Don't Fret

About this game

Latest news

• Patch Notes·12 Aug 2026Official

  RELEASE UPDATE

  Read full article on Community Announcements (Scary Kid Studios)

• Patch Notes·19 Jun 2026Official

  NEXT FEST DEMO PATCH NOTES

  PATCH NOTES V.1Thank you to everyone who has played the demo, reported bugs, and shared feedback. We've been reviewing reports and making improvements based on what we've seen since launch.FixesAV Room key no longer disappears on certain playthroughsPlayers can no longer soft lock climbing over desks in the administration roomPlayers can no longer hard lock using the violin to climb over debris in the Main HallFixed the issue where sometimes stunning an enemy would not affect themFixed throwables not being able to be picked up depending on where they landed in certain areasUpdated the hit box when climbing into the storage room vent to be more accessibleFixed issue where playing Jukebox in the practice room near Subsonic Room was overriding the dialogueAdded subtitles to Conductor in the Red DoorImproved collisions on some surfaces causing throwable ukuleles to go through objectsFixed payphone kicking players out sometimesFixed the Hurdy crate vent hitbox to be more consistentT-Pose for Tapehead and ability to hide in pockets has been fixedPerformance ImprovementsExpanded the lower range of the 3D Resolution setting, allowing players to further improve performance while maintaining as much visual fidelity as possible.Quality of LifeWe made a hot fix to the piano puzzle for the demo, which should help the difficulty of the piano puzzle for non music folks! Not sharing exactly what we did to avoid spoilers but - we noticed many people were having extensive difficulty with it, so hopefully our change helps!Known IssuesWe are aware that some of the videos in the game don't work on Steamdecks and we are still actively looking for a solution for this!Please continue reporting bugs and sharing feedback through Steam Discussions and Discord. Your feedback is helping us shape the final game.
  Read full article on Community Announcements (Scary Kid Studios)

• Announcements·16 Jun 2026Official

  NEW DON'T FRET DEMO

  Hey Fretters, We are excited to welcome you to Nextfest! We want you to enjoy our all new demo. The feedback that you had on our old demo was fantastic and we've applied it to bring you the best glimpse into everything Don't Fret will be. We cant wait to see how you find this new demo, and are excited for your feedback and thoughts.
  Read full article on Community Announcements (Scary Kid Studios)

• Announcements·30 Oct 2025Official

  Don't Fret ID@Xbox on IGN Showcase

  DON'T FRET ID@XBOX on IGN SHOWCASE!We are absolutely blown away that we were invited share a brand new trailer at this Fall's ID@Xbox on IGN's showcase. The trailer includes new gameplay including new enemies, devices and a world premiere of the cast reveal! A FEW UPDATES!REDESIGNED... REIMAGINEDThe original Don’t Fret demo launched just over a year ago—and since then, the game has evolved dramatically. We’ve completely redesigned several characters you might remember from the demo, including our protagonist, Fret. As development progressed, the story and world naturally shifted toward a darker, more mature tone. While Fret is still the same lovable guitar at heart, his original design no longer fit the atmosphere we were building.You can expect Don’t Fret to feel much scarier and more intense than before—reflecting the deeper, more unsettling vision that the game has grown into.THE GUITAR TUNERThe guitar tuner is one of our personal favorite devices in Don't Fret. It serves as a diegetic UI tool allowing you to see your health, stamina, battery count and battery amount - in addition to several other things that we'll keep to ourselves for now! MUSICAL PUZZLESWe didn’t want to reveal everything Don’t Fret has in store just yet—but rest assured, there will be a wide variety of musically themed puzzles throughout the game. Designing these puzzles has been a unique challenge: they need to be accessible and rewarding for both musicians and non-musicians alike, all while maintaining that eerie sense of tension that defines the game. It’s been an incredibly fun creative process, and we can’t wait for you to experience it for yourself!A RICH ENVIRONMENTWe’ve been hard at work building a world that truly breaks the mold of traditional indie horror. Don’t Fret isn’t just a series of dark hallways inside a single environment—it’s an expansive, handcrafted world packed with places to explore. You’ll travel through classrooms, underground tunnels, campus courtyards, gondola rid...
  Read full article on Community Announcements (Scary Kid Studios)

• Announcements·4 Apr 2025Official

  DON'T! FRET - WE ARE MAKING GREAT PROGRESS!

  Dear Community,{STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/44910425/f03ab15b487a0ad8b826560971bb7c88b0d7654d.png Hey everyone! It’s been a little while since our last official Steam Hub post, so thank you for your patience and continued interest in Don't! Fret. If you haven't already, be sure to join our Discord for more frequent updates and behind-the-scenes content: 👉 https://discord.gg/vHkv6HQztB We recently released a detailed devlog video with tons of new info on development progress. You can check it out here: UPDATES {STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/44910425/d11786e1dddcf18c037776fa22617948cb7405f2.png We’re actively playtesting the first third of Don't! Fret! All core gameplay mechanics are now complete. Our main enemy, Tapehead, has undergone a major overhaul — and Fret has received some updates too. We’ve created a brand-new, redesigned capsule art that better represents the game’s vibe and characters. Can’t wait to share it with you soon! The current playtime for the first third of the game is averaging 1.5 hours, which means you can expect the full game to be around 4–5 hours long. We've decided to make all cutscenes in-engine, resulting in a more seamless and immersive experience. GAMEPLAY UPDATES You may have seen this mentioned on other platforms, but for those who haven't: the demo was just a tiny peek at Don't! Fret's atmosphere and tone — the final game is significantly more robust and polished in terms of gameplay. Our original inspiration was to capture the intense, cat-and-mouse style of Alien: Isolation. And while we're a small team with limited resources, I truly believe we've built something that captures that same kind of tension. The gameplay now blends elements of Resident Evil, Silent Hill, and Alien: Isolation. The demo’s AI was very basic — “run-at-the-player” style — but that's completely changed. We’re spending a ton of time refining enemy behavior and making every encounter feel fun, tense, and rewarding. VARIETY{STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/44910425/7b101727ea3fdb7fb8581b9542827ebb...
  Read full article on Community Announcements (Scary Kid Studios)