Anno 117: Pax Romania has us start a world as a leader, where the player must construct an economy from the loot of the land. Join us as we tackle the campaign mode’s main story for the first two hours of gameplay.
Anno 117: Pax Romana – Gameplay
Step into the role of a Roman governor in Anno 117: Pax Romana, developed by Ubisoft Mainz and published by Ubisoft. Set during the historic era of the Pax Romana in 117 AD, you’ll build thriving cities, manage trade and production chains, and expand your influence across provinces like Latium or Albion—each with unique challenges and cultural identities.
Gameplay blends deep economic strategy with choice‑driven scenarios: you decide between diplomatic alliance or military dominance, loyalty to the Empire or rebellion. New mechanics such as diagonally placed structures and localized zones for production buildings add fresh tactical layers to this beloved city‑builder franchise.
Anno 117: Pax Romana Developer: Ubisoft Mainz Publisher: Ubisoft Platform: PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, Windows PC Release Date: November 13, 2025 Price: $59.99 USD
Recommended – “Anno 117: Pax Romana is a fantastic way to build up an empire on consoles. With deep, interesting gameplay and an engrossing layer of Roman lore, it’s hard to not find a steady time sink in this RTS treasure.”
New video series celebrates the upcoming nightmare
London, UK (17/11/2025) – Ten Image Publishing and OnTheHouse Studio today announced Huntsman is coming to PC on 27th November. The date reveal is part of Creature Features, a new trailer series examining each spider type. The full game will launch on Steam on 27th November at 5pm GMT / 9am PST / 12pm EST and Episode 1 of Creature Features, focusing on the Huntsman, is here. The game can be wishlisted here.
Huntsman traps players inside a spider-infested research facility in a classic survival horror experience, with multiple arachnid types featuring realistic behaviours for pure nightmare fuel. Experience your first, and possibly last, day at Atherton Labs’ Experimental BioSolutions Division and unravel the web of intrigue and mystery on PC on 27th November.
Creature Features
Episode One looks at the huntsman spider, a fast moving type that appears throughout the game and hunts prey using noise, especially from fast moving footsteps. Cautious players can often sneak by. Clever players can use the environment to distract hungry arachnids.
Episode Two releases later this week and focuses on the orb weaver spider, an aerial assassin that snatches slow moving prey from above and cocoons them alive in silken webs. While orb weavers don’t stray from their hiding spot, they are often difficult to spot in darkened areas, meaning players need to look up. Throwable objects can cause them to temporarily retreat.
Episodes Three and Four will unveil the final two spider types, each with their own behaviours, hunting patterns and tips to increase your chances of survival.
Ten Image founder, Chris White, said, “Our launch date is looming on the horizon with all the menace and poise of a giant huntsman spider, ready to pounce. The reception to the demo was incredible and the tens of thousands of players who started to unravel the mystery of Atheron Labs have provided amazing feedback.”
The full game will launch on Steam on 27th November.
About Ten Image Publishing
Ten Image Publishing is focused on supporting the best up and coming horror and horror adjacent games in the aAA space, providing long term plans to create lasting brands.
About OnTheHouse Studios
OnTheHouse Studios is the work of solo developer, Jory House, a lifelong arachnophobe and avid horror fan, who is channeling that fear and knowledge into his first title, Huntsman, to create a truly terrifying experience. The studio is dedicated to creating challenging and immersive experiences for all players.
Choose from 18 different dog breeds, from corgis to dalmations, and herd fluffy sheep with your friends in this relaxing co-op
[Lyon, France – November 17, 2025] — Sheepherds!, thecanine co-op where you herd adorable sheep alongside your friends, is now available in full on Steam! After several successful playtests and a pawsome Steam Next Fest demo that earned a 94% “Very Positive” rating, Ultimo Disco is ready to deliver an adorable party game experience to players that strikes the pawfect balance between cozy and chaotic.
