Watch a new trailer for the terrifying found-footage horror game blending isometric and first-person gameplay
THE DROWNED LAKE – Nov. 24, 2025 –Today indie video game publisher CRITICAL REFLEX (Mouthwashing, No, I’m not a Human) and developer Monumental Collab invite you to the Drowned Lake for the Brazilian folklore-inspired horror game’s first public playtest, out now on Steam. Watch a new trailer, premiered at the OTK Winter Games Expo, showcasing the terror that awaits you in the forests of Brazil!
Deep in Brazil’s coastal forest is the Drowned Lake, an area of sinister folk tales and legends, where many who trespass never return. When a young student goes missing, it sets off a twisted story to discover the truth. Explore your surroundings by boat, collecting evidence with a fishing rod while solving puzzles in first-person adventure-like segments. But try to avoid disturbing these troubled waters too much. Remember: you’re not safe here.
Key Features
- A Non-linear Horror Story, Told From Three Perspectives: Explore the most forbidding reaches of the forest as a firefighter, a journalist and an elderly fisherman. Unravel the mystery and each character’s true motives in an interactive narrative where your choices matter.
- Scour Dark Waters for the Truth: Collect evidence and uncover what hides beneath the surface of the Drowned Lake by exploring, fishing, investigating, and solving puzzles.
- Beware Making Noise: As you probe the forest’s farthest depths, your choices and actions may increase your noise level, attracting unwanted attention from the horrors of the night.
- Discover the Nightmares of Brazilian Folklore: Experience a tragic, twisted tale inspired by the unique melting pot of Brazilian culture and mythology.
- Investigate in First-Person Mode: Navigate narrow areas, complete intricate puzzles, and experience the true terrors the darkness hides in first-person POV sections inspired by escape rooms and classic horror games.
Drowned Lake’s playtest is live now on Steam. You can also get a taste of Monumental Collab’s terrifying worlds by playing 2023’s TELEFORUM, free on Steam!
To dive deeper into all things CRITICAL REFLEX, visit www.criticalreflex.com.
About Monumental Collab
Monumental is a small collective spread throughout Brazil – a team formed by award-winning professionals known for games with a great sense of mood, mysterious narratives and immersive atmospheres.
About CRITICAL REFLEX
CRITICAL REFLEX is an indie game publisher obsessed with genre-blending, rule-breaking, brain-melting games. We help devs polish the weird, sharpen the wild, and launch their projects loud. Known for titles like Buckshot Roulette, Lunacid, Mouthwashing and No, I’m not a Human, we champion the unforgettable experiences. Genre is a prison and we ate the warden.
About CR Channel CR Channel is the CRITICAL REFLEX publishing label focusing exclusively on indie horror.
