Chris InglisInto the Dead: Our Darkest Days is a side-scrolling shelter survival game developed by PikPok and launched on Steam Early Access on April 10, 2025. Set in the 1980s, the game immediately establishes a tense atmosphere, throwing players into the ravaged town of Walton amidst a mysterious and devastating zombie outbreak. My initial hours with the game have been a brutal but fascinating dance between scavenging for dwindling resources, managing the needs of a growing band of desperate survivors, and making tough decisions in the face of constant threat.
The core gameplay loop revolves around establishing and upgrading a fortified shelter while venturing out into dangerous locales to scavenge for essential supplies. Each expedition begins with selecting a pair of survivors, each possessing unique skills and traits that significantly impact your chances of success. One might have a larger backpack, allowing for more loot, while another could have a more resilient stomach, less susceptible to illness from questionable food. This initial choice sets the tone for the run and forces players to consider their strengths and weaknesses.
Venturing outside the relative safety of the shelter is where Into the Dead: Our Darkest Days reveals its oppressive atmosphere through short scavenging missions. The 2.5D perspective offers a claustrophobic view of the decaying environments where stealth is required. Shining your flashlight carelessly or making loud noises will quickly attract the attention of the shuffling undead that are spread throughout. The sound design is particularly effective here; the distant moans, the creaking of dilapidated buildings, and the sudden, terrifying shriek of a nearby zombie all contribute to a real sense of dread.
Combat involves trying to sneak up to and execute zombies with your melee weapon that has limited durability. Landing a well-timed strike can dispatch a lone zombie, but getting swarmed can quickly lead to a gruesome end. Firearms are a rare and powerful find, but their loudness will draw every nearby undead creature, making their use a calculated risk. In some locations you will find a vantage point, and these will reveal new locations on the map to visit in successive runs. Each run will net you resources that you can use for crafting back at base.
Managing the shelter and its inhabitants adds another layer of complexity. Survivors have needs – hunger, exhaustion, and despair all need to be carefully balanced. Assigning tasks, such as crafting upgrades, cooking food, or reinforcing defences, becomes a crucial element of long-term survival. New survivors can be encountered during scavenging runs, each with their own skills and potential burdens. Deciding who to take in and how to best utilise their abilities is a constant balancing act.
An added layer of tension and stress is that every night, your barricades will be under their relentless attack from the zombies. You can set a survivor to repair some barricade health overnight, but you’re facing the threat of running out of resources and it’s only a matter of time before they break through. As such, you need to keep moving from refuge to refuge to stay one step ahead of the encroaching zombie hordes. Scouting for your next location is a top priority.
The art style of Into the Dead: Our Darkest Days is what drew me to the game. I love the side scrolling viewpoint and the shadows add tension to your every move. The muted color palette and detailed environments perfectly capture the bleakness of the apocalypse. Each location feels distinct and tells a story of the chaos that has unfolded. The character models, both living and undead, are well-animated and contribute to the overall immersion. The early access roadmap looks impressive with a lot of regular content coming over the next 12-18 months. This is definitely a game to follow if you haven’t taken the plunge yet.
Despite being in early access, Into the Dead: Our Darkest Days has already sunk its teeth into me. The blend of tense exploration, strategic resource management, and difficult choices creates a compelling and addictive gameplay loop. The constant threat of permadeath for your survivors raises the stakes and ensures that every decision carries weight. The game masterfully creates a feeling of desperation and the relentless struggle for survival against overwhelming odds. I eagerly await future updates and the continued expansion of this dark and unforgiving world.
This early access review utilised a key provided by Stride PR and Into the Dead: Our Darkest Days is out now on Steam early access.
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Yonan
