Skip to main content
Species: Unknown Game Cover

About

Species: Unknown is a single player and multiplayer action game with a horror theme. It was developed by WanadevStudio and was released on October 23, 2025. It received overwhelmingly positive reviews from players.

Species: Unknown is a first-person survival horror game, playable in co-op with up to 4 players (private or public servers) or solo. You play as a mercenary sent aboard an abandoned spaceship. Your job? Execute high-risk contracts, make it out alive, and claim your reward. But keep in mind that you’re not alone. Something is hunting you… Form a squad of up to 4 players to take on different con…

Skip User Reviews

95%
Audience ScoreBased on 3,272 reviews
story109 positive mentions
stability27 negative mentions

  • The game has stunning graphics and sound design, creating an immersive horror atmosphere.
  • Gameplay is engaging and fun, especially when played with friends, offering a mix of strategy and action.
  • The variety of monsters and their unique mechanics keep the gameplay fresh and exciting.
  • Currently, there is only one map, which can lead to repetitive gameplay over time.
  • Some players have experienced crashes and bugs, particularly related to multiplayer connectivity.
  • The game lacks certain features like proximity chat and a more robust progression system, which could enhance the overall experience.
  • story
    853 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game's story revolves around players taking on various missions aboard a derelict spaceship, where they must confront unique alien specimens while completing objectives such as retrieving data or destroying the ship. Although the narrative is minimal and primarily serves as a backdrop for gameplay, the atmosphere and environmental storytelling effectively create a sense of tension and immersion. Players have expressed a desire for more diverse mission types and maps to enhance the overall experience, as the current content can feel repetitive despite the engaging mechanics and monster variety.

    • “The mystery of not knowing what you're up against until you're already in the mission keeps each session feeling fresh.”
    • “Every mission tells a small story of desperation and courage—a crew venturing into the unknown and facing the unexplainable.”
    • “The atmosphere is tense, the creature AI is smart, and every mission feels awesome.”
    • “The same location for every mission, a small handful of different enemies, and the same few mission types over and over.”
    • “Every single mission puts you in the exact same place, with the same layout every single time.”
    • “While there is only one map right now, the mission types, and enemy variety keep things fresh.”
  • gameplay
    414 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The gameplay of this early access title has received positive feedback for its engaging mechanics, cooperative elements, and immersive atmosphere, reminiscent of popular horror games like "Alien: Isolation" and "Phasmophobia." Players appreciate the unique monster designs and the satisfying gameplay loop, although some note that it can become repetitive due to limited content and mission variety. Overall, the game is praised for its solid mechanics and potential for future expansion, making it a worthwhile experience, especially when played with friends.

    • “The core mechanics and gunplay are really fun; the unknown of going into each mission is very refreshing and enjoyable.”
    • “The gameplay loop is simple yet effective.”
    • “The gameplay is very rewarding and engaging.”
    • “The gameplay loop can get pretty repetitive, but the game modifiers can shake up how you go about completing objectives.”
    • “While this is a good, fun experience with friends, it is shallow in variations and overall potential gameplay.”
    • “The core gameplay loop needs some work.”
  • graphics
    377 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The graphics of the game have received widespread acclaim, with many reviewers praising their stunning quality and attention to detail, especially considering the game's low price point. Players have noted the impressive visual effects, immersive atmosphere, and smooth performance, even on lower-end systems. Overall, the graphics contribute significantly to the game's appeal, enhancing the horror experience and drawing comparisons to high-budget titles.

    • “The graphics are absolutely stunning, pulling you into a chilling sci-fi atmosphere that feels like you’re truly aboard a mysterious vessel in deep space.”
    • “The graphics, sound design, controls, and gameplay are all great.”
    • “The atmosphere, graphics, monsters, and feel of the game are on point and I can see great potential in it.”
    • “The game is heavily unoptimized too which is okay but its default setting is the highest level of graphics.”
    • “I say 'likely' because in the starting area, at lowest graphical settings, I was pulling anywhere from 21-32 fps and it really was unplayable.”
    • “At worst I've gotten some minor framerate issues while playing with the graphics cranked all the way up (these framerate problems are easily resolved by just dropping the game down from graphics down a bit).”
  • atmosphere
    310 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The atmosphere of the game is widely praised for its immersive and terrifying qualities, drawing strong comparisons to iconic titles like *Alien: Isolation*. Reviewers highlight the exceptional graphics, sound design, and environmental details that contribute to a tense and engaging experience, making it a standout in the horror genre. Overall, players find the atmosphere to be a key strength, enhancing both solo and cooperative gameplay.

