Developed and published by Red Barrels, The Outlast Trials is the prequel to the chilling Outlast franchise that redefined first-person horror. Released in Early Access in May 2023 and fully launched in 2024, this time the developers deliver a co-op survival horror experience that’s as intense, brutal, and psychologically exhausting as anything the series has attempted before. The twist? You can now suffer alongside your friends—or completely alone.
"You are not a prisoner. You are a volunteer." — Murkoff Corporation
🧬 Story & Setting: Welcome to the Program
The game is set during the Cold War era, in a secretive Murkoff Corporation facility where human experimentation has taken on a whole new meaning. You are one of many “volunteers” enrolled in a program that strips individuals of identity, autonomy, and reality itself—all in the name of brainwashing, compliance, and behavioral reprogramming.
There isn’t a single, linear story here. Instead, the world is built through environment design, voiceovers, eerie messages, and audio logs. The Outlast Trials takes an indirect approach to storytelling, letting you piece together the full horror at your own pace.
🎮 Gameplay Mechanics: Hide, Run, Survive
Staying true to Outlast tradition, you have no weapons. Your best options are stealth, speed, and strategy. But there’s a new twist: multiplayer.
You can play solo or in teams of up to four players. Each "trial" is a unique mission set in one of several terrifying environments. You’ll need to complete objectives—usually involving gathering items, operating equipment, or navigating puzzles—all while avoiding relentless enemies known as "Reagents" or trial stalkers.
🧠 Rigs and Tools:
Each player can choose a Rig—a personal upgrade that gives you slight advantages:
X-Ray Rig: See enemies through walls for a short time.
Stun Rig: Temporarily disable an enemy.
Heal Rig: Restore health to you or a teammate.
Blind Rig: Flash enemies with a light burst.
Your rig choice, perks, and teamwork can make or break your survival. But be warned: the game is unrelenting. Even a full squad isn’t guaranteed safety.
🧩 Trial Design: Procedural Terror
Each trial features a mix of randomized elements and scripted events, which keeps things fresh and unpredictable. The structure resembles escape rooms, but with blood, trauma, and psychological breakdowns around every corner. You’ll be asked to locate switches, haul corpses, crawl through vents, and survive punishment rooms while stalkers pursue you with intelligent AI that adapts to your behavior.
"You can’t prepare. You just endure." — Player Review, Steam
As you progress, you also unlock more difficult variants of the trials, with greater rewards but more intense challenges. The gameplay loop is addictive—one part masochism, one part adrenaline.
😱 Enemies: Unforgettable Nightmares
There are several recurring stalkers in The Outlast Trials, each with their own backstories, behaviors, and audio cues. Some of the most terrifying include:
Mother Gooseberry: A deranged mockery of a schoolteacher with a nightmarish puppet. Her lectures will haunt you.
Father Luthor: A chainsaw-wielding religious fanatic who preaches as he slaughters.
The Skinner Man: An entity you can only see when your sanity drops. His presence induces hallucinations and audio distortions.
These enemies don’t just attack—they torment. The game expertly builds tension with minimal UI and maximum dread.
🎧 Audio & Atmosphere: Murkoff's Greatest Weapon
Red Barrels has always nailed horror sound design, and The Outlast Trials is their magnum opus in this department. From the sudden squelch of flesh being torn to the faint sobbing down a dark corridor, the game leverages silence as effectively as noise.
Play with headphones. That’s not a suggestion—it’s a survival tip.
🕯️ Notable atmospheric touches:
Dim flickering lights.
Rustling sounds with no source.
Stalkers whispering your name.
The overhead voice of Murkoff analysts congratulating you for enduring trauma.
🖼️ Graphics and Performance
Built on Unreal Engine 4, the game delivers impressive visuals with sharp textures, grotesque models, and detailed lighting. The color palette is sickly—drenched in yellows, browns, and cold fluorescents. It feels dirty, diseased, and dangerous.
The PC version runs smoothly on most mid- to high-end systems. Here are the official specs:
Minimum Requirements:
OS: Windows 10
Processor: Intel Core i5-6600 or AMD Ryzen 5 1400
Memory: 8 GB RAM
Graphics: NVIDIA GTX 1060 / AMD Radeon RX 580
DirectX: Version 12
Storage: 40 GB available space
Recommended Requirements:
OS: Windows 10 or 11
Processor: Intel Core i7-8700K / AMD Ryzen 7 3700X
Memory: 16 GB RAM
Graphics: NVIDIA RTX 2070 / AMD RX 5700 XT
DirectX: Version 12
Storage: SSD with 40 GB space
The game supports DLSS and FSR on compatible hardware, which helps maintain frame rate stability even under stress.
💵 Pricing, Availability & Platforms
The Outlast Trials is available on:
PC (Steam & Epic Games Store)
PlayStation 4 & 5
Xbox One & Xbox Series X/S
Price:
Standard Edition: $39.99 USD
Deluxe Edition (includes cosmetic packs & XP boosts): $49.99 USD
Frequent discounts are available during seasonal Steam sales, and the game occasionally features free weekends.
👥 Community & Replay Value
Despite its brutality, The Outlast Trials has cultivated a loyal and thriving player base. Regular content updates, bug fixes, and seasonal challenges keep players returning. The presence of skill trees, cosmetic unlocks, and prestige systems also adds to long-term motivation.
Twitch and YouTube are flooded with hilarious and horrifying co-op clips, proving just how viral and unpredictable this multiplayer horror experiment can be.
"I haven’t screamed this hard since Phasmophobia—but here, there’s no ghost to hide from. Just humans worse than monsters." — GameCrate
✅ Pros:
🟢 Deep, relentless co-op horror gameplay
🟢 High replayability and procedural content
🟢 Terrifyingly immersive atmosphere and sound
🟢 Satisfying player progression and rig variety
🟢 Active dev support and strong community
❌ Cons:
🔴 Solo play can be excessively punishing
🔴 Limited map pool at launch (being expanded)
🔴 Occasional connectivity bugs in matchmaking
🎯 Final Verdict
The Outlast Trials is not for the faint of heart. It’s brutal, it’s terrifying, and it never lets up. But if you’re a horror enthusiast looking for a fresh co-op experience that tests your nerves and friendships alike, this is it.
Whether you go in alone or with allies, the message is the same: Murkoff is watching. Murkoff is listening. And Murkoff never lets go.
Final Score: 9.0 / 10
“A bold, brutal reimagining of multiplayer horror that carves its name into your psyche.”