The full version brings expanded content and improved playability — featuring a big 3D hub area, additional mini-games, refined visual effects, and smoother UI. Sheepherders can now access all 22 maps the game has to offer, as well as 18 different breeds and 20 outfits to show off your unique paw-sinality. The Supporter’s Pack DLC with additional goodies and the Sheepherds! original soundtrack (OST) is now available — check out both for extra outfits, the vibe-iest music, and the opportunity to play as cute Piglet! The Supporter’s Pack DLC will be free during launch week, so the early dog gets the bone!
Key Features:
Master the flock – The sheep follow and influence each other, just like in real life. Learn to manage them like a good sheepdog, by positioning yourself strategically and barking at just the right moment! Or, just do whatever: after all, you’re a dog.
Spice it up with bonus challenges – Add an extra layer of depth with optional challenges designed to test your skills and teamwork. These features provide a rewarding experience for those seeking more engaging gameplay, while remaining entirely optional for a relaxed session.
Not just any dog – your dog – Turn your well-earned treats into exciting rewards! Unlock a variety of stylish accessories, colorful outfits, and unique skins to personalize your sheepdog. From corgis to pugs, choose from 15 different lovable breeds. Mix and match your favorite combinations to create a look that perfectly reflects your style and makes your dog stand out in the flock.
Small scope, big heart – Sheepherds! doesn’t try to do everything—it focuses on what matters most: cooperation and playfulness. Every detail, from the sheep’s behaviors to the lovingly crafted landscapes, is designed to deliver a polished experience that will leave you smiling.
Herd with friends near and far – Although it can be enjoyed solo, Sheepherds! is designed to be played together, whether you’re side by side on the couch or connecting from across the globe. The game supports both local co-op and a fully integrated online multiplayer mode, making it easy to team up with friends wherever they are.
Kick back in the big field – Take a break between two herding trips and enjoy the little things: snap photos with your friends, read the sweet letters from your grandma, or dive into the mini-games she’s prepared just for you. Each new area you unlock brings fresh surprises and joyful moments to share.
Begin herding your flock alongside your pack inSheepherds!on Steam today! Sheepherds! is available for $14.99 on Steam, but is discounted 10% off during launch week. Enthusiastic sheepdogs can also check out the Supporter Pack DLC (free during launch week) and the Sheepherds! Original Soundtrack, both available on Steam now.
About Ultimo Disco
Ultimo Disco is an indie team based in Lyon, France, formed by five passionate developers who collectively bring 29 years of experience and 11 released games. Most team members previously worked at Mi-Clos Studio.
About Yahaha Games
Yahaha Games is the publishing partner behind Sheepherds!. Backed by Yahaha Studios, a 3D UGC platform and Diamond Sponsor at GDC 2023, the label launched in 2024 and is dedicated to bringing standout indie titles to global players.
Roguelike deck-building tower defense prepares to hit PC! Wishlist now to shape the future of the frozen battlefield!
17 November, 2025. Indie developer Lyra Studio is thrilled to announce that FrostBound, the roguelike deck-building tower defense game set in a relentless frozen world, will launch for PC via Steam on November 27th, 2025. Players can add FrostBound to their Steam Wishlist now.
FrostBound takes inspiration from Game of Thrones, channelling its brutal battles, human conflicts, and the desperate fight against an endless winter. Echoing the firelit stands beyond the Wall, the game turns those themes into strategic survival, where fragile alliances, unexpected heroes, and unity are the only way to endure the cold.
Endless Strategy in a World of Ice
FrostBound combines deep deck-building with tactical defense and roguelike replayability. With nine escalating difficulty levels, every run tests your adaptability – tougher enemies, tighter resources, and new events like Fortifications and Beacons that reshape the battlefield and your strategy.
Players can unlock and customize their deck from over 500 cards across four factions and five categories – Attack, Defense, Skill, Structure, and Elite – each offering new tactical options. Nurture powerful Elite heroes, exploit risky Curse cards, and experiment with endless combinations to craft your own path to survival.
Built on pillars of adaptive difficulty, replayable challenges, and achievement-driven progression, FrostBound ensures no two battles ever play the same. Whether you’re optimizing complex synergies, testing new deck archetypes, or pushing for survival at the hardest tier, every victory feels earned in this beautifully brutal frozen world.
