A New Kind of Horror from the Creators of SOMA
Frictional Games, the studio behind Amnesia and SOMA, is returning with a new project called Ontos, revealed at The Game Awards 2025. If you enjoy psychological sci fi and PC horror games that stick with you long after the credits roll, this is one to watch.
Where many horror games focus on monsters, jump scares, and survival, Ontos aims for something more cerebral. It is set in a strange hotel on the Moon and leans heavily into disturbing concepts, moral choices, and existential dread rather than constant chase sequences and cheap scares.
Frictional’s creative director Thomas Grip describes Ontos as the studio’s deepest and most complex game yet from a narrative standpoint. If SOMA was the evolution of the Amnesia formula, Ontos looks like the next step, pushing further into story, exploration, and difficult questions about what it means to be human.
Cerebral Horror Instead of Constant Survival Panic
In classic horror games like the first Amnesia, the core loop is simple. You are stuck in a terrifying place, something is hunting you, and your job is to survive. The fear is very primal: you are being chased, you are vulnerable, and you can die at any moment.
Ontos takes a very different approach. Grip explains that the focus is much more cerebral. Instead of just running from monsters, you will face unsettling and bizarre situations and then figure out how to respond. The horror comes from what you see, what you decide, and what those decisions say about you.
One of the most striking early images from the reveal trailer shows a man trapped inside a computer made out of rats. It is not a traditional scream in your face moment, but it is the kind of image that feels deeply wrong and stays in your mind. This is the tone Ontos seems to be going for: less sudden terror, more slow burning discomfort.
Grip also says that Ontos is not meant to be stressful in the usual survival horror sense. It is not about constantly dying and reloading or hiding in closets every thirty seconds. Instead, the studio wants to give players a hands on experience with heavy, thought provoking themes. The goal is to create a feeling of existential terror that lingers after you stop playing.
For players who love horror stories but hate the constant panic that comes with traditional survival horror, this balance could be ideal. You still get the intensity and the disturbing ideas, but without having to endure non stop high pressure stealth and chase sequences.
More Open, More Exploratory, and Built Around Player Choices
Ontos is also shaping up to be more open and exploratory than SOMA. In earlier Frictional titles, exploration is always tense. You know that while you are checking every corner and rummaging through rooms, some unspeakable thing might be stalking you.
In Ontos, exploration seems less about pure survival and more about discovering story paths, interacting with the environment, and uncovering different ways to solve situations. Grip says that Ontos is the most complex narrative the studio has attempted and that the game leans away from traditional puzzles in favor of interactive story scenes.
In these scenes, you are presented with scenarios that can be handled in multiple ways. It sounds a little like older Telltale style adventures, but with one key twist. The choices are not neatly spelled out for you in a menu. Instead, you have to explore, experiment, and figure out what is even possible.
This opens the door to both creative problem solving and failure. Grip notes that it is possible to mess things up badly if you are not careful. That means how you approach each situation matters. You are not just picking dialog options, you are actively discovering and shaping your path through the story.
For PC gamers who appreciate choice driven storytelling and replay value, this is exciting. A more open structure combined with heavier themes could make Ontos the kind of game people discuss and dissect for years, much like SOMA’s debates about consciousness and identity.
Why Ontos Matters for PC Horror Fans
Ontos fits neatly into the growing trend of horror games that care less about jump scares and more about psychological impact. Its setting a hotel on the Moon already sets it apart, mixing sci fi and horror in a way that naturally invites big questions about technology, humanity, and isolation.
Frictional has a track record of using the strengths of PC gaming well. Immersive environments, subtle sound design on good headphones, and careful mouse driven exploration all help build atmosphere. If Ontos follows the studio’s usual approach, it is likely to reward players who enjoy slow, deliberate playthroughs on a PC setup that lets the mood fully sink in.
For players who loved SOMA specifically, Ontos sounds like a direct spiritual follow up. The promise is clear. You might not be constantly terrified in every second of gameplay, but when the credits roll, you will be thinking about what you saw and what you did for a long time afterward. It may not be the kind of horror that makes you jump out of your chair, but it may be the kind that keeps you up at night.
As more details emerge and PC release information becomes clearer, Ontos is shaping up to be one of the more intriguing narrative horror titles on the horizon. If you are into thoughtful sci fi, disturbing concepts, and games that challenge your choices instead of just your reaction time, it is definitely one to keep on your radar.
Original article and image: https://www.pcgamer.com/games/horror/soma-studio-says-its-next-game-is-not-stressful-or-scary-in-the-traditional-sense-but-itll-still-mess-you-up-real-good-the-goal-is-to-evoke-this-deep-existential-terror-that-stays-long-after-you-finish-playing/
