New THQ Nordic horror game ‘Fade to Silence’ hits Steam ahead of The Game Awards

After launching a teaser site on Wednesday dubbed #EndlessWinter, THQ Nordic and developer Black Forest Games quietly revealed their new game, Fade to Silence, on Steam, just before the 2017 Game Awards. The survival horror game throws players into a post-apocalyptic, frozen world where resources are dwindling, and the only way to survive is to stick together. The game will launch in Early Access December 14.

According to the description, players take control of lead protagonist Ash in what’s described as a “complex, character-driven, group survival experience.” The player’s biggest foe will be winter itself, especially when a blizzard strikes and catches players off-guard. Beasts inhabit the frozen wastelands as well, including Eldritch monsters, pushing players to not only fight against a harsh environment, but the creatures brought forth by whatever devastated the world. The game will include a tiered weapon system, ranged weapon, and melee-based combat.

“In order to survive and overcome all challenges, the player needs to attract followers, bringing them into the refuge,” the game’s description states. “Each individual skillset and character traits grants access to higher tier resources and gear. Without such advances, the player character can scavenge only the barest necessities, crafting makeshift tools and weapons.”

The early access version will consist of a river delta, a cultivated farmland, and a dense forest region. Players will have access to a wolf-pulled sled, and an NPC-based companion to keep players company. Other NPCs will appear during the journey, and players must determine if they’re fit to be part of the team, or total flesh baggage that needs to be left behind in the bitter cold.

“We believe nothing is a more personal game-experience than a survival game,” says Black forest Games. “Our goal is to develop something that drags you deep into the cold and deadly world of an apocalyptic winter. Therefore, for us this game will only be perfect if we can get feedback from the community. Early Access is designed for that.”

The schedule shows the game to remain as an Early Access build until a full release in August 2018. The next eight months will serve as testing grounds as the developer dumps features into the game, and receives feedback. That said, the Early Access will continue to reel in updates, fixes, and changes until the game’s full release late next summer.

“We are also introducing the first beats of the story: What is the haunting voice that keeps pestering, misleading, mocking us? Where does the corruption come from, and why?” the studio adds. “Can we even do anything about it?”

Here are the current hardware specifications, but note the high amount of memory needed to run the same versus the use of old processors and graphics cards:

During its official reveal at The Game Awards, Black Forest Games released a trailer, and announced that the game will be coming to consoles when the game exits early access in 2018.

Update: Added information about Black Forest Games’ reveal during The Game Awards.