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Deadly Shaft
Deadly Shaft is a psychological survival-horror thriller. Imprisoned in a dark mansion and watched by the unpredictable Landlord, you fight for your freedom. Break through your mental blocks, remain unnoticed in the shadows, and uncover the truth about Veilshore Island.

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Features
Single-player
Family Sharing
Profile Features Limited 
Languages:
Interface Full Audio Subtitles
English ✔

Coming Soon To Early Access

The developers of this game intend to release as a work in progress, developing with the feedback of players.

Note: Games in Early Access are not complete and may or may not change further. If you are not excited to play this game in its current state, then you should wait to see if the game progresses further in development. Learn more

What the developers have to say:

Why Early Access?

“Deadly Shaft is a psychological survival-horror thriller that I am building from the ground up in Unreal Engine 5 as a solo developer. For me, Early Access is the best way to let the game grow step by step together with the community. Since I am working on this project alone, development is an intensive process. Early Access allows me to gather valuable feedback, criticism, and bug reports to specifically optimize the game before the final release, polish mechanics, and realize the vision of the game in the best possible way.”

Approximately how long will this game be in Early Access?

“Since quality and a dense atmosphere are my top priorities, and I am developing this game as a solo developer, I want to take the necessary time to deliver a polished experience. The project has already gone through a long, intensive development phase to build a solid foundation. The game will remain in Early Access until all planned story elements, talent trees, and core mechanics function stably and bug-free. Therefore, there is no fixed release date yet – the duration will be largely determined by the progress and feedback from the players.”

How is the full version planned to differ from the Early Access version?

“For the full version, I plan to expand the playable area to include the outer sections of the island "Veilshore" (such as forests, ruins, and coastal areas), which serve as the backdrop for the escape story. However, it will not be a gigantic open-world map, but rather an atmospheric, story-driven setting. Additionally, throughout development, I plan to add further gameplay features like an expanded inventory, a talent tree for magical abilities, more environmental interactions, and an even smarter AI for the Master.”

What is the current state of the Early Access version?

“The game is currently in an early but playable alpha stage. The fundamental framework of the gameplay is already in place: you start in the mansion and can experience vital core mechanics such as the stealth system, hiding in closets, the camera system, using rest breaks on benches for focus regeneration, and the day-and-night cycle. The unpredictable Master already hunts you outside of working hours. Currently, the focus is on testing these systems and stabilizing performance before further content is added.”

Will the game be priced differently during and after Early Access?

“Yes, the price will be moderately increased during the Early Access phase as major content updates, new areas on the island, or comprehensive gameplay systems are implemented.”

How are you planning on involving the Community in your development process?

“Working together with players is extremely important to me. Feedback, creative ideas, and bug reports can be submitted at any time in the Steam discussion forums. I read all feedback carefully and love to be inspired by great ideas to improve the game. However, please understand that as a solo developer, I cannot implement every single request or suggested feature. Transparency regarding the current state of development is highly important to me here.”
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Early Access Note

The trailer provides glimpses into various areas of the game. To ensure the highest possible quality, we are introducing Deadly Shaft in stages. At the start, the ground floor and the basement area will be fully explorable, while the upper floors are still in development and will be unlocked for you throughout the Early Access phase.

I have consciously chosen this path because I do not want to offer you a half-finished or unpolished experience – every area must meet my high graphical and gameplay standards in Unreal Engine 5 before it is made accessible to you.

A Technical Note on Development:
Deadly Shaft utilizes cutting-edge Unreal Engine 5 technologies (such as Lumen and Nanite). As the game is currently in Early Access, performance and optimization are being continuously developed and refined. Consequently, the game may not yet reach the final performance levels targeted for the full release on certain system configurations. Your feedback is invaluable in helping me continuously improve optimization for a wide range of hardware throughout the ongoing development process.

About This Game

NOTICE

This product is currently in a very early Alpha phase.

INTRODUCTION

Deadly Shaft is a claustrophobic survival-horror experience that combines the psychological pressure of total surveillance with the struggle for personal freedom. Trapped in a luxurious yet sinister mansion on the remote island of "Veilshore," you are at the mercy of the enigmatic "Landlord."

