Monstrum Creators Return After a Decade to Shake Up Indie Horror

If you are a fan of indie terror and Dino Crisis, you have every reason to celebrate today! That’s because the independent developer Junkfish, the creative force behind the acclaimed Monstrum, is officially returning to the world of first-person survival horror – and they are bringing dinosaurs back to the genre with them.

The Next Indie Horror Phenomenon?

Alongside a chilling cinematic trailer, the studio announced Wilderdark, an upcoming title that strands players on an isolated island teeming with prehistoric carnivores. As part of a search party, you will have to brave the prehistoric nightmare in hopes of uncovering the truth behind a missing expedition, so it sounds like a much darker Jurassic Park.

While the full release is slated for 2026, Junkfish is giving players an early taste of the terror next week: a playable demo will be available on Steam starting May 7th, offering a first-hand look at the dangers lurking within this distant, mysterious island.

According to the official press release, Wilderdark is a survival horror experience at its core, and players will need to meticulously observe their environment, document discoveries, and craft essential tools to stay alive. This means that the gameplay demands a constant balancing act: managing resources with surgical precision and deciding exactly when to use your gear – and when to save it for an even more desperate situation.

Stealth and strategy sound like the key to this experience, as avoiding unwanted attention from the island’s apex predators will probably be the only way to survive. You can check out the full announcement trailer and get a glimpse of the scale of this upcoming nightmare below:

With its focus on atmospheric tension and resource management, Wilderdark feels like the spiritual successor fans of the genre have been waiting for – and with a bit of a Dino Crisis flavour on the side. That definitely is a great way to return to the horror genre after almost a ten-year hiatus, right? So it is time to prepare ourselves psychologically for the chaos ahead, and you can already add the game to your Steam Wishlist to stay updated on all the news leading up to its official launch.