Indie publisher Polden has announced that their upcoming Lovecraftian horror game Static Dread will be arriving on Steam on 7th August. Taking inspiration from Papers, Please and No, I’m Not a Human, and given a hefty dose of the old Cthulhu treatment, Static Dread puts players in charge of a lighthouse with all manner of eldritch mysteries. Watch the new release trailer below….
In Static Dread a global cataclysm has devastated the ability to navigate the seas using technology. Out of desperation, the harbour authorities have reactivated an ancient lighthouse in an effort to keep the coastline navigable. Players are tasked with being the lone keeper of this old beacon on a forsaken island and will need to determine the fate of passing ships and the nearby town.
Players will need to ensure the ships pass safely, but with each passing night their duties will become more and more perilous. Local mariners spread news of strange, aquatic like creatures and of ships returning to shore with their entire crew missing, while in the town, locals are saying prayers to ancient sea deities and performing rituals to raise the dead.
Maintain the keepers sanity and safely guide the vessels through this mysterious coastline, or get lost to the darkness lurking beneath the waves.
Wishlist Static Dread on Steam and try out the game’s demo.
Originally published April 14, 2025. Updated April 15, 2025.