When Ashley, a 21-year-old gothic woman from "Emberwick" with powerful supernatural abilities, falls victim to a devious trap, she wakes up in this living nightmare. Stripped of all her powers, she realizes the unpredictable landlord has injected her with an artificial serum.

Now, it is up to you: Find a way to break through these mental blocks through focused meditation in the shadows, reclaim your stolen abilities piece by piece, and uncover the mansion's dark secrets to find a way out of this nightmare.

Deadly Shaft combines stealth gameplay with strategic resource management – in a world where your greatest weapon is not violence, but wits and concealment.

GAMEPLAY

Take control of Ashley and face an ominous adventure. Explore the threatening mansion, slip past guards unnoticed, and discover the dark truth behind your imprisonment. Overcome the mental blocks caused by the serum through meditation and make wise decisions to escape the Landlord's relentless grip. 

FEATURES

  • Atmospheric, complex mansion with many hidden areas

  • Real-time surveillance through a relentless camera system

  • Focus on stealth, psychological immersion, and strategic survival

  • Social Status System of the House Master.

CURRENT FEATURES

  • Character starts inside the villa

  • First-person / third-person camera

  • Interactive objects (e.g. carrying and moving canisters)

  • Dynamic day-night cycle with accelerated sleep phases

  • Rest mechanic: use benches to restore energy

  • Hide in closets to escape the House Master

  • The House Master monitors the estate around the clock and reacts to your actions

  • Security zones in the courtyard and backyard

OBJECTIVES

Collect items and master the Master's tasks.

STRATEGIC TIME MANAGEMENT

Use short work breaks on benches to regenerate your focus and observe your surroundings unnoticed.

ESCAPE AND HIDE FROM THE MASTER

Move silently. When the Master is hunting, a hiding spot is often your last resort.

CAMERA SYSTEM

In the luxurious mansion, you are constantly under surveillance.
Learn to use the camera system to your advantage.

DAY & NIGHT CYCLE

Time is working against you. Use the night to secure your energy reserves for the coming day.

PLANNED FEATURES – [COMING SOON]

  • Expanded tasks and behavior patterns of the House Master

  • Increased threat from security AI

  • Additional hiding spots and interaction options

  • Locked areas with keycode mechanics

  • Detailed inventory system

  • Meditation system to overcome mental blocks and unlock abilities

  • Behavior-based AI reaction system

  • The island of “Veilshore” as an expanded game area

  • Multiple story endings

  • Localization into additional languages

  • Steam achievements

UNLOCK MAGICAL ABILITIES [COMING SOON]

Fulfill the Master's demands to gather experience points unnoticed. By uncovering the secrets of the mansion and overcoming your traumatic blocks, your true, magical powers will gradually awaken within the talent tree.

Mature Content Description

The developers describe the content like this:

This game may contain content that is not suitable for all ages or for viewing in the workplace: Frequent depiction of mild nudity, violence, blood or mutilation, General adult content.

System Requirements

    Minimum:
    • Requires a 64-bit processor and operating system
    • OS: Windows 10 / 11 (64-Bit)
    • Processor: Intel Core i5-9400 / AMD Ryzen 5 3600
    • Memory: 16 GB RAM
    • Graphics: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1080 / AMD Radeon RX 5700
    • DirectX: Version 12
    • Storage: 20 GB available space
    • Additional Notes: SSD required. Target: 1080p / 30 FPS on Low Settings. System requirements are based on the current stage of development and may change during development and optimization before the Early Access release.
    Recommended:
    • Requires a 64-bit processor and operating system
    • OS: Windows 10 / 11 (64-bit)
    • Processor: Intel Core i7-12700K / AMD Ryzen 7 5800X3D
    • Memory: 32 GB RAM
    • Graphics: NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 / AMD Radeon RX 6800
    • DirectX: Version 12
    • Storage: 20 GB available space
    • Additional Notes: NVMe SSD recommended. Target: 1080p / 60 FPS on High Settings. System requirements are based on the current stage of development and may change during development and optimization before the Early Access release.
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