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Watch trailer on Steam ↗DEEPEST FEAR™
Variable State · Published by Variable State · Official site ↗
Content notice: This game may contain content not appropriate for all ages, or may not be appropriate for viewing at work: Frequent Violence or Gore, General Mature Content
Last updated 27 Sept 2026
DEEPEST FEAR™ is a sci-fi horror FPS with a retro-future aesthetic. Deep beneath the ocean, a secret has been unearthed which throws mankind’s future into jeopardy. Fight your way to the heart of a sinister project and uncover a mystery both deeply personal and terrifying in its implications.
Explore the depths of a sinister project beneath the ocean in DEEPEST FEAR™. As an action RPG, navigate treacherous corridors and uncover personal threats that chill to the core.
About this game
DEEPEST FEAR™ is a sci-fi horror FPS with a retro-future aesthetic. Deep beneath the ocean, a long dormant secret has been unearthed which throws mankind’s future into jeopardy.
ENTER THE DEEP
As Dr. Danni Carrol, fight your way to the heart of a secret project masterminded by your estranged father and uncover mysteries both deeply personal and terrifying in their implications.
FEAR THE WATER
Using real time fluid simulation, fight otherworldly entities which manifest spontaneously from any water source, all while the environment around you can flood and take in water at any moment, sweeping you away with unpredictable currents, plunging you into the suffocating depths.
IMMERSIVE SIM + METROIDVANIA
Deepest Fear combines Metroidvania level design in the context of a classic FPS immersive sim, where the game’s setting is a puzzle to unravel and where creativity and improvisation are your greatest assets.
RETRO-FUTURISTIC HORROR
Channeling the spirit of iconic and subversive 1980s horror action films such as The Abyss, The Thing, The Fly, and Total Recall, and more broadly the cinematic canons of James Cameron, John Carpenter, David Cronenberg, and Paul Verhoven, Deepest Fear aims to stay true to our inspirations’ blend of visceral horror, vivid characterisation, and confrontational storytelling. Meanwhile in the realm of interactivity, our thoughts are never far from titles such as Metroid Prime, Half-Life 2, System Shock 2, and Dead Space.
System Requirements
Will my PC run this? →Minimum
- Requires a 64-bit processor and operating system
- OS: Windows 10 64-bit version 1909 revision .1350 or higher, or versions 2004 and 20H2 revision .789 or higher
- Processor: Quad-core Intel or AMD, 2.5 GHz or faster
- Memory: 8 GB RAM
- Graphics: DirectX 12 compatible graphics card with the latest drivers
- DirectX: Version 12
- Storage: 35 GB available space
- Additional Notes: SSD Recommended
Recommended
- Requires a 64-bit processor and operating system
- OS: Windows 10 64-bit version 1909 revision .1350 or higher, or versions 2004 and 20H2 revision .789 or higher
- Processor: Quad-core Intel or AMD, 2.5 GHz or faster
- Memory: 16 GB RAM
- Graphics: DirectX 12 compatible graphics card with the latest drivers
- DirectX: Version 12
- Storage: 35 GB available space
- Additional Notes: SSD Recommended
Supported Languages
*languages with full audio support
Latest news
AnnouncementsOfficial
'BAFTA Games in Concert' featuring music by Variable State
Experience your favourite game soundtracks performed live by the BBC Concert Orchestra, London Voices and composer and conductor Austin Wintory, in the official performance of nominated and award-winning music from 20 years of the BAFTA Games Awards, synchronised live with dynamic visuals, gameplay and imagery.Featuring exclusive suites from iconic games titles including:🎮 Virginia by Variable State🎮 Helldivers 2 by Arrowhead Game Studios🎮 Tomb Raider: Legend by Crystal Dynamics🎮 Fallout 4 by Bethesda Game Studios🎮 Baldur’s Gate 3 by Larian StudiosAnd many more!BAFTA-winning band Sea Power will join the performance, with further special guests to be announced on the night.Strap in for a gaming experience like no other! World Premiere on 31 January at Royal Festival Hall, London. Tickets available now via: www.liveconcert.gamesRead full article on Community Announcements (Jonathan Burroughs)AnnouncementsOfficial
IGN - Deepest Fear - Official Gameplay Dev Commentary Video
Thank you to IGN for hosting our developer interview from FGS Live From Los Angeles.You can also check out the video on the IGN website:https://www.ign.com/videos/deepest-fear-official-gameplay-dev-commentary-videoAbout Deepest FearFor more details, visit DeepestFearGame.com, subscribe to the DEEPEST FEAR™ mailing list, and follow @DeepestFear on Steam, X (Twitter), Bluesky, YouTube, TikTok, Reddit, Twitch, Instagram, and Facebook. About Variable StateVariable State is the award-winning game studio owned by Jonathan Burroughs, Terry Kenny and Lyndon Holland. Virginia is the studio's debut game, released in 2016 and published by 505 Games. The game was nominated for multiple awards, including 4 Independent Games Festival awards and 3 BAFTA awards. Virginia won the Writers' Guild Award for Best Writing in a Video Game. Virginia's composer and studio co-owner, Lyndon Holland, won the 2017 British Academy Games Award for Music. Last Stop is the studio's second game and was published by Annapurna Interactive in 2021. POLARIS, the studio’s third game, was self-published earlier this year and is available to play right now.Read full article on Community Announcements (Jonathan Burroughs)AnnouncementsOfficial
DEEPEST FEAR™ is featured at Future Games Show Live From Los Angeles
