Heartworm is a nostalgia-wrapped nightmare about one girl’s battle with grief and the otherworldly manifestations that may hold the key to the afterlife, supported by a haunting soundtrack, surreal visuals, and pre-rendered cutscenes.

Driven by her obsession with the deaths of those closest to her, Heartworm protagonist Sam spends her days crawling the internet looking for something — an answer or distraction, perhaps to alleviate her pain. Her morbid research takes her deep into the dark web, where she stumbles upon an internet message board that talks about a mysterious house in the mountains that supposedly has a connection to the afterlife. The board states that no one who has visited the house has ever returned. Internet folklore? Conspiracy theory ramblings? Sam, consumed by her grief, seeks out the house in desperation; consequences be damned.

Heartworm is a game about the memories we keep and the ones we wish we could forget. These themes are expressed through its emotionally charged narrative and early console-era game design, featuring cinematic fixed camera angles, low-rez, retro 3D graphics, and optional tank-style controls. Players will be enveloped in its surreal suburban setting, where they’ll face various ghastly enemies with a weaponized camera (with over-the-shoulder aiming) and solve puzzles. Heartworm additionally features in-game and classically-styled pre-rendered cutscenes, multiple unlockable endings, and a beautiful yet haunting soundtrack.

“Words can't express how excited I am that DreadXP picked up Heartworm,” said developer Vincent Adinolfi. “There was a lot of uncertainty last year for the game — between the unexpected end of our previous publishing agreement and the general air of uncertainty in the industry, I wasn't sure I would be able to finish this game that I've put everything into.”

Interested fans can check out a playable Heartworm demo on Steam.

Key Features:

• Classic survival horror with modern improvements
• A compelling, emotional narrative
• 6-8 hours of gameplay
• Multiple endings
• Surreal, atmospheric visuals
• Both pre-rendered and in-game cutscenes
• Numerous bespoke puzzles
• Combat using a camera as the weapon
• Multiple enemy types and unique boss fights
• Modern controls or classic tank controls
• 3rd person over-the-shoulder aiming
• Toggleable pixelation and retro effects inspired by the first 3D console era
• A beautiful and haunting soundtrack

Players will pass through the threshold into a world born of memories when Heartworm releases for PC (Steam) in 2025.