‘s.p.l.i.t’ – Hacking Psychological Horror Meant To Test Your Nerves, and It Has a Release Date

It makes all the sense in the world that after my love for Dead Letter Dept., I would find my way into another computer-based psychological horror first-person game. This time around, though, it’s not a job in a seemingly abandoned building. s.p.l.i.t tasks you with hacking into what is described as an “unethical superstructure.”

‘s.p.l.i.t’ is horror-based coding

s.p.l.i.t is the newest game from Buckshot Roulette creator Mike Klubnika. So, it has that going for it. Everything I’ve heard about that game is glowing praise. And from the short trailer for s.p.l.i.t, I understand why. Everything visually is on point, it all has a reason for existing, and the sound design is top-notch.

The press release also gives a bit more insight into the game: “s.p.l.i.t features Klubnika’s trademark dystopian, low-fi tech visual identity and industrial audio design – which combined with the game’s unsettling, psychological narrative and cerebral puzzles – results in an intensely atmospheric, slow-burn experience in which the dread creeps in with every keystroke“.

“Throughout the game, you chat with your fellow technicians in order to plan and execute a malware attack. Regardless of the outcome, your story won’t be told for decades“.

In other words, s.p.l.i.t is whispering to me: “This game is right up your alley.” I’m wholly interested in the way this story plays out. It would sound like there’s potential for multiple endings, but I kind of hope that there is just one ending here. The gameplay and the narrative premise make me want a solid throughline for the story with no “outs”. I don’t want to feel like there’s something there for me to be happy about at the end, I mean, it’s still horror, so I doubt it’s going down like that anyway. Whatever the story is, let it be that. I’m enjoying games with those types of endings more and more now. s.p.l.i.t releases July 24, 2025, on Steam.

features

• “First person gameplay with diegetic & immersive UI.
• An IRC chat where you gain intel, and learn more about the facility.
• A terminal where you run software, navigate directories, and execute commands.
• Detailed command prompt hacking puzzles with an emphasis on traditional inputs.
• Original soundtrack.

The facility you and your crew infiltrate is a superstructure of unethical electronics.

The daunting task is only made possible by careful planning, and vulnerabilities hidden deep below legacy code and engineering.”