Gloomwood

Gloomwood is a first-person stealth survival horror game in development by Dillon Rogers and David Szymanski, published by New Blood Interactive. It was first revealed in June 2020 and launched in early access on September 5, 2022, pushed back from an original August 16, 2022 date. The game draws strong influence from the Thief series, particularly its first two installments, and has drawn comparisons to Dishonored, Bloodborne, Sir, You Are Being Hunted, Resident Evil, BioShock, and Deathloop. It is also described as an immersive sim.

Players control an unnamed doctor navigating the neo-Victorian, gothic, steampunk-like city of Gloomwood. The game emphasizes stealth and exploration, though players can use melee weapons like a sword cane and firearms such as revolvers and shotguns. A ring on the player character indicates light levels and noise—being in light or walking on metal or rock increases detection risk, while shadows and quiet surfaces help avoid enemies. Stealth takedowns from behind and eavesdropping are possible, and items like cans or bottles can distract foes. Ammo availability depends on difficulty, and weapons can be inspected to check remaining rounds. Traps and harpoon guns are also available.

The player carries a briefcase with a grid-based inventory system, reminiscent of Resident Evil 4, holding health syringes, coins, keys, and maps. Gramophones playing music act as save points, similar to Resident Evil's typewriters. The interconnected map includes areas like a fishery, mines, a lighthouse, a tavern (added in an update), and a market district with a merchant shop (added July 25, 2023). Enemies, including hunters and hounds, patrol set routes unless alerted. Secret areas, shortcuts unlocked by keys, and puzzles are present.

Pre-release builds received praise for atmosphere, tone, world, level design, and gameplay, but criticism for unfinished elements and difficulty. The early access release on Steam garnered an "overwhelmingly positive" rating from over a thousand reviews by September 7, 2022. Critics highlighted exceptional level design, with Vice Media's Renata Price calling it "exceptional" and TheGamer's Andrew King praising its small-scale level design against a larger world. Bloody Disgusting's Aaron Boehm called it "a classic in the making." The Escapist's Andrei Pechalin noted its masterful cost-benefit scenarios.