeit "not in the way that it might have been before," says Sigston. "These relationships are much more built around friendships, working relationships and points of tension" as paranoia sets in. "So it's a different, more mature way of viewing relationships, which is cool and it fits the setting really nicely."

This pivot toward maturity from B-movie camp means everything is a lot more stern in Directive 8020. I listen in on a serious conversation between two of the player characters as they discuss the process of terraforming, as well as whether or not I think it's a good thing for human society at all. I play devil's advocate, selecting that of course it's a brilliant idea. My character's grave expression underscored by the jovial chuckle of his off-camera colleague feels as ominous as the 'Turning Point' warning flashing across the screen.

Of course, I've been thrown into a chopped-up collection of scenes from just one of the game's many episodes, and have no idea if terraforming is a good thing to do in the context of Directive 8020's world at all (heads up – Sigston confirms that it's still very much part of the first season's universe). Choices have rippling consequences here, which is something I've come to respect after one of my early game decisions led to someone dying of decompression sickness in the final moments of The Dark Pictures Anthology: Man of Medan.

I don't have a chance to see how my terraforming advocacy plays out, because I'm sent right back into the thick of it.

Clocking in

The ensemble cast reshuffles and I'm now in the shoes of Brianna. Sent into the ventilation system, handy firearm in-hand (that's another choice I made – why wouldn't I want my crew to have a gun at a time like this?) to secure each segment.

As I crouch down to move through the cramped vents, the camera swaps from third to first person, and I love it. It's barely-lit in here, the odd bulb flickering in the near darkness as I move slowly, each footstep ringing out with a hollow metallic thud. Out of the corner of my eye, I see something run straight through my path.

"It's telegraphing the horror," Sigston says of the decision to swap perspectives for sequences like this. "There's certain things that work better in first-person and certain things that work better in third. Resident Evil 9 is a really good example," she offers. Close, confined areas call for a greater stress on "jump scares and audio horror," putting players in the driver's seat. "But if we're trying to get that 'I'm in the middle of nowhere and I'm running, I'm being chased' [feeling], third person lends itself really naturally to that."

Something else that works well in third person is Directive 8020's stealth segments. The very start of my hands-on session has me creeping through a section of the spacecraft guided by another character watching from the security cameras, helping me avoid danger.

I need to duck behind desks, waiting for enemies to pass, while a pulsing danger detector not unlike the one in Still Wakes the Deep (AKA "The Thing on an oil rig," if that sounds familiar) alerts me to the presence of nearby hostiles. I'm surprised by how seamlessly these bursts of stealth work in a Dark Pictures game, opening up not only more chances to mess up, but more chances to play with what we've come to expect from choice-driven narrative games.

"Marrying that together with the stealth encounters, it was actually a really natural process," Sigston reflects of the decision to bring in survival horror elements. "It just made sense that that would be the next thing that we do, especially in a sci-fi setting, because it works so well." She references Alien: Isolation, Dead Space, and movies like Event Horizon when it comes to the kinds of "sci-fi tropes" at work here – the tension, the eeriness, the claustrophobic tin can drifting unanchored in an ever-expanding, infinitely unknowable universe. "We were able to sort of take all those lovely things and put our Supermassive DNA on it."

Check out all the upcoming horror games to watch for in 2026... if you've the stomach for it

What better way to celebrate Alien Day than a teaser for the long-awaited sequel to the best game in the franchise? No, not Colonial Marines 2 – I'm talking about Alien: Isolation 2, of course, as Creative Assembly has posted the first snippet for the Xenomorph-filled follow-up.

The video went live on April 26, dubbed 'Alien Day' because it's 4/26, matching LV-426. Clever, eh? Anyway, it's called False Sense of Security, and the 25-second clip shows a locked door at the end of a dark corridor suddenly open to some foggy, gray, stormy outdoors.

Then, we cut to an emergency phone, before the video ends entirely. Those who've played Isolation will know, those phones serve as save stations, beacons of refuge as the Xenomorph stalks you in Isolation.

The tension is real. The description is merely the definition of the title: "A feeling of being safer than one really is." Seems to be implying those phones won't be as helpful as before. Joy!

While we're not given any substantial context, it seems like this'll be set on a colony, as opposed to the space station Sevastopol of the original. If that's the case, Creative Assembly may be going for more of an Aliens vibe, which is no bad thing in my book.

A particularly appealing angle narratively would be if this was a prequel to Aliens, showing the downfall of Hadley's Hope, and tying into the established canon without disrupting it, similar to Isolation's relationship to Alien. But that's speculation on my part, and I have complete trust in whatever the devs are up to here.

Over 11 years on from the release of the first game, it's fair to say fans are excited, anyway. "In space, no one can hear you scream. But planet-side, you don't want to be heard," one writes in the comments on YouTube. Or, as another succinctly puts it: "Back into the nightmare."

Steam made him "radioactive," but the creator of banned horror game Horses wants his next project to be just as disturbing: "I need to stay loyal to the vision."

With these Amber Alert codes, you can start to save up some precious amber for unlocking expensive Classes. Others grant crates for cool new weapon skins, so there are plenty of rewards to be had.

In this Roblox horror experience, survival comes down to your character's abilities, and the best classes cost a serious amount of Amber. These Amber Alert codes alone won't be enough, though, so keep checking back to make sure you don't miss any.

If you'd prefer to grab some general rewards that can be used in every experience, then we've got the latest Roblox promo codes you can claim.

All Amber Alert codes

These are the Amber Alert codes that can currently be redeemed in-game:

• Endless - 5x Amber Crates new!

As you can see from the list above, Amber Alert codes offer various rewards, but most of them of course revolve around amber, the appropriately-named in-game currency.

These codes are also case-sensitive, so remember to copy them exactly as they appear above.

How to redeem Amber Alert codes

To redeem Amber Alert codes, you must be in the lobby area, where you should click on the Shop button at the bottom of the screen. Then, scroll to the bottom, enter the code into the redemption box, and click Claim. You'll hear a sound alert if the code is invalid, but your rewards will be shown above the box after a successful claim.

Expired Amber Alert codes

• BACKROOMS
• 20KMEMBERS
• SEWERS - 50x Amber
• NEWMAP - Amber Crate
• PART2 - Asylum Crate, Amber Crate
• MORECLASSES - 50x Amber
• ChristmasHouse - 1 Wheel Spin
• AMBERALERT2 - 80x Amber
• DELAYREWARD - 2x Amber Crates
• DELAYBOOST - 2-hour Amber Boost
• WELCOMEHOME - Free Wheel Spin

The expired Amber Alert codes above show us that promos do indeed have a time limit, so it's best to redeem any active codes as soon as possible to avoid missing out.

© GamesRadar+. Not to be reproduced without permission.

One of the most exciting new games on the horizon is Prove You're Human, from the acclaimed developer behind 1000xResist and a new publisher from the folks behind Slay the Princess. Both parties believe hyper-realistic graphics often feel uncomfortable, but that's exactly the feeling they're chasing in the upcoming horror.

Prove You're Human is a unique concept indeed. Set inside what looks like a Windows desktop background with its lush, rolling hills, an AI robot wearing a woman's face desperately wants to convince you she's a human. A real human. Her design alone is rooted deeply in the uncanny valley - a skin and flesh face solemnly hangs off a neck made from tangled wires and metal - and that was entirely intentional.

Speaking to GamesRadar+ in an exclusive interview, creative director Remy Siu says the developer's visual design goal was "a real sense of uncomfortable uncanniness." Siu rejects the sentiment that developers should avoid the uncanny valley. "We're just like: let's jump into the uncanny valley, and feel our way around that. And so our desire from the very beginning was to try and achieve a kind of uncanny uncomfortableness."

