A cooperative or single-player survival horror calibrated for tension
Species: Unknown is playable solo or in cooperation with up to 4 players. Ideal flexibility, because solo, the atmosphere is suffocating and every noise counts. Relying only on yourself also creates tension through this isolation. As a team, the fear is somehow shared for the most sensitive souls who will be reassured by the idea of not making this journey alone. Additionally, coordination becomes vital to progress and cover your teammates at key moments. The narrow architecture of the ship, with its corridors plunged into darkness, its locked airlocks, its technical rooms, etc., multiplies blind spots and exacerbates paranoia. The game takes on its full meaning when everyone assumes a role (scout, support, objective carrier) and communicates constantly to avoid disaster.
Varied contracts that renew each party
Here, there is no simple “reach the exit”. The game offers contracts with distinct objectives: extract a black box, capture or eliminate a threat, or even destroy the ship to contain the creature. Each type of mission imposes a different strategy, such as stealth and scouting for extraction, traps and area control for capture, or management of explosive resources for destruction. The difficulty increases over runs, and procedural threat selection maintains uncertainty with each launch. This provides natural replayability that encourages team experimentation and “Come on, one more game”.
An intelligent bestiary that requires investigation
Species: Unknown does not just send a monster at random and the game draws from several specimens with unique behaviors, each with its strengths and weaknesses. Before you even shoot, you must observe, collect clues and identify what you are facing to adapt your plan. For example, you will need to observe how crew members were killed to determine the species present on board in order to be able to effectively counter it. Some react differently to noise, others to special weapons or even groups of players. This layer of investigation breaks the routine, because understanding the creature’s method of hunting can mean the difference between a clean extraction and full-blown carnage.
Smart tools: action never excludes strategy
The arsenal favors risk management and reading the situation. Among concrete examples, we have the motion sensor which warns of a nearby movement and gives you precious seconds to organize yourself; the shield can block a fatal attack and save a teammate; the healing syringe gets your squad back on its feet in the heart of the fray; the mini-map helps you find your way in these dark corridors where you quickly lose your bearings… And above all, not all threats can be resolved with the trigger. Some creatures are very resistant, even untouchable during certain phases. Thus, knowing when to flee, when to hide, when to delay becomes a real skill.
A motivating progression
Each successful contract earns credits to invest in equipment upgrades, purchasing new tools and customizing your avatar. Beyond the simple power-up, progression fuels the desire to optimize your build according to your style: defensive support, scout, demolisher… Another nice bonus, the game offers to collect “lore” and constitute your own “museum” of creatures, a gallery which archives your discoveries and makes you want to hunt down these threats again to complete everything. A little Pokémon side of horror that encourages you to play again.
Seamless early access, free demo, and experienced studio
Good news, you can try the demo for free on Steam and make your own opinion before the early access release scheduled for October 23, 2025. The developers announce a participatory roadmap with approximately 12 months of early access. In particular, we will be entitled to more specimens, cards and improvements, with active consideration of feedback via Steam and Discord.
Finally, Species: Unknown is developed by WanadevStudio, an experienced French studio based in Lyon. They are notably responsible for Ragnarock, Spread: Paradise Hotel or even Remnants: Fallen Tribes. Very well received games that demonstrate expertise in intensity and immersion. Especially Spreadwhich was already into survival horror. Remember that here, the game is playable on PC, without a virtual reality headset, which is an important clarification if you are familiar with the studio.
Species: Unknown ticks all the boxes for a tense and smart co-op survival horror by incorporating renewed objectives, a clever bestiary, tactical tools and rewarding progression. We can only encourage you to download the free demo released during the Steam Next Fest. If you are looking for thrilling evenings to share, board the ship and try to come out alive.
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