Hey everyone,
Steam Next Fest is in full swing, and the playable demo for Cthulhu: The Cosmic Abyss is available until March 2.
If you’ve been meaning to step into the investigation and explore the Ocean-I station for yourself, now’s the time. This demo is only playable during the event.
Developed by the team behind Vampire: The Masquerade – Swansong, Cthulhu: The Cosmic Abyss builds on our experience crafting narrative-driven investigations — this time descending into deep-sea cosmic horror.
We can’t wait to hear what you think.
Demo is available right now:
What's in the demo?
This demo gives you access to the full first chapter and the beginning of the second!
From there, Noah descends into the abyss to do what he was sent for: investigating a chilling mystery, navigating a hostile environment, and confronting a horror that defies reality itself.
You’ll get to experience:
Unraveling the first threads of the mystery, using your investigative tool, The Vault, to log every clue and piece together the fate of the missing crew.
The claustrophobic descent into the abyss, where your only guide through the crushing dark is the ping of your Sonar, revealing the path forward and the secrets hidden within.
Your first chilling encounter with the impossible, forcing you to monitor your Sanity System as the world begins to warp and the battle for your own mind begins.
It’s a substantial taste of the core mechanics, and the psychological depth we’re building into the full experience - just enough to pull you into the mystery, and maybe... just maybe... let you keep a grip on your sanity.
A fresh start for the full game
To ensure the most polished and terrifying experience on April 16th, your save from the demo will not carry over to the full game.
We're still making final tweaks and want everyone to begin their full journey with the definitive, day-one version of the game. This way, everyone starts their descent into madness together, right from the very beginning.
What lies in the full game beyond the demo?
The demo guides you through your first steps into the abyss: it’s designed to teach you the rules of survival, how to use your tools, and how to recognize the first signs of your mind fraying at the edges.
In the full game, those rules are pushed to their breaking point.
As you venture deeper through all chapters of the story, the investigative challenges will become far more intricate, demanding you combine every tool at your disposal under immense psychological pressure. The Sanity system, in particular, will evolve from a background threat into a central gameplay pillar, warping the world around you in terrifying and unpredictable ways.
Most importantly, your journey will culminate not in a single conclusion, but in one of several distinct endings. Every choice you make and how you manage your descent into madness will directly shape the final, horrifying truth you uncover on April 16th.
Thank you for your support
Bringing this demo to Steam Next Fest is an important moment for us. It’s the first time players can explore a portion of Cthulhu: The Cosmic Abyss directly, experience the investigation mechanics, and step into the Ocean-I station themselves.
Developing this project has been a long journey for the team, and seeing it in players’ hands - even in this limited format - means a great deal.
If you decide to try the demo, thank you. Every session played, every comment shared, and every wishlist added genuinely supports the final stretch of development.
We’re currently focused on final polish and refinements ahead of release. If you enjoy what you experience during Next Fest, make sure to wishlist the game to follow us through to launch:
[dynamiclink href="https://store.steampowered.com/app/2760560/Cthulhu_The_Cosmic_Abyss/"]