Black Tabby Publishing's co-founder Tony Howard-Arias thinks "that's something that games are really suited for as a medium, particularly in this moment where you have this endless pursuit of fidelity at all costs." Games are a digital medium that seem semi-obsessed with 'photorealism' at times and that's perfect fuel for Prove You're Human.

"Not only does that, you know, cost a fortune, but the closer you get to reality, the more mildly off putting it feels," Howard-Arias adds. "So, why not lean into that as one of the strengths of the medium, instead of struggling against what feels like an asymptotic horizon you can never reach?"

Prove You're Human doesn't have a release date yet, but you can wishlist it on Steam now.

Be sure to buff up your Steam wishlists with our upcoming indie games of 2026 guide.

With Bite by Night codes, you can earn yourself some valuable Scrap in the Dead by Daylight and FNAF-inspired Roblox experience. This Scrap can then be used to purchase new killers and survivors, each with their own unique stats, so it's pretty handy to have some saved up.

Since Bite by Night is a fairly new Roblox game, there haven't been enough codes to unlock every free character yet, but we'll add them here when they're made available.

If you'd like some more general rewards that can be used in all experiences, then we've got the lowdown on Roblox promo codes for your account.

All Bite by Night codes

The Bite by Night codes below are ready to redeem in-game right now:

• HOTFIX - 500 Scraps

While previous Bite by Night codes provided enough in-game currency to unlock a couple of the characters that can be purchased, this option has been disabled at the time of writing.

How to redeem Bite by Night codes

To redeem Bite by Night codes, you must be in the waiting area between matches. From here, select the Settings menu on the left-hand side of the screen, then scroll to the bottom where you'll find the codes box. Enter the code, press Redeem, and reap your rewards.

Expired Bite by Night codes

• QUICKFIX - 1,000 Scrap
• SORRYGUYS - 1,000 Scrap

The previous two Bite by Night codes have expired since the removal of code redemption, and haven't been reactivated since it's return. Instead, the one new code above can be redeemed, but will likely also expire in time, so be sure to redeem it ASAP.

Meanwhile, the real FNAF and Dead By Daylight games deserve your time, and we've even got a list of the latest DBD codes to redeem in the king of asymmetrical multiplayers.

© GamesRadar+. Not to be reproduced without permission.

It's been a while, but Lethal Company's solo developer Zeekerss has finally unveiled a big, brand-new update for his smash-hit horror game on Steam – and he's already got more up his sleeve for the future, too.

Nearly a year has passed now since the last major Lethal Company patch, Version 70 (also dubbed the "Incubating Update"), dropped in June of 2025. Although we've seen a few more minor fixes roll out since then, there hasn't been anything quite as big – until this week, that is.

As Zeekerss unveils alongside some official new patch notes on Steam, Version 80 is here (in beta so far, anyway), and boy, is it packing.

"V80 brings a complete rework of March's exterior," as the dev explains, "a wide range of bugfixes, performance improvements, and other improvements, three new creatures (and a returning creature), a few new rooms for the factory interior, and the utility slot."

Sounds like a lot, if you ask me – but Zeekerss isn't done with Lethal Company, or adding new features and content to the beloved indie gem, just yet.

"This update isn't quite as content-heavy as it is feature-focused, but it sets up the game with all sorts of under-the-hood fixes and adjustments to fix things I've broken over the past few updates, so I'll be able to think more about just adding new content real soon," as he says.

"This is just the start. Where V70 was mostly just for the costly snow moons, this update focuses on the forest moons, and I also hope it makes the game better for newcomers."

The dev then provides a full rundown of all the additions and tweaks to come with Version 80, as well as an eerie trailer that I can't get enough of. The dark, foggy woods coupled with the static-y music, ominous messages, and radio-esque voice… this is what Lethal Company is all about. You know, scaring the ever-living heck out of us and all of our pals. I can hear a fox-like scream at around 0:27, too – welcome back, Kidnapper Fox...?

I'm not the only fan looking forward to having their pants scared off by new and returning creatures alike, either, and the trailer's comments prove as much. As one person excitedly puts it, "FINALLY, A LETHAL COMPANY UPDATE!" Finally, indeed.

Life after Lethal Company: solo creator Zeekerss says "weirdly, not a lot has changed" after one of the biggest indie hits in recent memory, and he still has "a good handful of ideas for games"

Dead by Daylight's 2v8 mode does pretty much what you'd expect - it pits two deadly killers against a team of eight resourceful survivors in a chaotic deathmatch. Naturally, this means some things have to change, like the size of the map for example. There are also no standard perks in this mode, with pre-built classes for each side instead.

Since this is a limited-time mode, it's not always playable, and it also changes with each iteration. Here, I've detailed the release date of the next DBD 2v8 mode and what's new.

When is DBD 2v8 coming back?

DBD 2v8 mode returns to the horror game in September 2026, as revealed during the anniversary stream on June 14, and confirmed as part of the DBD roadmap.

As this is a few months away, we don't yet know what form the next DBD 2v8 iteration will take, but we're due the addition of a new killer or two. If you're interested in how killers are added to the mode, and why it takes so long, this dev livestream is a very interesting watch.

While we wait for the game mode to arrive, there's still plenty more to keep us busy, including the new Black Banquet DBD event and other limited time modes.

How DBD 2v8 works

To keep things balanced, some things have to change when double the players are participating in a Dead by Daylight trial. Here's a brief rundown of what you need to know:

2v8 mode generators

Since there are more survivors, naturally there need to be more generators. Instead of the usual seven, there are now 13 generators, of which eight must be repaired to power the exit gates.

2v8 mode maps

Since the maps have to be much bigger to accommodate these additional generators and ten players, not all are available in the mode yet, and the maps Behaviour has modified so far are:

• Coal Tower
• Groaning Storehouse
• Shelter Woods
• Suffocation Pit
• Ironworks of Misery NEW!
• Azarov's Resting Place
• Gas Heaven
• Wreckers' Yard
• Wretched Shop
• Rancid Abattoir
• Rotten Fields
• The Thompson House
• Torment Creek
• Disturbed Ward
• Father Campbell's Chapel
• Treatment Theatre
• Mother's Dwelling
• Family Residence
• Temple of Purgation NEW!
• Sanctum of Wrath
• Mount Ormond Resort
• Dead Dawg Saloon
• Raccoon City Police Station
• The Shattered Square

2v8 mode classes

The final important thing to note is that killers and survivors can no longer take in their usual loadouts. Instead, you can choose between four classes. For killers, these classes have a unique effect depending on the killer you're playing as, while they determine the item and skills each survivor player takes into the trial. For example, the Guide skill shows other survivors when you are working on a nearby generator and gives you a trap with which to stun killers.

While all killers can reveal survivors auras when damaging generators, classes also offer both a unique killer skill and a team skill. The killer classes and their team skills are:

• Brute - gives additional bonuses when damaging generators and makes breaking pallets faster.
• Enforcer - reveals a hit survivor to your teammate and increases their lunge attack if you down the first survivor.
• Fearmonger - grants haste when you are undetectable and reveals nearby survivors to your teammate whenever you injure a survivor.
• Shadow - become undetectable whenever you cage a survivor and haste when near your teammate.

Since they differ for each killer, though, you'll need to check in-game what each class means for your favorite killer pick.

They are:

• Escapist - reveals auras and pallets, gives you and nearby teammates haste when you use your special ability. You gain the ability to heal yourself once you've been caged once.
• Guide - reveals the four nearest generators to you and your generator to nearby survivors. You can also trap generators to stun killers when damaged.
• Medic - grants the ability to immediately heal nearby survivors by 50%, you can also fully recover from dying.
• Scout - reveals killer auras with the Scouts line of sight, and has the ability to pick up and rebuild pallets.
• Torchbearer - allows you to see nearby survivors in chase and passively charges a flashbang that can save a teammate from being caged. Can also recover fully from the dying state.

