Santa Barbara Games has revealed Voidwood, a cooperative survival horror game for one to four players that is currently planned to launch on PC via Steam in 2027. Set within a colourful but cursed forest, Voidwood places players in the roles of children who have become lost deep in the woods. Survival revolves around making the most of daylight before conditions become considerably more dangerous once night arrives.
During the day, groups can explore the forest in search of supplies and materials used to craft tools. Players will need to balance the potential rewards of travelling deeper into the woods against the diminishing amount of time available to return before daylight disappears. Nightfall introduces a much greater threat in the form of The Beast, an apex predator that players cannot defeat. Instead, groups will need to hide, flee and work together to escape, while also contending with other twisted creatures roaming through the darkness.
Communication forms part of that survival challenge through the game’s proximity chat system. Staying in contact can help players coordinate their escape, but speaking can also risk revealing their location to nearby dangers. Successful runs will contribute towards future attempts, with items recovered from the forest used for camp upgrades, additional tools and new strategies. The forest itself combines warm lighting, vivid colours and open pathways with spatial audio that affects how voices, footsteps and other sounds travel through the environment.
Santa Barbara Games Founder and Creative Director Shawn Seibert said the concept draws upon childhood horror experiences, while using communication between players as an important part of both cooperation and danger.
Voidwood comes from the horror we loved as kids: that feeling of wonder right before the dread sets in. We love co-op games where surviving means actually talking to each other, and that’s the heart of Voidwood: your voice keeps your team alive, and it’s also what gives you away. The trailer and demo at PAX West are an early look at a much bigger forest to come.
Players attending PAX West in Seattle from 4 to 7 September 2026 will have the first opportunity to publicly play Voidwood. Santa Barbara Games will be presenting an early gameplay demo at Booth 744, with the preview only available to play in person at the event.