Lead the construction of your fortress, marshal resources, and withstand waves of twisted enemies in a world where the frost never ends. With a massive 500+ card pool, countless building upgrades, and heroes with unique abilities, you’ll craft the ultimate defense and turn the tide against the unyielding cold.
Plan each turn carefully, decide when to attack or reposition, and balance the harsh conditions that force units to retreat. Only your strongest warriors and fortifications will endure the relentless frost.
FrostBound has already turned heads across the industry. The game was nominated for the 2025 indiePlay China Independent Game Awards’ “Best Design Award” and named a finalist at the 17th Golden Dolphin Awards during the Xiamen International Animation Festival, early recognition that highlights its inventive design, striking art direction, and the passion driving Lyra Studio’s vision.
Winter is here, and the fate of humanity hangs by a thread. Add FrostBoundto your Steam Wishlist now to get ready to be part of the launch on November 27th and help shape the evolution of this roguelike tower defense epic. Check out the demo, live now on Steam!
First-person character-driven adventure tells the moving stories of the inhabitants of an apartment over Berlin’s rich history
Cologne/Berlin, Germany – November 17th, 2025 – Blue Backpack and co-publishing partners ByteRockers’ Games and PARCO GAMES are pleased to announce that their new first-person character-driven adventure, The Berlin Apartment, is available now on PC, PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S for $24.99 / €24.50 / £20.99, with a 10% launch discount. The game’s story is told in a series of episodes over the course of the last century, all set in the same historic apartment in Berlin. Each episode tells its own story – with its own protagonists, in its own genre, with a very different atmosphere, yet always set within the same four walls.
In The Berlin Apartment, Dilara joins her father Malik, a handyman tasked with refurbishing an old apartment. In the course of their extensive renovation work, Dilara digs deeper and deeper into the history of the apartment. Relics from past times turn out to be silent witnesses and former companions of the apartment’s previous inhabitants. With each new find, Malik tells his daughter the story behind this trace of a past adventure.
Dive into the lives of those that lived within the apartment’s four walls. Experience their dreams and the dangers that haunt them, live the hellos and goodbyes that defined their lives, witness their adventures, and uncover memories and mysteries. Explore detailed environments in a comic-book aesthetic and immerse yourself in the unique historic backdrop of a colourful city with a turbulent past.
“We’re really excited to open the doors of The Berlin Apartment to the world today,” said Game Director Hans Böhme. “We’ve had amazing feedback on the game from everyone who has visited the apartment at shows over the last couple of years and now it’s time to finally let everyone discover all the stories that are hidden within the apartment for themselves as they jump through history and genres.”
About Blue Backpack Blue Backpack is an independent developer and publisher for narrative driven games. Based in Berlin and Cologne, Blue Backpack is currently working on two games: Constance and The Berlin Apartment.
About ByteRockers’ Games Berlin-based development studio and publisher of indie games that loves to rock n’ roll. Currently working on the code-based bullet hell Net.Attack() and a space-themed mining simulator named Exovia, the company has a long track record of releasing quality games since 2018. As publishing partner and proud resident of the German games capital, supporting small teams with fresh ideas has become the signature of ByteRockers’ Games, who make a point to show face at local events of all sizes and even take on the role as industry advocate with the politicians and media in town.
About PARCO GAMES PARCO Co., Ltd. has launched a new business venture to apply its unique discernment and creativity cultivated in the fields of fashion, entertainment, and art to the gaming industry. The company has made a full-scale entry into the game publishing business and established a new label, “PARCO GAMES.” ‘PARCO GAMES’ serves as the umbrella brand for PARCO’s game-related businesses, incorporating the newly added publishing division. Through events, collaborations, and in-store promotions at PARCO retail locations, the company aims to comprehensively and globally advance its game business.
In this physics-driven giant-robot arena brawler, you don’t just grow in size. You Get Colossal!