2v8 mode killers

Given that killers have their own unique powers, each one has to be carefully considered before being added to the mode, meaning you might not be able to take your favorite killer into 2v8. The killers currently available are:

• The Trapper
• The Wraith
• The Hillbilly
• The Nurse
• The Huntress
• The Spirit
• The Deathslinger
• The Blight
• The Legion
• The Nemesis
• The Mastermind
• The Ghost Face
• The Oni
• The Dark Lord
• The Executioner
• The Good Guy

2v8 mode hatches

With the other changes also comes a change to how hatches work as the game comes to a close. In 2v8 mode, there are three hatches spread across the larger maps, and they spawn when two survivors remain. Both survivors also cannot leave through the same hatch - it's every man for himself at this point.

Since there's a lot to learn with 2v8 in Dead By Daylight, the good news is that your MMR won't be affected by matches in any LTM, so you can just jump in the chaos and give it a try. You will earn Bloodpoints as usual, and there are often some great rewards to pick up while you're at it. Speaking of Bloodpoints, make sure you've redeemed the latest DBD codes for Bloodpoints and cosmetic items.

While you're here, take a look at what we know about the next DBD update and when it might arrive.

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As we look ahead to the next DBD update, there are a few things to keep in mind. There are constant leaks from the community, and while some can seem very convincing and exciting, they might not be legit. Thankfully, we have some solid details about what's coming up in Dead by Daylight, including when the next DBD PTB takes place. Below, I've laid out when you can participate in the next DBD PTB, how to do so, and everything else we know about the next DBD update.

Next DBD PTB release date

The PTB for the Chorus of Sin Chapter should arrive on Tuesday, August 4, 2026, three weeks before the full launch of the new update.

This Chapter features a new killer, The Judgment, and a new survivor, Aurora, but there is no new map this time around. Instead, a new Mall map is coming to the horror game in December.

Next DBD update release date

The next DBD update release date is Tuesday, August 25, 2026, featuring the new survivor Aurora, and new killer The Judgment. Chapter 41, Chorus of Sin, will likely roll out at around 8am PT, 11am ET, 4pm BST.

This original Chapter is the first to have ever been created in collaboration with the DBD community, and various stages of the process were voted on by the public via The Grimoire, including the survivor and killer designs, names, and even the Chapter theme music.

Chorus of Sin seemingly has a religious theme, with The Judgment appearing as an ethereal godlike creature, using light as part of their power. Aurora, meanwhile, is the survivor that was voted on by the public. An older, grey-haired woman, Aurora is the first older female survivor - though there is some confusion about Yun Jin's canonical age, and whether she is actually around 50.

How to join the DBD PTB

To take part in the DBD PTB, you must own the game on Steam. Unfortunately, the test builds are not available on any other platform. To access the PTB on Steam, follow these steps:

• Only when the PTB is live, fully close and relaunch Steam.
• Locate and right-click on Dead by Daylight in your Library.
• Go to Properties, and then select the Game Versions and Betas tab.
• If the PTB is live, you'll see the Public-Test-Build branch in the dropdown.
• Select the PTB branch and update Dead by Daylight.
• Once the update completes, launch the game, and you'll be in the PTB version.

Once the PTB ends, you will need to update the game again to return to the main version. Similarly, if you want to return to the main game before the end of the PTB, follow the steps above again, only this time select Default Public Version from the drop-down list.

We've got other guides to keep you up to date with the latest going ons in DBD, including the upcoming DBD Black Banquet event and everything else on the DBD roadmap for this year. You should also check out our list of the latest DBD codes for free cosmetic items and Bloodpoints.

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It wasn't ideal for Andrea Lucco Borlera's first game Horses to get roundhouse kicked to Hell with unforgiving bans on Steam and Epic, but the Italian designer won't let a bit of controversy kill his macabre ambitions.

"It is perceived as radioactive in terms of publisher," Borlera tells GamesRadar+ about his ideas for his next project. Horses, a black-and-white surrealist horror about brainwashed humans acting equine, was made in collaboration with Milan-based studio Santa Ragione. Borlera's next idea "is a continuation in terms of, we can say, alt-reality," and he's married to it even if others disapprove. Though, he is uncomfortably attuned to the fact that others might not like it.

"It will be not mainstream, so, I don't know," Borlera says. Horses' bans led to a decent amount of publicity and 18,000 copies sold in its first two weeks on Itch, the Humble Store, and GOG – which supported it loudly when other storefronts wouldn't, but the experience has still made Borlera "much more aware than the past." Nonetheless, he says, "I need to stay loyal to the vision."

"The problem is that there is no niche in the sense that, speaking about mainstream cinema, for example – there are a lot of horror and horror company that make horror film. But you have Blumhouse, for example, you have A24," Borlera says. Blumhouse is known for its expensive B-movies while A24 funds more cerebral horror, and though I think video game studios have similar distinctions – Supermassive prefers interactive horror, Remedy is phantasmagorical – the industry certainly has fewer homes for horror than film.

Borlera continues, "In video games, there is no equivalent. So it's hard to find partner that can fit with your vision." But, still, he's planting his freak flag. "In the worst case, I could consider the Kickstarter way, or making by myself along the years."

After selling 100,000 Steam copies in a week, publisher behind 8-year-old horror game says continued investment is key: "In 30 years, we've had 30 Resident Evil games."

The first Hello Neighbor game has sold over 100,000 copies in a single week and broken its previous Steam player peak a whole eight years after it first launched out of Early Access. How? Its publisher says that it's been investing in the stealth-horror series the entire time, and its recent success is just a "direct result of a strategy we embarked on a decade ago."

Publisher tinyBuild's CEO Alex Nichiporchik shares the incredibly impressive stats in a long, detailed blog posted online. Hello Neighbor first held playtests almost a decade ago before hitting 1.0 in 2018, but December 2025 was actually the game's strongest December ever in terms of sales as it moved around 60,000 copies.

Nichiporchik explains that momentum for the series in general was reaching a fever pitch because of a variety of factors: several mods recently went viral online, the game's animated show seems to be popping off, and its mobile port still gets millions of monthly downloads. That all laid the groundwork for Hello Neighbor's recent 90% Steam discount, which moved another 100,000 copies in just a week.

"There is a lot to unpack here," Nichiporchik writes. "I've been saying for years that traditional indie publishing is dead. It's not a sustainable business model for devs nor publishers. In video games, value gets unlocked over years and often decades, whereas the traditional business model focuses on mostly new game IPs and short-term profits. When you have a hit on your hands – and it's usually a new video game IP – it's critical to build an infrastructure that supports longevity."

The CEO then points to outside examples, such as Stardew Valley and PUBG's decade-long runs of incredible popularity. "In 30 years, we've had 30 Resident Evil games (counting remakes) with the latest one becoming a record setter for the franchise," he adds. "How many Mario games have you played?"

Nichiporchik also notes that it's "statistically easier to get from say $1m in revenue to $10m, than from $0 to $1m." Essentially, it's better to invest in a hit game and multiply revenue than to start from scratch and hope you can capture lightning in a bottle twice.

"And value can unlock over decades in a franchise. Resident Evil 9 was the best launch of the series, which had a lot of ups and downs over the past 30 years. This is why we're seeing so many reboots in Hollywood, and so many remasters of older video games. It's also why whenever you look at a digital storefront's top sales charts, there's always a few 'ever green' hits there," he adds.

Hello Neighbor isn't the loudest success story in the indie space, but it's quietly become a pretty big deal. The Hello Neighbor animated show is about to kick off a third season, the book series it spawned has sold over five million copies, it has a very successful board game, and that's without even mentioning the eight other sequel, prequel, and spin-off games set in the same universe. Nichiporchik's blog is full of other interesting tidbits, so it's well worth a full read.

