Indie Horror Dark Pals Announces Release Date
Skunx Games, founded by Winston van Graafeiland, creator of the Horror Skunx YouTube channel with over 8.5 million subscribers, has announced that Dark Pals: The 1st Floor, an alternate reality horror experience, will launch on 1 May 2026 via Steam.
Blending mascot-inspired horror with psychological storytelling, players can step inside an abandoned children’s asylum, solve environmental puzzles, and uncover the dark secrets hidden within its walls. Designed as a transmedia experience, the game’s story extends to different platforms, with additional content released via YouTube.
Dark Pals: The 1st Floor is the first in a planned series of horror games, each exploring eerie locations, twisted characters, and challenging puzzles. The series will continue the psychological tension and transmedia storytelling that define Dark Pals, offering players new mysteries to uncover both in-game and across companion content.
Dark Pals: The 1st Floor features:
Creepy Mascots: Beware of creepy cartoonish creatures lurking around.
Abandoned Child Mental Health Asylum: Unravel the mysteries this dark place holds and uncover why it was abandoned in the late 80’s.
Clever Environmental Puzzles: Unlock new rooms within the facility by solving puzzles.
Ink Shooting Toy: Together with your companion Inky, the Ink Blaster, you will be looking for answers…
Alternate Reality Mystery: An alternative reality horror story with eerie music, with Youtube videos that provide additional lore to the game.