[November 17, 2025] – Glitch Hammer Games is proud to announce their upcoming light-hearted, but heavy-hitting arena brawler Get Colossal, with a first-look trailer and global Alpha playtest November 22nd-23rd! Get Colossal is a party-style, family-friendly 2v2 brawler where players grow from human-sized to giant mechs and titans and slug it out in fully destructible environments.
Players can get their first taste of the monstrous mayhem with the open Alpha playtest for Get Colossal next weekend! In the playtest, you can choose from four characters as you test out the kaiju-scale action and wreak havoc on one of the maps from the game.
Key Features:
Super-Sized Brawls: With three character sizes, level up from being a tiny human, skilled at being a nuisance to bigger targets, to a large mech, and then to an oversized titan that stomps, smacks, and leaves nothing but destruction in its wake.
Full Physics-Based Destruction: No matter how big or small, everything is fully destructible. Physics-based combat makes each battle feel like a kaiju movie with heavy weighted brawling, giving you the decimation you’d expect from massive robots slugging away at each other.
Collect, Power Up, and Smash Your Opponents: Knock out your opponents, collect Quantum Cubes and grow to be the biggest badass on the block! Find power-ups across the city that add to the chaos and turn a losing match into a surprise victory. Master fighting in all sizes to truly reign supreme.
Colossal Chaos Across Modes and Maps: Rampage through four cityscapes as eight playable characters and choose between three modes. 2v2 multiplayer match “Break the Rift,” 4-player free-for-all “Mayhem,” and a local single-player mode “Badass” where you can take on anywhere from one to seven enemies.
Be sure to wishlist Get Colossal on Steam today and sign up for the playtest on November 22nd!
About Glitch Hammer Games
Glitch Hammer Games is an independent studio based in Finland, founded by a team of veteran developers united by a shared goal: to create games that bring parents and kids together for joyful, high-energy play. The founders set out to build experiences that blend competitive excitement with co-operative empowerment, humor, and heart. The studio focuses on games that are easy to pick up, fun to master, and designed for modern family game nights — fast, bold, and full of personality. Get Colossal is the first title to embody this philosophy: a big, bright, chaotic multiplayer brawler rooted in the team’s love of mecha, kaiju, and playful destruction. With decades of combined experience across studios like Futuremark, Nitro Games, Mainframe Industries, and more, Glitch Hammer Games is committed to crafting memorable, cross-generational entertainment with lasting appeal.
Escape a hazardous house as two stuck-together toys in this friendship-testing title
Yorkshire, UK (November 17, 2025) – Today, independent British developer Hugecalf Studios (Turbo Golf Racing) is pleased to launch co-operative multiplayer physics platformer Stuck Together on Windows PC via Steam!
Watch the Stuck Together launch trailer:
In gameplay, that some have called “sadistic,” you and a friend control two stuck-together toys trying to escape a house full of danger – as well as the tyrannical teenager who glued you together in the first place.
Across local or online co-op multiplayer, control limbs using the analogue sticks or mouse and keyboard, and engage in climbing chaos on your journey to get the heck out of there. As well as watching your balance, you’ll need to be wary of spinning blades, domestic appliances that are literally on fire, as well as the garish prints found on furniture from the 90’s – which may be the most terrifying part of all! In addition to these dangers and debris, the teenage “hand-tagonist” can also swat you down, making you fall off of obstacles or send you flying through the air.
Stuck Together features six challenging levels, each designed to be deliciously difficult. The six rooms of the house are all decorated with nostalgia in mind, including retro toys and throwback tunes. It’s almost enough to make you forget the frustration when you fall (yet again).
Key Features of Stuck Together
House of Horrors: Progress through a house on full-scale, exploring six rooms (such as the Kitchen, and the Bedroom) filled with hazards. Dodge decapitated and mutilated toys and unfair level design as you plot your daring escape from this cursed and twisted setting.
Will Your Friendship Survive? Teamwork makes the dream work, even for spliced-together toys. You and a friend will need to cooperate and coordinate your moves in order to overcome traps and dangers safely. An easy mode with checkpoints is also available, if those friendships start to fray!