For now, check out the best horror games worth playing in 2026.

You and your friends are dead. Game over. 37 years later, 8-bit Jason Voorhees is back with a few more bits thanks to a fan-made remake of the cult classic Friday the 13th NES game built from the ground up for Game Boy Color.

I have a love hate relationship with NES Friday the 13th. It's objectively bad, but it's by far my favorite of developer LJN's many retro atrocities. That might be because it's about Jason Voorhees, my favorite horror slasher, but I also genuinely enjoy its mood and tone and think its jump scares were innovative for the time. I'd even say I'm weirdly protective of the game, which is why I'm cautiously optimistic about Zeichi Games' Game Boy Color fan remake.

It looks great, very much retaining the atmosphere of the original while adding texture and depth, like the reflections and foliage you can see through cabin windows instead of the blue screen that's usually there. Jason's transformation is a bit of a disappointment, I must say. The purple jumpsuit and blue mask in the NES original are iconic enough that they inspired Halloween costumes you can buy to this day. I actually own a custom-made mask styled after Jason's NES garb, so I was sad to see it replaced by the more film-accurate but boring outfit in the Game Boy remake.

That said, my favorite element of the remake, by far, is the music. The NES game's soundtrack is an earworm, for sure, but it's been upgraded to a chiptune metal banger that swells into rollicking crescendos carried by pounding drums as that infectious melody bounces across octaves. I tip my hat to Exemia for this bonafide work of electronic art.

Zeichi Games says the GBC remake improves the original in a few key ways: "smoother, more precise controls," a new trading system that lets you trade items with your fellow camp counselors for better weapons, and a related system where you have to protect counselors from Jason so that the "trade chain" isn't destroyed.

One of the counselors, Crissy, gives you health potions that automatically restore your HP bar when it hits zero, and giving the good guys even more of an advantage, Jason has his own health bar you can deplete. Of course, if you've seen a Friday the 13th movie or know anything about slasher movies, he never stays down for good.

It's always a gamble recreating a cult classic, as they're often regarded that way in defiance of deserved criticism, but for weirdos like me who can't stop circling the logically impossible map in NES Friday the 13th every now and again, this seems like a great way to do that on the go. If anything, I'll have the remake running in the background so that I can jam out to that bangin' soundtrack all day.

You won't find Friday the 13th on many lists of the best NES games, but it holds a special place in my heart.

The Dead By Daylight Blood Moon event is an annual in-game event that changes not only how the horror game looks, but how you play it. With Blood Cans scattered around the map, you're tasked with filling special generators with blood to power them, instead of the usual generator mechanics. If you prefer the old ways, though, don't fret, a few classic generators can be found across each map, too.

By completing certain challenges, including fixing Blood Generators, you can also unlock a series of personal and community challenges, unlocking some great rewards as you do so. So, if you're looking forward to this year's event, here's everything you need to know about DBD Blood Moon 2026.

DBD Blood Moon dates

The Dead by Daylight Blood Moon event ran between Thursday, March 26 and Thursday, April 16, 2026.

DBD Blood Moon rewards

The rewards available for this event include some awesome new character skins, as seen in the trailer above. Skins for Orela Rose and The Spirit are available to unlock as quest rewards, while others can be purchased from the event store.

While Orela and The Spirit's outfits are unlocked by completing a total of 12 Blood Moon event quests, you'll also earn Blood Trinkets by completing individual quests, which can then be spent on badges, banners, weapons, and tops in the event store.

Fleshing out the collection from previous years, tattered red tops have been added this year for Meg, Jeff, and Gabriel, while Blood Moon weapons have been added for The Nurse, The Dredge, and The Plague.

For more iconic horror action, check out the best horror games based on movies, and be sure to check out the latest DBD codes for in-game freebies.

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The second edition of the Free League Alien RPG was always going to have a lot to live up to, as the first edition (which earned almost full marks in our Alien: The Roleplaying Game review) still ranks, in my view, as one of the greatest TTRPGs ever made. It's a focused, intelligent and wonderfully atmospheric system, and Free League successfully spun dark, eldritch magic out of the franchise that ultimately ended up surpassing much of it. And after the tabletop community as a whole came out to celebrate Alien, a second edition was practically inevitable (at least from a business perspective).

Hence what we get now: a reinvention of the rules sold as their "Evolved" form, but which for me can't help but beg the furtive question: how does Free League now go about fixing what ain't broke? After all, the previous version was - and still is - one of the best tabletop RPGs around.

Alien: The Roleplaying Game Evolved Edition features & design

• Stress rules now differentiate between general stress and actual panic
• Characters across the board are more vulnerable and easier to kill, adding tension
• The Evolved Rulebook isn't quite as spellbinding as the previous one

The new core rulebook is a hefty beast, though still slimmer than the first book by nearly 100 pages, as the Evolved Edition doesn't include a free actual adventure – just the rules and a few some procedural generation systems for quickly making your own sessions, which I can't help but suspect wouldn't necessarily provide the artisanal care that good horror requires. Nonetheless, you should have everything you need to enjoy the game (with the exception of dice, sold separately).

And what a game it is, though if you're familiar with the previous iteration of Free League's Alien game, you won't need long to catch up. Players roll pools of D6s sized according to their skills, but a character's stress can add further dice to the pool, representing the adrenaline and focus that comes with fight-or-flight terror. But if any of the stress dice roll a 1, your frightened space trucker panics and things immediately start to slip out of control… Though not quite as much as was the case in the previous edition, as now there's separate tables and mechanics for both low-level stress reactions and actual panic. It means that PCs are less likely to have episodes of murderous rage or catatonic breakdown as a result of not being able to find their car keys – I leave it up to individuals to decide whether that's more or less realistic.

This is part of a general rebalancing that also sees certain specific mechanics reworked, such as stealth, as well as armor and durability both simplified and scaled down for players and enemies alike, meaning a lot of people can expect to be killed with very little effort. Some might call this an overcorrection, but I felt the first edition could get a little spongey, and I'm always in favour of dialing up the danger in survival horror. Besides, being reduced to zero hit points in Alien doesn't guarantee death – though you might suffer mutilations that make you wish you had.

But one thing that I can't help but be a little disappointed by is the change of aesthetic. The V1 core rulebook was all printed on black pages, a void-like space out of which text and illustrations loomed in a way that was both menacing and enchanting. The Evolved Rules are now stark white pages with green digital text, not to mention more than a few reused illustrations from the last edition. So the Evolved Rules look fine, but only fine, which is a step down from the darkly beautiful (and presumably ink-intensive) previous edition. And while I'm critiquing the book, the general layout could definitely be more intuitive – I'm sure putting the stress table on page 44 and the associated panic table on page 72 couldn't possibly have been the most elegant option available.

Gameplay

• Minor changes and balances to gameplay rather than any kind of overhaul
• Gameplay is well set up to generate tension and dread, especially early on
• A few existing imbalances yet to be fixed, but nothing major

So, how does all this play out? Well, rather like the previous edition, to be honest. The Evolved Rules seem to mimic the philosophy of changes made to D&D 5e in 2024, in that these are a few tweaks made at the peripheries, rather than anything more substantial. The rulebook lists all the changes made between editions at the end, and it's barely a few pages, largely tables of specific stat changes to certain enemies, items and vehicles. But while 5e was probably in need of greater changes than what it ended up with, I can understand Free League not wanting to ruin the elegant balance of their beloved system – even if it means that the Evolved rules can't help but feel a bit inessential.