    • “The atmosphere, horror elements, and overall tension are spot-on — it’s one of the best co-op horror experiences I’ve played in a while.”
    • “The atmosphere is incredible; if you liked Alien: Isolation, you will feel right at home here.”
    • “The atmosphere is thick, the mystery pulls you in fast, and every step forward feels dangerous.”
    • “The immediate switch in atmosphere from taking off to go to the mission, laughing with friends and throwing stuff at each other, to the unrelenting dread of arriving at the USS Hawking and having to examine corpses to get an idea of what could be happening was mortifying each and every time.”
    • “The atmosphere feels a lot like Alien: Isolation, which is a massive compliment in itself.”
  • optimization
    104 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Overall, the game's optimization has received mixed feedback, with many players praising its performance and stability, especially for an early access title. While some users report smooth gameplay and impressive graphics even on lower-end systems, others experience issues like stuttering, frame drops in specific areas, and crashes, particularly in the lobby. Despite these concerns, the developers are noted for their commitment to improving optimization, suggesting a positive trajectory for future updates.

    • “For a game that's in early access and has only been out for a few months now, it's surprisingly well put together, has a clear direction going for it, great graphics, great premise, and fairly smooth performance.”
    • “This game is extremely well optimized for higher graphics, and looks incredible even at the lowest quality settings.”
    • “The developers know how to make an optimized game with fun gameplay using Unreal Engine 5.”
    • “The game is fun but I'm leaving a negative review for how unbelievably unoptimized it is.”
    • “The only thing to make better is optimization; sometimes when there are a lot of zombies on the screen or any monster in general, framerate drops significantly for a short period.”
    • “Lobby performance is also 12-18fps for me on Steam Deck.”
  • replayability
    71 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Overall, the game offers a solid foundation for replayability, with a variety of mission types, random objectives, and modifiers that keep gameplay fresh. However, the current limitation of a single map and some predictable elements can detract from long-term replay value. Future updates promising additional content and procedural generation are highly anticipated to enhance the replay experience further.

    • “The game has a crazy amount of replay value and plenty of scares, lore, and even customization. It's fun with friends and even without them.”
    • “Despite being only one map, it is very well done, is well designed to the gameplay, looks really good, and is highly replayable.”
    • “Even with one map (for now), the random species, mission modifiers, and mission objectives really do a lot of work to make it highly replayable and tense with varying difficulty.”
    • “The only thing that reminds you that this is an early access title is the replayability factor.”
    • “Now for the bad: the game is great but requires more content. As of this moment, it's one map and a few specimens. This can definitely be unenjoyable for some, but if you take it at face value and are just having fun with friends, it's not an issue. However, it definitely reduces replayability.”
    • “This is a pretty big detriment to the game's replayability, as these kinds of games thrive mostly on the unknown aspects of the environment. After 3-4 games, it feels like you've got a pretty good grasp on the ship layout, which deflates a lot of the tension about what's around each corner, especially when certain mission types have you doing the same objective in the same order.”
  • music
    60 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The music in the game has received widespread acclaim for its ability to enhance the atmospheric tension and horror elements, drawing comparisons to titles like "Alien: Isolation" and "Mass Effect." Players appreciate the immersive sound design, which effectively combines eerie soundscapes with a beautiful soundtrack that complements the gameplay and graphics. Overall, the audio experience is described as top-notch, contributing significantly to the game's suspenseful and cinematic feel.

    • “The soundtrack is excellent and really adds to the horror.”
    • “The music fits perfectly wherever it is placed, and the specimen sounds are brilliant too.”
    • “The music, sound design, and art direction all serve to drive up the anxiety and put you on edge.”
    • “The music is not overused as to make you scared for no reason but comes up every now and again and can mean anything.”
    • “I think the music could be a bit better though.”
    • “Well...actually, I'd love a soundtrack that reacts dynamically to the situations in the game and the environments, like Dead Space remake's OST.”
  • humor
    56 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The humor in the game is consistently highlighted as a major draw, particularly when playing with friends, leading to hilarious moments amidst the horror. Players enjoy the chaotic blend of fear and laughter, often recounting funny incidents and unexpected mishaps during gameplay. The combination of spooky elements and comedic interactions, especially through teamwork and character quirks, creates a memorable and entertaining experience.

