Indie Horror Game Caput Mortum Set for PC Release on 27 August

Indie horror fans, prepare yourselves: the chilling dungeon-crawling adventure Caput Mortum has an official release date. Black Lantern Collective and WildArts Games have announced that their slow-burn psychological horror will launch on 27 August 2025 for Windows PC via Steam.

Set in 16th-century France, the game invites players to descend into a forsaken alchemist’s tower where every step promises dread, danger, and secrets better left buried.

A slow-burn horror steeped in atmosphere

Caput Mortum promises to revive the eerie tension of old-school dungeon crawlers while layering it with modern psychological horror. With a setting inspired by 16th-century France, players will explore the dust-choked halls of a long-abandoned alchemist’s tower, where echoes of failed experiments and ancient secrets linger in every shadow.

The developers cite both King’s Field and Amnesia: The Dark Descent as major influences, blending deliberate pacing with unsettling monster encounters. The design philosophy emphasises atmosphere over cheap scares, rewarding players who turn off the lights, put on headphones, and lose themselves in the dread-soaked corridors. Music by Ockeroid further underscores the experience with a haunting soundtrack that heightens unease.

Unique controls that heighten vulnerability

One of the defining features of Caput Mortum lies in its unconventional control schemes. Rather than offering a one-size-fits-all approach, the game provides multiple methods of play, each designed to evoke a sense of vulnerability.

Controller support is recommended, with an optional King’s Field layout that harkens back to FromSoftware’s 1994 action RPG. For purists, there’s a keyboard-only mode that strips away modern conveniences, leaving players to fumble their way through tense encounters. A hybrid keyboard-and-mouse option provides familiarity but still retains the sense of clumsiness that makes every movement feel deliberate.

Adding to this immersion, Caput Mortum allows players to control their right hand separately, whether to manipulate objects or fend off horrors lurking in the tower. This mechanic creates a tangible sense of fragility, mirroring the disorientation one might feel in a hostile, otherworldly environment.

Puzzles, survival, and the terror within

Beyond its atmospheric trappings and experimental controls, Caput Mortum challenges players with survival-focused mechanics and intricate puzzles. Healing items are scarce, forcing careful resource management and tactical decision-making. Every encounter with the monsters stalking the alchemist’s tower can mean the difference between life and death.

Players are encouraged to experiment: stealth may be a safer option at times, while direct confrontation might prove necessary in others. Alongside these dangers lie puzzles woven seamlessly into the environment. Each locked door, strange mechanism, or hidden chamber reveals fragments of the tower’s grim history, slowly piecing together the tragic narrative of forbidden knowledge and alchemical obsession.

In true old-school fashion, Caput Mortum punishes carelessness but rewards patience and observation. The horrors players face are not simply monsters to be slain, but symbols of the tower’s unsettling mysteries waiting to be unearthed.

Descent into darkness awaits

With its blend of atmospheric horror, unforgiving survival mechanics, and inventive control schemes, Caput Mortum is shaping up to be an unforgettable entry in the indie horror scene. By drawing on the spirit of classics like King’s Field and Amnesia, while carving out its own identity, the game offers both nostalgia and fresh terror in equal measure.

Players won’t have long to wait: the nightmare begins on 27 August 2025, when Caput Mortum launches for Windows PC via Steam. For those eager to test their courage ahead of time, a free demo is already available on Steam, offering a chilling taste of what lies within the alchemist’s cursed tower.

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