Still, there are some notable changes. The lower armor ratings mean combat is now faster and every attack more impactful, as alluded to. The new stress rules are designed to have lesser, but longer effects, with characters plagued by trembling hands or short tempers until they can find a safe space to relax in – and good fucking luck to them, considering every air vent could have a Geigerian nightmare lurking within. Still, I admit that the new stress rules could occasionally verge on frustrating, as once it begins to max out near the end of a session, it becomes very hard for players to do anything without just auto-failing.

However, up until that point things are usually cooking nicely, especially when panic explodes and trust begins to degrade. It's made all the more tense by an emphasis on conflicting, hidden motivations that add a layer of social stealth more commonly seen in the best board games. Is John a secret synth? Is Jane a Weyland-Yutani plant? Is it Henry, the mild-mannered janitor?!

What criticisms I have of Alien otherwise are more minor critiques of specific rules, but nothing more than that. There's a few skills that seem to be disproportionately more important than others, with "Observation" being used for about a thousand different purposes, and androids still seem to be overpowered in a way that I'm not sure is intentional, but these are small scuff marks on an otherwise gorgeous chassis, and when Alien is running properly, it practically purrs… Or growls, at least.

Should you buy Alien: The Roleplaying Game Evolved Edition?

If you don't have the previous edition? Absolutely, you should buy this game. If you do have the previous edition? That's harder to say, as what you're paying for is a small, careful series of upgrades. It's better overall, yes, but only better by degrees. I can't deny that if this had been a video game this would probably have been a free balance patch, and ultimately there's not a huge distinction between the editions.

Nevertheless, if judged on its own merits, the Alien RPG is still lightning in a bottle, and the gold standard by which all horror tabletop games should be judged. And considering the Evolved Rules don't really change much, that fawning praise still applies.

Ratings

Buy it if...

Don't buy it if...

How we tested Alien: The Roleplaying Game Evolved Edition

This review was conducted using a sample provided by the publisher.

I ran several sessions of the Alien RPG Evolved Rules with different player groups, having also played numerous games of the original ruleset for the sake of comparison.

For more on our testing process, see the wider GamesRadar+ reviews policy.

For more recommendations, don't miss our guide to the best card games.

It doesn't matter if they're AAA or indie; third-person or first-person; dystopian, militaristic, or horror, live-service games keep meeting Highguard's fate – arriving in a gorgeous bubble of hype only to get popped and delisted. But not Dead by Daylight, whose developer Behaviour Interactive is now celebrating 10 years of the asymmetrical multiplayer's success at Game Developers Conference 2026, where creative director Dave Richard and head of partnership Mathieu Cote tells GamesRadar+ the secret.

The secret is… "Everything's tough. It's a hellish landscape of challenges," says Richard. Actually, that's not a secret, it's reality. Cote adds that, "A lot of people ask, 'What's the recipe? How do you create a live game?'" But "our recipe was, 'Don't do that.' Literally. We didn't create a live game. We created a game that sort of lived, and then we supported it, and we grew it."

"If you look back at what we released 10 years ago, it was a rough affair," Cote reflects. "It was a shell of what it is today. But the core experience was there. The vision. The dream of what this game could be." Dead by Daylight is now the unchallenged empress of online horror games, constantly introducing both new, original content and big-deal collaborations with everyone from Freddy Fazbear to Nicolas Cage like they're simply roses filling out an antique vase.

It's hard for anyone to keep up. Other games that borrow Dead by Daylight's general format – a Killer character tries to prevent a team of bruised Survivors from escaping – have suffered brief existences while Dead by Daylight only grows. In fact, it had its all-time peak concurrent player count of 120,717 people a few months ago.

"In 2026, all new games and games that are established are competing for [players'] sweet time," Richard says. But, Cote explains, "We've created a familiar place. It's not just about playing the game. For a lot of people, it's their community." So there's no trick. It just takes time.

Keep an eye out for upcoming horror games anyway.

Supermassive Games is returning to the Future Games Show with its next title, Directive 8020 - and the team is teasing what you can expect to see if you tune in.

Speaking with the team ahead of the Future Games Show Spring Showcase next week, Supermassive told us that it was a no-brainer to take part in the show once again with their new game; "we have partnered with FGS before and know how successful the event has been, so we didn't need too much time to think about being in this latest showcase," a studio representative said.

While Supermassive doesn't "want to spoil too much" ahead of the show, it did tease that fans "will get some insight into [...] a key feature of the game - multiplayer!" Fans who tune in will be some of the first to find out about how a cooperative twist on the studio's signature choice-based horror games will work, with up to five players being able to join in on the action.

There'll be plenty more in the show itself, so I won't give away anymore, but if you want to join in, you can catch the Future Games Show Spring Showcase Powered by HyperX very soon. The show kicks off next week, on Thursday March 12, offering world premiers, exclusive trailers, and big reveals across dozens of titles, all hosted by LEGO Batman star Shai Matheson alongside RPG royalty Devora Wilde, best known as the voice behind Baldur's Gate 3's Lae'zel and Expedition 33's Clea. And immediately after the main show, the FGS team will carry on the fun with FGS Live From San Francisco, reporting right from the show floor at GDC.

The Future Games Show Spring Showcase takes place on March 12, kicking off at 13:00 PT/ 16:00 ET / 20:00 GMT, and you can watch on Twitch, YouTube, Steam, X, TikTok, and right here at GamesRadar+.

Solo developer Bad Wish Games has successfully cattle-prodded Valve into releasing their viral, PSX-style horror game Welcome to Doll Town on Steam after seemingly being abandoned by support staff.

"Ladies and Gentlemen, you did it, we did it," Bad Wish writes in a February 17 Twitter announcement. Welcome to Doll Town was originally meant to launch on February 13, but its new, Valve-approved February 20 release date is close enough. Bad Wish Games just seems glad to be out of the doghouse – I mean, dollhouse.

It was like a miniature meteor crashed through Bad Wish's world when February 13 came around and they realized their game wasn't launching. Doll Town – in which dainty Yumi summons her inner Stone Cold Steve Austin while fending off lifelike dolls in a haunted village, while also sometimes flashing her panties as she dances to 'Gangnam Style' – was trapped. GOG had rejected it outright, itch apparently determined its file size was too large for its platform, and Steam staff simply didn't "answer my tickets, they provide no support," Bad Wish claimed.

"I'm here leaving 80K wishlisters, 100K followers, for this shit," they continued to say in a February 12 post. "I should have made my game with AI and added naked [underage girls] in it, it would have been approved in seconds."

Notably, Welcome to Doll Town discloses on Steam that "AI has been used for prototyping scripts in early stages of the demo," and its childlike protagonist is described as a "student."

Oh, well. Just another day in Doll Town.

Steam might stop dev from releasing viral horror game just by ignoring them: "Be prepared for the game to be delayed until further notice."

I've been spending a lot of time fixating on little things in my Fatal Frame 2: Crimson Butterfly remake demo. When I'm done unlocking cursed doors as protagonist Mio, feeling sick as I meet an abandoned doll's shark-eye stare, or tripping around wraiths in my ballet flats, I quietly observe the dusty prettiness of the Japanese countryside developer Koei Tecmo built for its remake, due March 12. It's impossible to not notice the new, starlight glimmer of the red butterfly that guides me to my next task, the fragile lace on my camisole, and other evidence of directors Makoto Shibata and Hidehiko Nakajima's commitment to making a horror game from 2003 feel vulnerable and look beautiful.

Fraying loveliness feels nearly as critical to Fatal Frame 2 existence as the magic Camera Obscura in Mio's hands, which allows me to wound ghosts I encounter each time I snap a moody film photo. My twin sister Mayu has gone missing in the possessed Minakami Village, and in the first four chapters of the demo, it's my job to retrieve her and hold her hand without letting the stifling atmosphere of the undead really choke me out. Though, as Shibata and Nakajima say in a joint interview with GamesRadar+, this atmosphere is "the essence of Japanese horror."

