The psychological horror game HOARDER, from the co-creator of Darkwood, will officially release in 2027. Publisher Awaken Realms and Byzel studio have confirmed the release for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series, and PC (Steam). The project is being led by Gustav Stachaszewski, one of the creators of the cult classic Darkwood. The exact date hasn’t been announced yet, but the target is 2027.
It all starts innocently enough. You’re a janitor hired to clear out the clutter in the home of a couple with hoarding disorder. The goal is simple: clean up the mess, get paid, and buy a ticket to their dream vacation at any time—and the game is over. No horror, just honest work.
Until you decide to dig deeper.
If curiosity gets the better of you, you’ll discover an underground staircase of unnatural proportions. Descending down is the point of no return. The mechanics of the cleaning simulator disappear, quest descriptions and markers are distorted, and the familiar rules of the game are broken. Instead of home, a mysterious underground complex becomes your new refuge.
Next comes the day and night cycle. The complex changes over time and depending on your actions. Explore it, discover new areas, and encounter things you’d better leave alone.
A significant advantage lies in controlling a submarine. You descend to the bottom, scan your surroundings with a LiDAR scanner, and discover strange artifacts. Everything you recover from the bottom can be used as salvage—to unlock new parts of the complex, upgrade existing ones, or advance the plot.
Darkwood was renowned for its oppressive atmosphere and sense of hopelessness. HOARDER appears to be following a similar path—only now the horror lurks not in the forest, but underground and underwater. The project already promises Russian localization.
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HOARDER’s Plot and Genre Shifts
HOARDER’s plot architecture is built on contrast. The first half is an atmospheric cleaning simulator with narrative elements. You arrive at a house where junk has accumulated for years. The owners have disappeared. As you clear away the rubble, fragments of their story unfold: who they were, what happened, and why the house has become a dump.
The second half is pure psychological horror. Descending the stairs triggers a chain reaction: the familiar rules of the game cease to apply, and the complex itself begins to change in real time.
Important: completing the story is completely optional. You can simply clean, earn money, and leave. The game doesn’t force you into an abyss. The choice is yours. But if you decide to dig deeper, HOARDER transforms into something completely different.
HOARDER’s Gameplay and Unique Mechanics
HOARDER is more than just a “scary cleaning simulator.” It’s a hybrid where two genres coexist and alternate.
The first phase of the game is a cleaning simulator.
You declutter your house, sort trash, and earn money for it.
The interface is clean, the tasks are clear, and the markers work properly.
No hint of horror—only routine.
The second phase involves exploring the underground complex.
After descending the stairs, the interface becomes distorted: the task descriptions become meaningless, and the markers break.
A day and night cycle appears—the complex lives its own life, changing every day.
The cleaning mechanics disappear completely. In their place are exploration, survival, and submarine control.
Submarine control is a separate layer of gameplay. You pilot the submarine, explore the seabed with a LiDAR scanner, find artifacts, and deliver them to the base. The resources you find are needed to unlock new areas, upgrade the base, and progress through the story.
The game doesn’t provide direct hints. Exploration is driven by player curiosity, not markers and signposts.
The HOARDER Developers and the Darkwood Creators
There are two forces behind HOARDER: publisher Awaken Realms and development studio Byzel.
Gustaw Stachaszewski is the key figure. He was one of the creators of Darkwood, a horror game still considered the benchmark for atmospheric horror in the indie segment. He serves as the project manager for HOARDER.
Byzel is a studio operating under the wing of Awaken Realms. This isn’t the team’s first foray into the horror genre, but HOARDER is their most ambitious project to date.
Awaken Realms is known for its board games Nemesis, ISS Vanguard, and Tainted Grail. The publisher is currently actively expanding into the digital space, and HOARDER is one of its key bets.
A fact that most competitors don’t have: former SUPERHOT developers were also involved in the development. This explains the unconventional approach to gameplay mechanics and genre blending.
HOARDER Release Date and System Requirements
HOARDER’s official release is scheduled for 2027.
Platforms:
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PlayStation 5
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Xbox Series X|S
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PC (Steam)
Status: The game is already in development, the Steam page is available. A precise release date has not yet been announced. The release is expected in 2027, with no further timeframe.
Languages: Russian localization is announced. Voiceover is not yet confirmed.
System Requirements:
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Minimum: Windows 7/8/10, Intel Core i5-6600K / AMD Ryzen 7 1700X, 8 GB RAM, NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 / AMD Radeon RX 580, 4 GB of available space.
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Recommended: Windows 7/8/10/11, Intel Core i7-9700K / AMD Ryzen 7 3700X, 16 GB RAM, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 / AMD Radeon RX 6700 XT (8 GB VRAM), 4 GB of available space.
A 2027 release is a long way off, but the team is already actively showing off the project. Expect new trailers and possibly a demo in 2026.