    • “Very hilarious and fun game with friends!”
    • “The amount of screaming and laughing we did during our time playing this was amazing.”
    • “It throws you into a co-op struggle for survival that will have you screaming and laughing with your friends.”
  • stability
    38 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Overall, the game's stability is mixed, with many players reporting a generally smooth experience and minimal bugs or crashes, especially on well-optimized systems. However, some users encountered significant issues, including crashes during missions and buggy mechanics, particularly in early access. While the game shows promise and is enjoyable, it still has areas that require improvement, particularly in terms of stability and performance consistency.

    • “Game looks great, runs great, and is consistently fun.”
    • “Gameplay is polished and seems to be bug free despite the early state of the game.”
    • “The game looks and runs great, especially for an early access title.”
    • “Buggy ass piece of shit crashes every time I even try to start a mission; as of now, there is still no fix for it.”
    • “Missions are buggy, enemies are too difficult with 2 people; the zombie bug is impossible at the end if you don't have more than 2 people (if one gets stuck by the shitty collisions, it's over, you lose).”
    • “A buggy mess; all of my settings are unable to be changed and stuck being called 'label' even after I reinstalled my game.”
  • grinding
    23 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious and repetitive, often involving long cycles of combat and resource farming that can feel monotonous. While some appreciate the potential for unlocks and achievements through grinding, many express a desire for more engaging content and varied gameplay to make the grind feel worthwhile. Overall, the current grind-heavy mechanics may deter some players, but there is hope for future improvements based on community feedback.

    • “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
    • “Guns literally do nothing when shooting enemies and most of the time the game is just a tedious loop of getting spotted, engaging in 6 feet spacing as you spam the stamina button because you barely get any, hoping the monster gets bored, dying, and repeating.”
    • “Only complaints would be the tedious fights for killing the specimens; I wish there was a little more than the cycle of fight, retreat, fight, retreat until it's done.”
    • “It's fine the first couple of times, but during longer play sessions, it starts to feel tedious.”
  • emotional
    5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Players report a profound emotional impact from the game, highlighting its ability to evoke strong feelings such as sadness and dread. The combination of incredible music, challenging levels, and a beautifully haunting atmosphere contributes to a deeply immersive experience that resonates on a personal level, even for those accustomed to horror.

    • “The music is incredible, the levels are challenging, the experience is what you make it, but in my humble opinion, it is rich with opportunities and the entire game is heart-breakingly beautiful even in the horror.”
    • “On a personal note: I'm pretty desensitized to horror games at this point, but this game made me feel a level of dread I haven't experienced in a long, long time.”
    • “Friend gets emotionally scarred by timid octopus.”
  • monetization
    3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Reviewers express concerns about monetization practices in early access games, often perceiving them as cash grabs. Despite these worries, players find the game enjoyable and commend its quality, even with minimal advertising.

    • “I really don't like early access games, as in the last decade it's mostly 'cash grab and runaway' stuff, unfortunately...”
    • “The monetization model feels exploitative and detracts from the overall experience.”
    • “It's frustrating to see so many paywalls in a game that could be great without them.”
  • character development
    2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Players are impressed by the outstanding character design and graphical detail, noting that the custom characters and lifelike enemies enhance the overall immersion and emotional impact of the game.

    • “The outstanding character design makes the specimens you face feel alive, which adds to the overall terror of the game.”
    • “I jumped into the game and was immediately in awe of the graphical detail, the custom character design, the lighting, and just about everything.”
Skip Game Offers

Buy Species: Unknown

9h Median play time
13h Average play time
6-22h Spent by most gamers
*Based on 22 analyzed playthroughs
Skip Videos

Videos

Skip Games Like Species: Unknown

Games Like Species: Unknown

Dark Hours Image
Ripout Image
Jump Space Image
Demonologist Image
Nuclear Nightmare Image
Skip FAQs

Frequently Asked Questions

Species: Unknown is a action game with horror theme.

Species: Unknown is available on PC and Windows.

On average players spend around 13 hours playing Species: Unknown.

Species: Unknown was released on October 23, 2025.

Species: Unknown was developed by WanadevStudio.

Species: Unknown has received overwhelmingly positive reviews from players. Most players liked this game for its story but disliked it for its stability.

Species: Unknown is a single player game with multiplayer and local co-op support.

Similar games include Dark Hours, Ripout, Jump Space, Demonologist, Nuclear Nightmare and others.