A real Japanese horror game is good at "restraining jump scares and graphic violence," say the Fatal Frame 2 directors, "instead stimulating the player's imagination." Think of the genre's history, from 1995's Clock Tower and how it helped introduce the sinister stalker-type enemy, to the recent Silent Hill f and its foreboding mountains – Japanese is a candle melting rather than a house fire.

In that way, it should also be as irresistible as flame. So Shibata and Nakajima echo what Silent Hill composer Akira Yamaoka recently told me about the Konami franchise being painfully gorgeous. About their own game, the Fatal Frame 2 remake directors say, "I feel that beauty often contains fear or even poison within it. Beautiful things can be frightening, and frightening things can be beautiful."

"These two concepts are closely connected, almost like twins," the directors continue, "and ultimately I believe they are two sides of the same thing."

They give me another example with a ghost story they enjoy, saying, "One story I like comes from the horror storyteller Junji Inagawa. During the filming of a TV program, he visited Aokigahara, a forest known as a suicide site near Mt. Fuji.

"Late at night, he sensed chanting-like voices approaching from deep within the forest.

"Instinctively, he took a photo and fired the flash, causing the voices to disappear – only for them to suddenly grow louder and reappear much closer. He fled by car, and later found many handprints covering it. This incident was actually broadcast, and I happened to see it."

I'm eager to know what happens next, waiting for the pretty part of Shibata and Nakajima's tale to appear the way I've been looking for more butterflies in Fatal Frame 2.

"Much like in this game, when someone holding a camera senses a spirit approaching, they instinctively try to take a picture," the directors say. But real life, I'm frustrated to admit, isn't as poetic as Japanese horror. "The difference, of course, is that an ordinary camera cannot drive spirits away."

"This full remake gave us the perfect opportunity": One of the scariest Japanese horror games is back after 20 years, and its director is just glad technology now lets you hold hands with your sister.

Bloober Team's countdown to Valentine's Day has ended with a Layers of Fear 3 announcement, despite all the rose-related teases that made fans guess the studio was working on a Rule of Rose revival.

The horror powerhouse launched a mysterious website last month counting down to Valentine's Day and left a couple of clues in its wake. There was a rose that would bleed at the touch of your mouse and an audio version of The Sick Rose, a William Blake poem.

All the rose references had some horror buffs convinced that Bloober Team were bringing back Rule of Rose in some fashion, the controversial 2006 horror game that was actually banned in the UK, arguably spurred on by a mischaracterization of the game's content.

Regardless, Rule of Rose is likely to be stuck in limbo for a while longer after today's Layers of Fear 3 reveal. The aforementioned website now hosts a logo for the first-person threequel and some text: "Some Things Never Leave The Walls. They Only Learn To Wait." You can see the very spooky live action reveal trailer up above.

Creative director Mateusz Lenart says the series is about the "thin line between inspiration and obsession," and Layers of Fear 3 will again place players "inside an artist's unravelling mind" to "invite empathy, rather than judgement."

Bloober Team's been on a bloody hot run lately with both Silent Hill 2 remake and Cronos: The New Dawn receiving much love from genre buffs, a stark improvement from its hit and miss history consisting of Layers of Fear, The Medium, and Blair Witch. The studio's now also working on a remake of the very first Silent Hill game, alongside an unnamed Nintendo exclusive.

Check out the very best horror games worth playing in 2026.

I am hot, I am gay, I am mystic, and I'm new in town. But Scarlet Hollow hasn't been the most welcoming to its prodigal daughter. It's kind of my fault, to be honest with you; my two chosen traits - Hot and Mystic – mean my character's innate sex appeal is dampened by the fact that she keeps making ominous psychic predictions. Not everyone is up for being a beautiful yet unsettling co-heiress to a crumbling coal mining town in the Appalachian mountains, spending her days vacillating between flirting with an emo kid's hot mom and telling anyone who will listen about the ill omens pointing to something dreadful about to happen, but I certainly am.

Visual novel-meets-narrative adventure Scarlet Hollow is technically developer Black Tabby's first game. Chapter one launched back in 2020, and the two-person studio launched Slay the Princess – another incredible choice-based narrative game – between instalments to help pad out funds. Six years on and with seven episodes planned out, Black Tabby has only just put out the first two acts of its fifth episode. The Holler, in all its sleepy paranormal splendor, has wound its dark tendrils beneath my skin; I have played 13 hours of it in about three days.

Feverish Scarlets

That's not a single playthrough, by the way. I've got two characters on the trot, and multiple saves going down different narrative branches, revealing new side stories and insights into my character's journey back to her roots. She's come home to the family estate for her late aunt's funeral, having never set foot in the town of Scarlet Hollow her whole life. But her arrival seems to have triggered a series of strange, paranormal events that threaten to expose the Scarlet's most dangerous secrets.

I can only select two traits per playthrough in Scarlet Hollow, but the opportunities feel staggering. My hot mystic has successfully wooed young Stella in one variant, for example. In another, she's fallen into the arms of her new friend's sexy doctor mother, having closed the age gap by sacrificing 15 to 20 years of her life to a spirit during an exorcism at the local library (note: the librarian guy is also hot).

I chose Powerful Build and Book Smart for my other save, in which I'm besties with my bitchy cousin and romancing a literal monster. So, yeah, I am very grateful for the game's many, many save slots – ten sets of eight, I think.

Chapter five's opening two acts made me glad of all my past saves; here, things really start to unravel, but precisely how that happens is shaped by you. Or rather, everything you've seen, done, or puzzled together up until this point.

First, the preamble. Chapter four of Scarlet Hollow can end in a multitude of ways. One of my saves had me sitting with my cousin Tabitha and her ex-best friend Stella – aka, my new main squeeze – as the two reconcile their differences over a tale of How My Parents Died. In another, I ignore Stella's little pug Gretchen's pleadings for me to follow her and head right back home to have a pint of ice cream with Tabitha instead of checking on my missing friend. Reece's mom is alive and well in one of these outcomes, while in another, she's been cannibalized by her monster-son – whom I am also dating on that occasion and very much in love with.

If you end the previous chapter in your own bed, you wake up in the forbidden wing of the Scarlet Estate at the start of chapter five. Alternatively, you'll simply head there with Stella after spending the night at her house. This is a pretty great outcome for my hot mystic character, whose upper body strength and lack of attention to detail would've barred her from exploring some of the rooms and inspecting items closely – but Stella's been working out, and she's more than happy to help shift some boxes.

But despite the presence of my giggly new girlfriend, the forbidden wing is clearly called that for a reason. It's a miserable, ramshackle place. Expensive furnishings moulder in the dark beneath broken crystal chandeliers, but no amount of clutter can hide long-buried secrets. The thing that stops me in my tracks is a single note scrawled on a piece of paper sitting atop an open shoebox in a cupboard: "I'm here too mommy I love you".

Sins of the mother

It only gets more harrowing from there. Black Tabby's penchant for drama is evident, with a soft yet ominous backing track eking out every drop of tension as you explore the wing. You see neither too much nor too little – depending on your traits, of course – but everything I come across has me doubting what I thought I knew about the Scarlet family's secrets.

Discovering that your cousin might be covering up a spate of kidnappings and imprisonments will either be great news for your character or very, very inconvenient. I've not had a chance to go for an anti-Tabitha playthrough yet – what can I say? Family comes first – but the insinuation that Tabby could know more than she's letting on is as upsetting as it is intriguing. It pisses me off to see Stella waving that damn camera about like this isn't an incredibly horrifying moment for my character, who's reconnected with her only surviving family member in time for her to turn out to be a potential accomplice to murder, and I'm annoyed that there's no option to slap the camera away and crush it underfoot.