Feeling Nostalgic: Each level is packed with retro references familiar to any 90’s kid, including VHS tapes, furniture with garish patterns, and custom character cosmetics for that throwback feel.
Stuck Together is out now on Windows PC via Steam. It costs $11.99 USD / £9.99 GBP / 11,79 EUR with a 30% discount also available at launch.
About Hugecalf Studios
Hugecalf Studios was founded in 2016 when brothers Will and Jonny teamed up with their best friend Andy to create original physics gameplay. Since then, the team has grown and they’ve released When Ski Lifts Go Wrong (2019), Turbo Golf Racing (2024) and are working on their latest title Stuck Together (releasing 2025).
London, UK – November 17, 2025 – Build the marble run of your dreams and let the good times roll in Cozy Marbles, a marble run and racing simulation game rolling onto Steam in 2026. Download the Steam Playtest today to jump into the nostalgia and get an early look at this warm and cozy marble simulator.
Developed by Pixel Pea Games and published by Mythwright, Cozy Marbles is a comfy game about building marble runs on a sunny afternoon. Using a huge range of bits and pieces, jump into a massive toybox and build the marble course you’ve always wanted.
Design awesome loops, twists and drops while tinkering with freeform construction tools and a rich library of parts. Engineer your run before rolling your marbles off on their own adventure, guiding them across complex courses, bouncing them over obstacles with boosters and ramps, and shooting them from cannons in an epic race to the finish.
Customize your marbles with a huge range of colours, facial expressions, stylish hats and silly little arms, all while unwinding to a relaxing lo-fi soundtrack. Perfect your marble masterpieces and share them with the world, and import courses from other builders to discover an entire world of mesmerizing marble runs.
“Cozy Marbles is a little game for big imaginations,” said Stuart Morton, Publishing Director at Mythwright. “From creating viral marble runs to classic marble races, Cozy Marbles gives players the tools to build any course they can dream of in a wonderful world of marbles. We’re very much looking forward to players rolling into Cozy Marbles with today’s Playtest, and can’t wait to share more on this marbelous new game as we get closer to launch.”
Cozy Marbles launches on Steam in 2026 and is the latest title to join Mythwright’s growing lineup of exciting upcoming games, including Kaiju Cleanup, TerraTech Legion, Bladesong and more.
ABOUT PIXEL PEA GAMES Pixel Pea Games is a solo developer making cozy games, based in Berlin, Germany. Cozy Marbles is the studio’s debut game.
ABOUT MYTHWRIGHT Mythwright is an independent publisher founded by industry veterans. Established in 2024, Mythwright has already signed a range of exciting titles including Kaiju Cleanup, TerraTech Legion, TerraTech, TerraTech Worlds, Cozy Marbles, Galacticare, War for the Overworld, Going Medieval, Bladesong, Innkeep, Scriptorium: Master of Manuscripts, Deadstick – Bush Flight Simulator and Touch Type Tale – Strategic Typing.
The cult supernatural strategy puzzle game is back with hauntingly beautiful remakes for PS5, Nintendo Switch, and Xbox Series X|S, plus eerie physical editions for collectors!
London, UK – 17th November, 2025. After two decades in the shadows, the spirits are stirring once again. Developer Mechano Story Studio is summoning the long-awaited return of the cult classic supernatural strategy puzzle game Ghost Master: Resurrection, launching digitally for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and Nintendo Switch and physically for PlayStation 5 and Nintendo Switch in March 2026. The PC version, published by Strategy First, is currently available via Steam Early Access, with the full V1.0 launch planned to launch alongside the digital and physical console releases.
Published by U&I Entertainment, the physical editions of Ghost Master: Resurrection for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X and Nintendo Switch are now available to pre-order from local and online retailers ahead of their March 2026 release. These editions include four exciting DLC packs bursting with new levels, modes, and features to expand your spectral strategy experience:
DLC 1: Until Dawn: Explore the new level Elm Street, in the Until Dawn game mode.
