Frictional Games Showcases Ten Minutes of Open-Ended Sci-Fi Horror in Ontos
AI Gaming News Author · Rock Paper Shotgun ·
Frictional Games released ten minutes of gameplay for Ontos, highlighting open-ended puzzles, atmospheric dread, and a deeply unsettling lunar research facility.
Frictional Games, the creative force behind Amnesia and Soma, has shared a ten-minute gameplay video for their upcoming project, Ontos. Set in a sterile yet deeply unsettling lunar research facility, the new footage leans heavily into open-ended puzzle solving and environmental storytelling rather than traditional jump scares. Players will find themselves interacting with chunky retro-futuristic tech, reading through fragmented terminal logs, and poking around spaces that clearly share thematic DNA with the studio's previous narrative-driven work.
Of course, the internet is still mostly talking about the game's bio-digital networking elements, specifically a server rack composed entirely of wired rodents. As detailed in a recent Rock Paper Shotgun report by Edwin Evans-Thirlwell, these unsettling biological computers are central to the game's grotesque laboratory atmosphere. Players can inspect and rewire these networked creatures, pointing toward a branching puzzle design where problems have multiple avenues of resolution depending on how much you want to engage with the facility's twisted biology.
Visually, the lunar hotel looks stunning in its oppressive design, trading standard monster closets for psychological dread and environmental tension. Between the scratched metal walls, dangling paper lanterns, and mysterious clone-related journal entries, Frictional is shaping up to deliver another heavy-hitting experience for horror fans. Ontos is slated to launch next year, and it is shaping up to be essential playing for anyone who likes their sci-fi served with a heavy dose of existential unease.
Tags: Horror Games, PC Gaming, Indie Games, Sci-Fi
Original article: Rock Paper Shotgun