By the time I make it back out of the mansion, my head is reeling. What am I supposed to do with this new information? A run-in with Wayne, Tabitha's potentially undead ex who's been stalking/protecting me this whole time, suggests I need to hunt down "the Witch", but I want an explanation first.

It's clear that this point is a major crossroads in the game. I'm given a few options for how to proceed: I can go after the Witch, confront Tabitha with my findings (with or without Stella in tow), try to find someone I trust (hint: you can go to Reece's hot mom for a hot mom hug!), or seek out the remaining stone sigils which have been giving me and Tabitha some spooky visions of the past.

That last one is easiest if you have the Book Smart trait and already know to check the farm, but I never actually get around to it – because Reece stumbles out of the woods for a big ole toothy monster smooch. This only seems to happen if he made it through chapter four un-sedated and un-shot by Tabitha, after letting him eat his mother and abscond into the night.

All of the outcomes seem to lead to a similar place: you're taken in by the police, finally arrested on suspicion of whatever it is you did that looks mighty suspicious to the small-town cops of Scarlet Hollow.

This happens whether or not you end up having someone killed in the first chapter, or manage to save all the kids in chapter three, so it's clear the police must have something a little more concrete to present you with. You hear a crackling over the radio about an incident nearby… and there, the second act of chapter five ends.

It's a gnarly cliffhanger, with the second half due for launch next week on February 20 according to Black Tabby's latest Steam announcement. But it also gives me a little taste of the drawn-out excitement that long-time ScarHol fans must have been feeling for the past six years. This is an incredibly moreish, branching narrative game with a plethora of possible outcomes, and coming from a small two-dev team, the ambitious scope of the project is as impressive as its execution.

Every choice, big or small, seems to have an eventual consequence. It's a slow yet worthwhile journey, and with two more episodes after this still in the chamber, I guess I'm officially along for the ride. If you've been pondering when to get stuck in yourself, take this as your formal invitation to join us in the Holler and date some hot weirdos.

Could it be love? Anything's possible in the best dating sims to lose yourself in this Valentine's Day!

Trouble in paradise? Maybe. Trouble in Doll Town? Definitely – it's now 24 hours before the viral horror game Welcome to Doll Town is meant to launch on February 13, and its developer still doesn't know if Valve will let it.

Recently, it feels like solo developer Bad Wish Games has been crowned king of my Instagram feed with clips of Doll Town, a cursed adventure game where the little girl Yumi must explore an abandoned town that used to manufacture lifelike dollies. "Doll Town now rots in silence and shadows," says the game's Steam description – but it's too much silence and too many shadows for Valve and other digital storefront owners, apparently.

Bad Wish writes in a February 11 post on Twitter, "I may have bad news. @Steam is currently completely avoiding me for days now and at almost 24h from releasing Welcome to Doll Town, they have still refused to validate the submission for public release."

The developer continues, "There is nothing I can do at that point. The game is fully ready, fully translated, fully playable. They do not answer my support tickets, they do not review my build… I'm stuck."

"Be prepared for the game to be delayed until further notice," they conclude. "My dearest apologies in advance."

The dev claims that Doll Town was also "refused" by itch for being over its storage limit, and by distributor GOG.

"Jesus dude is there a fucking nuke in your game," wonders one fan.

"Silent Hill is not just the name of a place, it is a phenomenon": Silent Hill f writer doubles down on theory from A Short Message that had the fanbase divided.

There's probably a good three or four nuggets of pure nightmare fuel to be had playing Reanimal. At times it's an absolute feast of twisted weirdness; conjuring up unpleasant imagery and dark world building. It's full of 'nope, don't like that' moments as various creatures and grotesqueries chase the children you control. And there's definitely one bit that's going to be burned into my memory for probably the rest of all time. So, yay, playable trauma.

But it's also a little disjointed and unconnected, feeling more like a series of vignettes shuffled together than a coherent experience from start to end. Individual sections are impressively crafted and full of the atmosphere you'd expect from Tarsier Studios, who also made Little Nightmares and Little Nightmares 2. But there's something missing when it comes to binding it all together. At any given time the thing you're evading, or the horrorscape you're navigating, creates a beautifully formed microcosm of nasty, but I spent much of the game desperate for some kind of glue to better stick it all together.

For instance, it starts with you being chased by limp, empty people skins. Their saggy, melted candle faces bearing down on you while pulling sock-like limbs and body behind them in a wrinkly trail. It's an idea that is explored in a range of horrible motifs – the skins are left draped across chairs and seats (mirroring the empty clothes of Little Nightmare 2), they hang from tree branches, and go through laundry where they're washed and ironed. There's also a solitary tall figure collecting them, who occasionally scuttles around like a spider, his limbs all twisted the wrong way, who can also apparently use the bellies of bloated, distended corpses as some sort of fleshy, rib-lined portal to move around. It's great and horrible and poses so many questions and then it just goes away and never comes up again.

The story follows two children traveling through a strange and surreal world that wants nothing more than to end them in a variety of deeply unpleasant ways. Being forced alive down something or other's fleshy wet throat is an ongoing threat here. As is being crushed, blown up, shot, beaten to death, having your head chewed off and so on. The lack of anything on screen means you're occasionally prone to a little exploratory dying, probing the boundaries as you work out what to do. But the results are often so skin crawlingly 'ewww' that it's worth finding out the hard way what or where the danger is.

As you explore this surreal world, and the people-skin monsters give way to monstrous animals, spectral children, and something I can best describe as a hairy intestine with legs, your tools for survival are far more grounded by comparison. Stealth plays a big part, and a lot of time will be spent working out the routes and timings to avoid any of the fates I listed earlier. When you're not sneaking around there are some moments of combat, as you slowly swing a crowbar at opponents. It's a little on the clumsy, flailing side, treading a fine line between feeling frantic and desperate, and just a bit sluggish – the timing involved often develops into just plain button mashing and hoping for the best.

Terrible things

Puzzles are simple, and mainly consist of finding a key, or an object like bolt cutters, to open the way ahead. That makes sense with the focus here more about exploring and experiencing the world. You wander around. See some things. (Terrible things.) Then have a little breather trying to find a way past some obstacle. With Reanimal that could be anything from a locked door to a giant eyeless crying whale, or worse.

It's a surprisingly large feeling world despite the light feeling seven and a half hours it took me to see the end. There are vehicles to get around in, where you use boats, trucks and other things to get between areas. It's not free roaming in any sense, despite some branching routes and hidden areas for extras like masks and other collectibles, it just feels pleasingly wide and spacious despite being basically linear. (Although, if you're the kind of person that has a breakdown trying to second guess if you're on a side path or a main path about to pass a point of no return and miss something, you might find a whole other kind of horror here.)

At any given time it's a consistently artful exploration of making fairly ordinary things traumatizing – a recurring theme is ‘what if animals were all wrong in a variety of upsetting ways, for example – while exploring fantastical representations of various landscapes and settings. My notes are full of little 'ooh wow' moments. From amazing environmental reveals to beautifully staged set pieces. Being attacked by a homicidal cloud of seagulls in full The Birds mode was a memorable event; while an underwater section I won't spoil is one of my favorite horror bits of the year so far.

When it hits any of its several peaks, it's about as good as this sort of thing gets. The fixed(ish) camera sweeps and pans across the action with flawless direction, with a couple of lovely shots where it tracks through a window or door you pass through, framing your confinement beautifully in an absolute cinema moment. There's one especially satisfying boss fight that just feels good; and the climatic minutes are a proper edge of your seat thing that ends in a hideously fleshy full stop that takes a second to fully comprehend.