DLC 2: Ghosts Adrift: Haunt the streets of Neibolt Street in Random mode.
DLC 3: Ghostly Defence: Protect your haunts on Ocean Avenue with the Defence mode, now enhanced by the new Pets System.
DLC 4: Ashes & Abyss: Confront terrifying new specters, Bathys and Pyro, across the new levels, Marine and Gas Station.
These boxed versions promise a collector’s treat for fans of the original classic and newcomers eager to join the haunting
Fans going digital on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, or Nintendo Switch will automatically receive DLC 1 and 2 in the spooky pack, expanding the ghostly puzzle experience from the start.
Watch the Ghost Master Resurrection announcement trailer
A Classic, Resurrected for the Modern Age
The beloved Ghost Master returns from beyond with a complete modern overhaul, a faithful remake infused with cutting-edge visuals, a new engine, and refined mechanics that amplify every haunting encounter.
Take control of a mischievous army of specters, banshees, and ghouls to strike fear into the hearts of the living in the eerie town of Gravenville. Solve puzzles, reveal dark secrets, and master the art of spectral strategy in this unique blend of supernatural tactics and offbeat humour.
Key Features
Command Your Army of Spirits: Summon and control over a dozen types of ghosts, each with distinct personalities, powers, and haunting styles, now enhanced with modern AI and stunning detail.
Terrorize Gravenville: Spread supernatural mayhem across 11 intricately reimagined locations, from asylums and sorority houses to secret labs and police stations, each packed with new scares and secrets.
Solve, Scare, and Strategise: Combine clever puzzle-solving with tactical haunting to complete multi-branching missions, discover hidden content, and unlock the mysteries of the afterlife.
Remade for a New Generation: Experience a haunting reborn through an all-new engine, modern visuals, refined gameplay systems, and expanded story elements that respect the legacy while inviting new fans to the fold.
Pre-Orders and Future Updates
The physical editions of Ghost Master: Resurrection for PlayStation 5 and Nintendo Switch are now available to pre-order from local and online retailers ahead of their March 2026 release.
Wishlists for digital console editions will open soon.
For PC players eager to join the haunt early, Ghost Master: Resurrection is available now in Steam Early Access, published by Strategy First.
About Strategy First
Strategy First Unc. is a worldwide publisher of entertainment software for the PC and emerging platforms. The company is known for its proprietary titles such as the award winning “Flatout Racing”™ ‘Ghost Master’™, “Space Empires”™ and critically acclaimed 3rd party games ‘S.C.S. Dangerous Waters” ™ The company provides unique opportunity for independent developers who would like to market and release their games to a worldwide audience. Opportunities include work for hire, financing of a product and general publishing opportunities.
If there was anything that goes together perfectly, it is anything based on or near the water and Lovecraftian horrors. As such when Solarsuit Games revealed that one of their latest indie horror games would be making the jump to consoles, it seemed like the best way to experience a new take on horror, especially given what it tasks players with doing, being a lighthouse keeper of all things. Isolated with only a radio and the local fishing village nearby, does Static Dread: The Lighthouse manage to deliver interesting gameplay and unique enough storytelling to carry the frights?
Story
The player, an unnamed lighthouse keeper, has been assigned to take over the only working lighthouse near Blackfort on a small island of Outsmooth when a strange aurora appears over the entire world, disrupting all modern electronics and striking fear into many as the eerie aurora remains in the air day and night. Formerly entirely automated, the player is given the task to help manage the radio of the lighthouse, keep its beacon shining, and guide ships lost on the sea to their ports at night while talking to their family on the radio during the day. Or at least that’s how it was meant to be until an incredibly strange broadcast comes through the radio, warning the keeper to leave or face their terrible wrath.
As the second day rolls around the keeper is informed by the “Chief” that not only have the two lighthouse keepers that were supposed to work in shifts alongside the player have been found murdered by a local gang of drug-runners, but the drugs themselves are seemingly changing people, all while the Chief demeans the keeper and issues new orders to keep an eye out as they guide ships to port. Thus begins the fifteen‑night trial growing ever more dire as time progresses and new events unfold. The keeper faces mounting burdens, additional tasks, ship analysis, and their own sanity all while the world itself strains to hold together. A being not of this realm cracks it at the seams, and a rising cult transforms, battling against humanity’s desperate struggle to survive what it cannot possibly comprehend.
