The Brazilian indie studio Coffeenauts has introduced GHOSTLESS, a hybrid 2.5D action-adventure, survival game, base-building, and exploration thriller. The game is coming to PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X/S, and is set in an alternate 20th century where humanity is nearly destroyed after an experimental Soviet artificial intelligence turned machines against humans.
The story takes place 15 years after a catastrophic cyber attack from the Cold War era. The player takes on the role of the Envoy, a person sent to investigate rumors of a secret facility where artificial intelligence is developing new weapons. Along the way, a dark science fiction tale of survival, creation, and the boundary between man and machine unfolds.
GHOSTLESS combines exploring a ruined city, combat, resource gathering, and rescuing survivors. Players will navigate through sewers, metro tunnels, bunkers, and laboratories, fighting against robotic foes and searching for people who can aid the resistance. Collected resources are used to develop the base, craft equipment, and strengthen the group opposing the machines.
The resistance base plays a crucial role in progression. New recruits can be assigned to various tasks, craft better weapons and equipment, and when the group becomes strong enough, players can lead comrades into larger combat missions against enemy strongholds. Successfully executed “incursions” missions unlock new parts of the map and bring progress in the campaign.
The most intriguing part of the game lies in paranoia. Among the survivors, there may be androids known as Ghostless, machines disguised as humans that sabotage the base, kill comrades, and undermine the resistance from within. Players will need to investigate clues, observe character behavior, and interrogate recruits through a dynamic dialogue system to uncover who is human and who is an infiltrator. A wrong decision could mean the execution of an innocent person.
Creative director Fábio Rosa explained that the initial idea for GHOSTLESS stemmed from a desire to capture the paranoia of the classic 1980s film The Thing. During development, the project evolved into a genre hybrid that combines elements of exploration, survival, colony-sim systems, detective gameplay, and action platforming.
Visually, GHOSTLESS employs a dark 2.5D style that blends retro pixel art with modern 3D lighting and effects. Coffeenauts also released the first trailer along with the announcement, and more information about the release date will be revealed later.
