Studio Abattoir’s debut game is The Pines, an open-world psychological horror RPG coming to PC via Steam in 2027. Developed by a solo creator, the project combines freeform exploration, character progression, investigative gameplay, and brutal combat inside a darkly humorous and oppressive horror experience. The new gameplay trailer shows a picturesque therapy retreat that quickly reveals something much uglier beneath the surface, with cultists, chainsaws, unstable residents, dangerous secrets, and conspiracies turning a promise of recovery into a descent through paranoia.
Players take on the role of Edward Walker, a former detective looking for peace at The Pines, a remote forest retreat built around therapy, calm, and recovery. The place presents itself through warm smiles, cheerful signage, and a carefully maintained public image, but that facade hides something far more disturbing. Edward is pulled into a surreal and dizzying mystery where the retreat’s present-day horrors begin to echo parts of his own past.
The world of The Pines is fully handcrafted and designed for open exploration. Players can follow the main investigation or drift into strange side rumors uncovered while moving through the retreat and its surrounding locations. The residents are central to that structure, because each one has their own history, trauma, and secrets. Branching dialogue supports different approaches, allowing Edward to act with empathy, aggression, manipulation, or something less clearly defined between those extremes.
Investigation is more than a narrative frame. Edward can examine crime scenes, gather evidence, connect clues, uncover hidden truths, and decide who deserves trust. There is no single correct method for solving the mystery, but every approach carries consequences. Saying the wrong thing, digging too deeply, or crossing the wrong person can turn a seemingly harmless resident into a Stalker, a persistent and powerful enemy that haunts the forests around The Pines. A sudden appearance from one of them can turn routine exploration into a desperate fight for survival.
Combat is fast, fluid, and grounded, built around dodging, parrying, and striking with bats, axes, and other scavenged weapons. Edward’s survival depends on timing, awareness, and using whatever sharp or useful tools he can find. The RPG side supports that pressure through a customizable skill and perk system, letting players shape Edward’s abilities and build across multiple facets. Weapons, clothing, and useful items can be scavenged throughout the retreat, reinforcing the idea of an horror RPG where narrative, exploration, roleplaying, and tension constantly push into one another.