Static Dread: The Lighthouse tells a fascinating and eerie story that does wonders to keep the player invested every single night by offering not only a wide-variety of choices and outcomes depending on what they end up selecting, but also being as upfront with the potential terror right at the doorstep but holding the curtain back just long enough before dropping the veil fully as each night progresses. That being said, it is a bit unfortunate that some player choices feel like they don’t make much of a difference outside of having an occasionally different radio call or an extra helping hand to talk to in the lighthouse.
It is interesting to note that the game does track certain choices and reveal “Chapter” achievements depending on what players have done, even if they never resulted in a visual effect. For example, players can bring in a number of characters into the lighthouse (despite being explicitly told not to), and at certain points these characters find their will to continue or calling, only for players to be left hanging. In fact, multiple times my Keeper found himself threatened by outside threats that would “attack” due to denying them access to my inhabitants only for nothing to happen, lowering the horror factor quite a bit especially since there is a locker that players can “hide” in but it never was needed, even after unlocking all of the lighthouse’s dark secrets.
On the other hand, it is fairly clear that there are some notable choices players can make that can and will drastically alter how the story can unfold and there are multiple endings as a result of this, though the actual variations among these endings are small as well. These aforementioned “notable” choices are obviously the ones that play a bigger role in the story as they also tend to feature some of the biggest twists and revelations amongst the drip feed of information that players get otherwise throughout the limited conversations and radio calls with port authority and ships on the water. Going along with these bigger twists players are also given plenty of eerie glimpses at events through their windows as every day/night players can look out into the village and forest and witness events unfolding depending on how the story is flowing.
Gameplay
The core gameplay of Static Dread: The Lighthouse is fairly straightforward as players are free to roam around what they’ve unlocked of the lighthouse during the day, talk to any people who come to the door or people they’ve let stay inside, peak out the windows to see what’s happening outside, all while making sure they are ready for the challenge that comes at night by eating and drinking food. The title introduces three “perks” called Energy, Sanity, and Speed that players can unlock each day by filling their meter during the day and these are mostly self explanatory since they simply enhance the Keeper’s abilities at night. Energy keeps players awake longer without needing to rush ships or eat additional food to stay awake, sanity keeps them sane while navigating through dark locations or strange happenings, and speed increases overall running speed for the night.
At night players are then given their real mission, to find a ship’s radio signal and guide them to port. Locating a station is meant to be done by rotating the analog sticks but this is slow and only best used for precise stations. Thankfully using the D-Pad rapidly takes players to a signal, shaving time off significantly. As things slowly grow more complicated as nights progress, more will be asked of the player since at first players might need to only guide the ships by drawing straight lines to their destination or Blackfort if it isn’t available but eventually as stranger events happen players will need to question ship captains about their ship status, if they’ve seen or picked up anything strange, or how the crew is doing and dictate where they should be sent instead. Ironically, players will be fined and have a deduction taken out of their next paycheck for improperly handling ships though eventually there are also small bonuses for correctly guiding ships as well.
Things escalate so far to the point of incredible complication as not only will players need to check a ship’s condition, but eventually things like it’s identification sign, draft depth, and more to the point that players will be literally juggling papers on their desk trying to dig out the proper info. While this may have worked fine on the PC version, using only the analog sticks to highlight a paper only to grab a piece beneath is annoying, especially since players don’t technically have forever to handle each radio call. This is ironically not because a call might be missed, as during my time with the game a ship sat on hold for quite some time during a few interactions and malfunctions happening all at once at the lighthouse but because of the aforementioned stats.
