For as much as they can feel routine these days, the Old Gods inspired by H.P. Lovecraft’s Cthulhu Mythos are, by their very essence, inconceivable beings whose very existence drives you to madness. But videogames are a great way to test the desire that tells us we could overcome such incredible cosmic beings – the likes of Darkest Dungeon proving that we can conquer these horrors, even if it costs the sanity of our best warriors along the way. Taking those themes into space is Starless Abyss, a new roguelike game coming to Steam that tasks you with defending the universe against just such a terror.

As a Proxima – a human or entity previously held in stasis by Counter Horror, an elite task force of scientists and occultists formed to bring down the Outer Gods themselves – it’s your job in Starless Abyss to command a fleet of battleships to bring down this eldritch threat to the universe. Will you attempt to stave off the corrupting effects of these unknowable entities, or embrace your own growing insanity with occult powers to help annihilate this terrifying foe?

Fortunately, you’ll be able to make exactly that decision in this new roguelike game from Egyptian developer Konafa Games, built with consultation from Nuclear Throne and Luftrausers co-creator Rami Ismail. Taking command of your aforementioned fleet, you’ll jump from encounter to encounter, facing everything from combat to tough choices as you make your way across the stars to challenge the very gods themselves.

Crucial to your progression will be managing your own sanity. The closer your fleet gets to the encroaching Outer Gods, the harder you’ll have to fight to maintain some semblance of sense. If, however, you’d rather lean into the inevitable, you can harness powerful Ritual Cards to dramatic effect, whatever the cost might be.

Each of the five Proximas has their own benefits and detriments, and there are more than 160 different cards spread across six factions that can be combined in all manner of ways to deliver powerful combos. Combine that with a captivating pixel-art style that features plenty of delightfully disgusting and delirious designs, and Konafa Games looks to be onto a winner.

Konafa Games is set to launch Starless Abyss on Steam in 2025. You can wishlist it now to stay up to date with when it becomes available, or register your interest for a chance to take part in playtests when they begin later this year.

For even more ways to explore vast, unknowable expanses, here are the best space games on PC. Alternatively, take a look through the best indie games in 2024 to make sure you haven’t been missing any new hidden gems.

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