Outbreak: Shades Of Horror is inspired by retro survival horror from the '90s and '00s! The title blends bleeding edge tech and modern gameplay mechanics with archaic concepts from the roots of survival horror, like a restricted inventory, heavy resource management, and crushing difficulty. If you're an old hat, or a lover of the past, you'll find a lot to love in the janky but crushing experience. If that's not your jam, proceed with caution as this nightmare is unforgiving!

Experience the harrowing beginning of a full-scale Zombie Apocalypse as it descends on the Midwestern city of Cypress Ridge. Start from the (relative) safety of the beloved local movie theater, Cypress Reel. Choose between  a central cast of 9 characters, with loads more on the way, and then venture out into a city fundamentally changed with the goal to survive and outlast the mysterious horrors that have suddenly arisen?

Find and manage resources, engage in modern gunplay and melee combat, build contraptions and defenses, and much more as you do battle with the scourge of the night.  Quickly switch between third and first-person views at the push of a button to hunt the undead the way you please!

Between rounds of running and gunning, there is plenty to do at Cypress Reel. Shop ‘til you drop at Ferret’s Emporium, where you can earn new guns, weapon skins, and millions of different combos of clothing to customize your character just the way you like. If you are in the mood for a different kind of game, Cypress Reel Arcade has a vast array of small-scale mini modes to cleanse your palette before you go back to chasing zombie flesh. Can you survive the Boss Rush gauntlet? Will you be able to skip a creepy rural town in Looming Dread?  Test your reflexes as you escape a flooding subway tunnel in Collapse! While short and sweet, these mini-games will put your skills through drills!  Plus – with adjustable difficulties, there’s always new challenges to face.

After three years of hard work, Outbreak: Shades Of Horror proudly launches today via Steam Early Access at $29.99 USD, and will remain so for about 6 to 12 months.

“From the beginning of its Kickstarter campaign, Outbreak: Shades Of Horror was envisioned as a modern survival horror triumph,” says Julia Wolbach, co-founder of Dead Drop Studios.  “Built in Unreal Engine 5.6, the game casts a tragic beauty on the dismal streets of Cypress Ridge while players struggle to survive the zombie apocalypse of their nightmares.  The Early Access launch version of Shades Of Horror includes new and inventive modes that can be enjoyed both alone and with friends across a variety of handsomely designed maps.  Players can expect to stay busy with diverse characters to level up and customize, events and challenges to complete, and an engaging hub world to explore.  The inclusion of Chromatic Split: Enhanced Edition and the debut of the Trials of Hank campaign are sure to titillate gamers seeking the best the genre has to offer.

Today’s release marks merely the beginning of this grungy, dystopian ride!”

The Early Access launch version of the game includes the following:

• Modern Survival Horror:  Find and manage resources, engage in modern gunplay and melee combat, build contraptions and defenses, and much more as you do battle with the scourge of the night.  Quickly switch between third and first-person views at the push of a button to hunt the undead the way you please!  All of the game’s content is available both offline in single-player and in online co-op over the network.  Password-locked lobbies and in-game text chat are both supported in online co-op play.
• Cypress Reel:  This expansive hub world serves as a gateway to the content of Outbreak: Shades of Horror. Join a lobby, switch between available Survivors, get acclimated to the game’s controls and weapons, redeem and customize clothing and cosmetics, and access core game modes in both offline in single-player and in online co-op over the network. 
• Raid Mode:  Save civilians and make it to the extraction point in this action-packed gauntlet.  Defeat enemies to find important weapons, ammo, and items, but don’t take too long; as you spend more time in one of many maps, enemies become stronger and deadlier.
• Invasion Mode:  The undead are closing in on your position, and you need to defend the innocent denizens of Cypress Ridge!  Fortify your defenses with buildable traps, turrets, and stations before hordes of zombies come to ruin your day.  Make sure you protect your Furos generators, or else you’ll find yourself without the resources to stay alive as the action ramps up.  Enjoy unique modifiers that keep the experience fresh every round!
• Mini-Games:  In between matches, hang out in the Cypress Reel Arcade to enjoy a host of frenetic mini-games!  Can you survive the Boss Rush gauntlet? Will you be able to skip a creepy rural town in Looming Dread?  Test your reflexes as you escape a flooding subway tunnel in Collapse!  Experience a taste of the chaos plaguing Cypress Ridge in Main Street Retro.  While short and sweet, these mini-games will put your skills through drills!  Plus – with adjustable difficulties, there are always new challenges to face.
• Chromatic Split: Enhanced Edition:  Enjoy the classic three act prequel to the main game, now enhanced with new weapons, items, and mechanics. Can Lydia get essential information from her contact in the Cypress Ridge underground before it’s too late?
• Trials of Hank:  While Lydia is traversing the underground in Chromatic Split, fan-favorite Hank hits the rooftops in this over-the-top side campaign where the answers to all of life’s problems are lead, explosions, and more lead!  Will Hank complete his mission, or will the monsters that haunt the Cypress Ridge skyline be too much for him to handle?
• Photo Mode:  Access a rich set of tools and controls to take frighteningly beautiful snapshots of your adventures at any time. Offline, the action will pause so you can stage detailed scenes and scout your surroundings, whereas online the action will continue so your co-op partners don’t suddenly find themselves unable to play.  Film at your own risk!
• Twelve Unique Playable Characters:  Choose between a diverse cast of playable Survivors with different classes, abilities, stats, and loadouts.  When playing as any character in any mode, your progress levels up that character and also helps complete challenges. You’ll earn XP, Ferret Tickets, new items and weapons, and other surprises as you play more and more!
• Plenty of Unlockable Content:  As players progress and level up their characters, they’ll find ways to unlock all kinds of customizations: earn shirts, glasses, hats, weapon skins, and even whole outfits.  Once unlocked, any cosmetic can be used with any playable character in any combination; the possibilities are endless!
• Challenges and Events:  Seasonal and game-crossover events begin immediately with a Halloween celebration and DINOBREAK-themed content and cosmetics. Players can enjoy fun decorations in the theater, thrilling seasonal maps, special challenges to complete, and unique rewards to earn.  In addition, test your mettle with Daily, Weekly, Monthly, and Lifetime challenges.

That’s a fleshy feast of content! 

Purchasing Outbreak: Shades Of Horror Horror during its Early Access period will entitle customers to future updates such as additional content for existing modes, new seasonal events and game-crossovers, and Story Mode as they’re available.

Alongside the game’s launch, there are two premium DLC packs available for purchase.

• DINOBREAK Crossover Character Pack DLC:  Mary and F.S.G. join your playable character roster ready to chew up the zombie plague.  Play as, customize, and level up these two fan-favorite characters who originally appeared in Outbreak: Contagious Memories and DINOBREAK.  This DLC is available for $4.99 USD. International pricing may vary.
• Pure Gold Weapon Skin DLC:  Next to diamonds, gold is a girl’s best friend.  Equip each of your weapons with this dazzling gold weapon skin to really SLAY the undead in style.  This DLC is available for $1.99 USD.  International pricing may vary.

Want to grab everything in one convenient package?  You may purchase the Outbreak: Shades of Horror Supreme Collection bundle, which includes the Early Access Outbreak: Shades of Horror game as well as the DINOBREAK Crossover Character Pack and Pure Gold Weapon Skin DLC packs in one convenient bundle.  

Once you try the game out for yourself, please let us know what you think!  We want to hear all of your thoughts and feedback so we can make Outbreak: Shades of Horror the best game it can possibly be.  Please consider joining our Discord, or you can let your thoughts be known on the game’s Steam community forums!  You’ll find convenient links to those places in-game, too!

Enjoy fighting off legions of zombies in the battle to escape Cypress Ridge, and keep on survivin’!

Key Features

• Choose from a diverse cast of real-world survivors who find themselves trapped in the opening hours of an undead epidemic.
• Play the entire game as a first person shooter, third person over-the-shoulder shooter, or in retro fixed camera angles.
• Use anything you can find to survive, from firearms, to melee weapons and even your bare hands.
• Dismember the undead with location-specific damage, blasting off limbs or even their heads with a well placed shot!
• Go it alone, or bring up to three friends along in online or offline co-op across the entire story campaign and all bonus modes.
• Intense resource management inspired by retro survival horror with a modern interface.
• Crushing difficulty as you hold off a horde of the undead while desperately trying to escape.
• Solve puzzles and navigate an environment inspired by a realistic city environment.
• Modern crafting system allowing you to build new equipment, healing items, and more from the materials you find strewn around.
• Designed and influenced directly from the community's feedback to build the ultimate survival horror nightmare.

Outbreak: Shades Of Horror is coming to PC (Steam), PS5, Xbox Series X|S in 2026.