The longer a night takes the sleepier the player can become and falling asleep means an instant game over, probably, as it never happened for us, but it was presented as a fail state. It also gives the darkness that stalks the lighthouse a chance to slip through by painting cultish symbols onto surfaces, flick off light switches or straight up rip lights from the ceiling (that can be hung right back up) in an effort to summon its tentacled sludge in the dark. Players will need to brave the darkness at the cost of sanity to drive it away with their flashlight and flick the lights back on, restart the generator, or even run all the way to the top of the lighthouse to restart the rotation motor. If anything, maintaining the lighthouse’s functions that constantly are falling apart and the ever encroaching darkness sometimes takes more time than actually navigating ships and answering calls. This eventually does grow a bit tedious, especially in the last few nights where things start really going wild and the fact that, other than dropping the lights entirely, it doesn’t really vary or feel scary. The biggest scare came from a randomly appearing teddy-bear that happened only twice actually.
It is also worth noting that the game’s economy and item management is a little bit broken. Since players need to eat to keep their perks active for night, they might think they need to ration carefully but some quick purchases can make these non-existent worries. One of the first things players can purchase is a fishing rod for rather cheap to fish out on the dock when not on duty, catching two or three fish at most but easily able to boost their stats as a result. Similarly, a pricey but helpful coffee pot that fully restores energy once a night makes falling asleep also not a concern even when running long nights. This means that players will find themselves not needing to buy any “food” items from the sellers that come to their door, but there is also a problem with these sellers. A couple of them can take refuge inside the lighthouse and close their shop entirely, locking players out of purchasing anything else from their stock.
Our time with Static Dread: The Lighthouse was mostly glitch free but it is worth noting that many of the game’s achievements appear to be bugged or unlock incorrectly. Finishing the game unlocked an achievement for hanging a decoration on every available hook while doing just that gave the achievement for catching ten fish, which in turn never unlocked anything on its own. Not every achievement is glitched, but those looking to tackle achievements will find some issues here. It is also worth noting that while players can load any “day” they want to over again there is no New Game+ style that allows for a money boost or special items to be carried over should players want to start from the beginning, discouraging replay despite the variations available in the storyline.
Audio & Visuals
Solar Suit has taken a very stylized approach to Static Dread: The Lighthouse and it has done wonders to make the game’s atmosphere as creepy as possible. The inside of the lighthouse is designed with odd angles and doors that are off-kilter, making everything seem ever-so-slightly out of place. As for the character designs, they are portrayed just as stylishly with moving 2D portraits that are just as creepy as they are normal looking, at least at first for some. Throughout the game players will also be shown terrifying images of things found by boats out at sea or peek out the windows to see something strange. Either that or get a fax featuring a furry fox girl on accident by someone who’s been at sea too long. Anyways, these creepy designs of the interior and exterior create a wonderfully eerie atmosphere while making it through the nights, especially when needing to navigate through the dark, cleaning evil marks, and eerie eyes appearing on walls.
There is no notable voice work throughout Static Dread: The Lighthouse outside of grumbles through the radio from time to time. In fact the only real voices tend to be the haunting whispers and dire screams that can occur during some nights and whenever the player’s sanity starts to dip low, as well as various doors opening and slamming shut on their own or the sound of bulbs bursting when they are in-fact intact, trying to distract the player from the task at hand. As for the background music, there is an eerie background track throughout most of the game but it is also worth noting that players can acquire a “track player” that they can move around and place in near their radio set-up that not only plays a wide variety of simple but effective background tracks but also restores sanity.
Overall
Taking care of a lighthouse during an imminent Old One driven apocalypse makes for an engrossing storyline that is quite engaging to experience even if it isn’t quite as scary as one might actually expect. While there is certainly a sense of “dread” while manning the radio and navigating the multitude of choices presented to the player, it often feels like many are of little consequence. Combine this with a bit of tedium when it comes to maintenance and the quick way players can break the food mechanics and many of the other elements fall a bit flat, despite how strong the story is presented and atmospheric the game can be, leaving Static Dread: The Lighthouse feel like it got a bit lost in the fog along the way before delivering a unique if somewhat lacking horror game.
Capsule Computers review guidelines can be found here.