However, it just lacks a satisfying cohesion that, for me, made the ending a bit of a 'oh was that it?' moment, rather than something to chew on once you could look back. There's clearly a sequence of events behind everything that you'll uncover by the time the credits roll, but not one that really brings any of it together for me. I don't expect a game like this to give me all the answers – ambiguity and interpretation is at the heart of all good horror - but lacking a clear antagonist or overarching theme to tie it all up, playing Reanimal feels more like flicking through pages of playable concept art – horrific, creative and inventive, but ultimately unconnected. There is a good horror game here, and one worth playing, but one where any of its stand out moments lack the extra hit of cohesion that would bring everything together to form a greater whole.

Reanimal was reviewed on PC, with code provided by the publisher.

Peek at our best horror games list for more frights!

Until Dawn studio Supermassive has had, from a fan's perspective, an atrocious past few years. But its newest installment in the Dark Pictures Anthology finally has a release date after its October 2025 launch was stalled, and the perfectly nasty-looking horror multiplayer could be a sign of better days to come once it's out on May 12.

It's been hard for Supermassive. In 2024, its Dead by Daylight collaboration game The Casting of Frank Stone was underwhelming, and the studio saw reportedly 90 positions cut in an extensive initial round of layoffs. 2025 wasn't much better. In addition to delaying Directive 8020 – another characteristic, Supermassive interactive drama, wrapped in The Thing's slimy bandages – Supermassive struggled with more layoffs impacting 36 jobs and a middling Little Nightmares sequel, as we note in our three-out-of-five Little Nightmares 3 review.

But since I'm tired of both being bored and reading about layoffs, I'm praying the ambitious Directive 8020 will bring Supermassive – and its wilting Dark Pictures Anthology – back to the gruesome, cult success that Until Dawn first won it 10 years ago.

"Supermassive Games is proud to reveal that its sci-fi survival horror narrative adventure, Directive 8020, will launch on 12 May 2026," says a press release. It boasts "Directive 8020's paranoia-fuelled decision-making where trust is fragile and every choice can be deadly." The game's main tension involves determining which members of your spaceship crew are human and therefore trustworthy, while a new rewind "Turning Points" feature will help players realize that safety isn't always so obvious.

"Directive 8020 launches with single-player and up to 5-player couch co-op on May 12th, with online multiplayer arriving in a free post-launch update," the press release adds. "More details will be shared soon."

Until then, try the 10 best survival horror games to test your endurance skills.

Update: Epic Games' senior communications manager, Brian Sharon, told GamesRadar+ that the horror game did in fact violate the storefront's content guidelines. Here's his full statement down below:

"Our team played the game and found it violated the Epic Games Store’s Content Guidelines, specifically the ‘Inappropriate Content’ and ‘Hateful or Abusive Content’ policies. We did a secondary check by filling out the ratings questionnaire for the game ourselves and the content got an Adults Only (AO) rating – which we do not allow on the Store. Because this wasn’t an official submission, we do not have a certificate to share with the team. We did give the developers context around the policies they violated. When they appealed, we reviewed the content again, and let them know the decision was appropriately applied and will remain in place."

Original story: Horses developer Santa Ragione has called out an Epic Games executive for making what it calls "provably incorrect" comments about the surreal horror game that was banned on multiple storefronts late last year.

Italian developer and well loved horror maker Santa Ragione found itself in hot water a few months ago after Steam blocked its latest game, the aforementioned Horses, from release on the storefront. The Epic Games Store got similarly cold feet, and being cut off from a huge percentage of PC gamers meant the studio is unlikely to have enough money to fund any future projects, according to its producer.

Now speaking to Game File about the situation, Epic Games vice president Steve Allison said "We love that studio" and claimed the ban was a result of content that "was against our policies on a couple fronts."

Santa Ragione has now responded to those comments on social media, writing: "Epic made provably incorrect statements about the game's content, refused to provide details supporting their claims, and has not shared their claimed [Adults Only] IARC certificate, which normally includes a link for the developer to appeal. They do not ‘love that studio’, they have effectively ghosted us."

The developer then pointed out that full playthroughs of Horses are posted on YouTube and Twitch without a problem, while it's also readily available to buy on multiple other storefronts, as proof that it "does not deserve an AO rating."

After 5 years, GOG lead says removing cult horror game Devotion from the store is a situation that "remains difficult to reflect on"

At least one thing in the world is at peace: the oil and water of Christophe Gans' Return to Silent Hill and the new Iron Lung adaptation directed by YouTuber Markiplier has seemingly brought video game movies to a state of total equilibrium. Return to Silent Hill is, regrettably, a box office disaster, while Iron Lung made so much money on its opening night, not even its creator could believe it.

Developer David Szymanski writes on Twitter, "What the fuck." According to Variety, Iron Lung nearly tripled Markiplier's self-funded $3 million budget in one night, earning $8.9 million on January 30.

The horror movie has since gone on to massacre the rest of its competition, amassing $17.8 million in the US over the weekend and $21.7 million worldwide. Its domestic box office ranking – Iron Lung sits leisurely in second place – is only rivaled by Sam Raimi's desert island showdown Send Help, which has so far amassed $28.1 million globally.

Someone on Twitter asks Szymanski how it feels for Iron Lung to rank so highly, and he responds, "Dreamlike." Indeed, I would have never imagined Szymanski's hour-long, $8 game about commanding a submarine through an ocean of blood could have ever turned into a two-hours-long, multimillion-dollar film with its own commemorative bloody popcorn bucket. But now that there are so many megacorporations putting both indie games and movie theaters at risk, I'm glad it did.

A Return to Silent Hill director's cut exists and would allow the horror movie "room to breathe," says director of the 20% Rotten Tomatoes flop.

Last week, Silent Hill 2 remake developer Bloober Team launched a mysterious teaser site, with a countdown clock set to expire just after Valentine's Day. There's no obvious clue as to what this teaser is all about, but a rose image on the site gave some horror fans hope that a remake of the PS2 cult classic Rule of Rose was on the way. Today, Bloober's CEO crushed those dreams.

"Nice guess, but no," Bloober CEO Piotr Babieno says on LinkedIn (via FRVR) in response to the Rule of Rose rumors. "It definitely doesn't refer to any remake."

But wait, even if it's not a remake, could it be some other Rule of Rose follow-up or revival? "This is not in any way related to that brand," Babieno adds in a comment.

Rule of Rose launched for the PS2 back in 2006 to pretty dismal reviews, but it's most notable for generating a moderate moral panic ahead of release. Exaggerated descriptions of the horrors visited upon the game's cast of characters – mostly children – led to calls for it to be banned among European officials, and ultimately, its release was canceled in Australia, New Zealand, and the UK.

Despite – or maybe because of – all that, Rule of Rose has built a cult following of fans who praise its moody visuals and atmosphere despite the clunky gameplay. These days it's an infamous collector's item, with complete US copies regularly selling for well over $700 secondhand.

Given the positive reception to Bloober's Silent Hill 2 remake, it's no surprise that horror fans would latch onto that rose imagery and hope that the studio would next work on a far more obscure horror revival, but it seems that's not to be.

What Bloober's actually working on is the more pertinent mystery. The teaser site has the message "Some things never leave the walls. They only learn to wait." A bit of audio creepily recites William Blake's poem, The Sick Rose. Beyond that, well… I guess we'll have to wait for the countdown to expire on February 15.

Bloober has announced several upcoming horror games that are in development. There's the Silent Hill 1 remake, as well as a mysterious Nintendo-exclusive horror title currently known as Project M. Another title, developed by Bloober subsidiary Broken Mirror Games, is currently in development under the name Project F. Both mystery projects are scheduled for some sort of reveal this year.

Rule of Rose, flaws and all, is still one of the best Japanese horror games out there.