Ontos

Ontos, the upcoming first-person psychological thriller and sci-fi mystery adventure from Frictional Games, redefines existential horror for a new generation. Slated for 2026, this spiritual successor to Soma trades primal scares for a profound sense of deep-seated dread, following engineer Aditi Amani to the enigmatic lunar hotel Samsara on a personal quest for truth.

Gameplay revolves around immersive exploration and tactile interaction within a vast, quasi-open-world environment. Players will scavenge for materials, directly manipulate intricate machinery, and solve physical puzzles that require careful observation. The core experience is built around the Experiments, extended narrative set-pieces that present complex, morally fraught scenarios with no single solution. Your choices in these dilemmas carry significant and lasting consequences, branching the story and affecting the fate of Samsara’s inhabitants in a truly nonlinear narrative.

The setting itself is a character: the Hotel Samsara is a fully interconnected, retrofuturist labyrinth built over a failed mining colony, now a clandestine research DMZ. Its decaying casinos and sterile labs house scientists, theologians, and troubled souls, all grappling with questions of consciousness and reality. Developed on the new HPL4 engine, the world adheres to a "see it, go there" philosophy, rewarding thorough investigation. Notably, the experience is designed to be playable without timed input, emphasizing cerebral tension over reflex-based pressure.

As a bold evolution of Frictional’s signature style, Ontos will captivate players who crave narrative depth, systemic puzzle-solving, and weighty moral philosophy. With acclaimed actor Stellan Skarsgård lending his voice to a key role, the game promises a haunting journey into the nature of being, memory, and truth, solidifying its place as a landmark in thought-provoking interactive fiction.