The Future Games Show returns at 1pm PT, 4pm ET, 9pm BST, 10pm CEST on Saturday, June 7 2025. And DEEPEST FEAR™ is taking part! The virtual showcase will be broadcast on Twitch, YouTube, X, Facebook, TikTok, GamesRadar, Steam, PC Gamer, IGN, Gamespot, Bilibili, Ginx TV, ESR and more. It will be hosted by actors Laura Bailey (Abby Anderson, The Last of Us Part II) and Matthew Mercer (Vincent Valentine, Final Fantasy VII Rebirth). In addition, FGS Live From Los Angeles returns for its third show this year. Airing straight after the Summer Showcase, FGS Live From will be hosted by the channels own Jules and Amy and will feature more exclusive trailers, news and interviews from the summer showcase season. Included in the event is an interview with Variable State about their sci-fi horror FPS with a retro-future aesthetic set beneath the ocean. For more details, visit DeepestFearGame.com, subscribe to the DEEPEST FEAR™ mailing list, and follow @DeepestFear on Steam, X (Twitter), Bluesky, YouTube, TikTok, Reddit, Twitch, Instagram, and Facebook. About Variable State Variable State is the award-winning game studio owned by Jonathan Burroughs, Terry Kenny and Lyndon Holland. Virginia is the studio's debut game, released in 2016 and published by 505 Games. The game was nominated for multiple awards, including 4 Independent Games Festival awards and 3 BAFTA awards. Virginia won the Writers' Guild Award for Best Writing in a Video Game. Virginia's composer and studio co-owner, Lyndon Holland, won the 2017 British Academy Games Award for Music. Last Stop is the studio's second game and was published by Annapurna Interactive in 2021. POLARIS, the studio’s third game, was self-published earlier this year and is available to play right now.Read full article on Community Announcements (Jonathan Burroughs)AnnouncementsOfficial
Exclusive gameplay revealed in GameStar’s Find Your Next Game Showcase
The team at Variable State just shared a sneak-peek at gameplay for their upcoming Sci-Fi Horror First-Person Shooter DEEPEST FEAR™. Following up on the game’s world premiere in the PC Gaming Show last week, the footage revealed in GameStar’s Find Your Next Game Shwocase demonstrates the nightmarish claustrophobia of this immersive horror indie; the protagonist, Dr. Danni Carroll, faces down monstrous creatures spontaneously emerging from water sources, as she explores a flooded deep-sea facility. For players eager for updates on DEEPEST FEAR™, the Variable State team has launched a dedicated newsletter, which will provide development updates— and the game is available to wishlist on Steam. DEEPEST FEAR™ | Details + Features About DEEPEST FEAR™ is a sci-fi horror shooter, combining Metroidvania level design in the context of a classic FPS immersive sim, where the game’s setting is a puzzle to unravel and where creativity and improvisation are your greatest assets. Inspirations | Retro-Future Cinema Channeling the spirit of iconic and subversive 1980s horror action films such as The Abyss, The Thing, The Fly, and Total Recall, and more broadly the cinematic canons of James Cameron, John Carpenter, David Cronenberg, and Paul Verhoven, DEEPEST FEAR™ aims to stay true to a vision of visceral horror, vivid characterisation, and confrontational storytelling. Fear the Water The immersive sim brings to life a new kind of terror as water itself becomes a living threat, with real-time fluid simulation allowing nightmarish entities to emerge from any water source or submerged space within the hermetic confines of the Neptune facility. Using real time fluid simulation, fight otherworldly entities which manifest spontaneously from any water source, all while the environment around you can flood and take in water at any moment, sweeping you away with unpredictable currents, plunging you into the suffocating depths. Story of Survival As Dr. Danni Carroll, players are thrust into t...Read full article on Community Announcements (Jonathan Burroughs)AnnouncementsOfficial
Announcing DEEPEST FEAR™ at the PC Gaming Show: Most Wanted
Introducing DEEPEST FEAR™ Announced for Steam at the PC Gaming Show: Most Wanted, DEEPEST FEAR™, by Variable State, invites players into a first-person, unsettling survival horror experience set deep beneath the ocean’s surface, in the claustrophobic confines of a decaying underwater facility. This sci-fi horror shooter brings to life a new kind of terror as water itself becomes a living threat, with real-time fluid simulation allowing nightmarish entities to emerge from any water source or submerged space within the hermetic confines of the Neptune facility. As Dr. Danni Carroll, players are thrust into the labyrinthine depths of Neptune, a mysterious retro-futuristic facility hiding dark secrets and dangerous truths. Trapped far from rescue, Danni must contend with hostile creatures that spawn from water sources, a failing infrastructure, and shifting, submerged environments that change with each moment. With survival on the line, players must harness their wits and an arsenal of tools to uncover the mysteries surrounding a project masterminded by Danni’s estranged father. Incorporating the creative problem-solving of the Immersive Sim genre and Metroidvania-style exploration, DEEPEST FEAR™ pushes the horror genre forward with a chilling blend of atmosphere, environment puzzles, real-time fluid simulation, and high-stakes survival mechanics. Inspired by iconic works of cinema such as The Abyss and The Thing, the game is set to release on PC, with future announcements planned. Featuring an original cinematic score by the BAFTA-winning composer and studio co-director, Lyndon Holland, and the award-winning writing talent behind Virginia and Last Stop, DEEPEST FEAR™ combines the cinematic storytelling the studio is known for with visceral first person shooter and horror gameplay. For more details, visit DeepestFearGame.com, subscribe to the DEEPEST FEAR™ mailing list, and follow @DeepestFear on Steam, X (Twitter), Bluesky, YouTube, TikTok, Reddit, Twitch, Instagram, a...Read full article on Community Announcements (Jonathan Burroughs)






