Screenshots
Watch trailer on Steam ↗The Skin Stapler
Tainted Pact · Published by Assemble Entertainment
Content notice: This game contains heavy depictions of blood, gore, horror, frightening scenes, violence, and is not suited for children and young people under the age of 18. Action sequences involve violence against zombified humans and monsters.
Very Positive — 90% positive (568 reviews) · 16 achievements
Last updated 28 Sept 2026
The Skin Stapler is a retro-styled PSX grindhouse horror adventure set in the rotting, crime-soaked sprawl of Carrion City. Players follow jaded detective Dick Slater and his eager rookie partner Robbie Knox as they hunt a mysterious serial killer known only as The Skin Stapler.
£12.99
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Price history
Action, Indie · 2026 · More £5 - £15 games
Explore the gritty streets of Carrion City as jaded detective Dick Slater and his rookie partner Robbie Knox chase a deadly serial killer known only as The Skin Stapler. Experience a retro-styled horror adventure that blends action and mystery in 2026.
About this game
A serial killer stalks the streets, and you’re on their trail. Investigate the murders, descend into the city’s rotten underbelly, and uncover its buried secrets. Will you find the truth before The Skin Stapler finds you?Play as burned-out detective Dick Slater, hunting a serial killer known as the Skin Stapler. Take control of other characters as they are stalked through homes, workplaces, and dark city streets.
Victims are skinned, their flesh stapled to nearby walls. Distorted audio tapes taunt police and point to something darker beneath the city. You will scream. You might die. Maybe even from laugther.
A HANDCRAFTED HORROR EXPERIENCE
Handmade horror, with no shortcuts and plenty of sharp objects. Built as an XXL horror feature night, The Skin Stapler delivers a night of atmosphere, story, and bloody good fun.
MORE THAN DETECTIVE WORK
Investigate crime scenes as Detective Dick Slater, solve grisly puzzles, or survive a not-so-ordinary shift. Every character brings a different way to experience Carrion City’s nightmare.
FULLY VOICED
Every character is fully voiced, bringing Carrion City’s killers, victims, and burned-out cops to life.
GRINDHOUSE ATMOSPHERE
Inspired by 1980s VHS horror and exploitation films, the game features stylized violence, neon-lit decay, and an unapologetically grim aesthetic that blends horror and humor.
A CAST TO DIE FOR
From the creator of Suffer the Night, Terror at Oakheart, Massacre at the Mirage, and Flesh Made Fear, Tainted Pact Games invites you into a grimy, neon-lit nightmare with The Skin Stapler. Experience handcrafted indie horror made with support from some of your favourite content creators.
System Requirements
Will my PC run this? →Minimum
- Requires a 64-bit processor and operating system
- OS: Microsoft Windows 10
- Processor: Intel Core 2 Duo 1.8GHz / AMD Athlon X2 64 2.4GHz
- Memory: 4 GB RAM
- Graphics: Nvidia GeForce GTX 760 or higher
- Storage: 2 GB available space
Recommended
- Requires a 64-bit processor and operating system
- OS: Microsoft Windows 10
- Processor: Intel(R) Core(TM) i5-9600K CPU @ 3.70GHz or equivalent
- Memory: 16 GB RAM
- Graphics: Nvidia GeForce GTX 1070 or higher
- Storage: 2 GB available space
Supported Languages
*languages with full audio support
Latest news
AnnouncementsOfficial
The Skin Stapler is Out Now!
Hey everyone,I honestly can't believe the day is finally here. The Skin Stapler is out now on Steam!Making this game has been an incredible journey. I had so much fun creating the twisted world of Carrion City, its strange characters, ridiculous one-liners, gruesome murders, and all the little details hidden throughout the game. Seeing so many of you play the demo, share your thoughts, and get excited about Detective Dick Slater's latest case has meant the world to me.Now it's finally time for you to experience the full story.Watch the Launch TrailerIf you haven't seen it yet, check out the official launch trailer and get one last glimpse of the nightmare waiting for you in Carrion City.Thank you so much for all the support throughout development. It genuinely means everything to an indie developer like me.I hope you enjoy exploring Carrion City, laughing at the terrible jokes, uncovering every secret, and surviving your encounter with The Skin Stapler.Have fun, and thank you for playing! ❤️MichaelGrab a Bundle and SaveIf you're looking to expand your horror collection, I've also teamed up with some fantastic developer friends to put together a few special bundles. It's a great way to discover more indie horror while saving a bit along the way.Take a look at the bundles here or on the bundle store page if you're interested!Read full article on Community Announcements (Assemble_Made)AnnouncementsOfficial
The Skin Stapler Releases on August 6
Hey everyone, it's Michael here.The wait is almost over. I'm incredibly excited to finally share that The Skin Stapler launches on Steam on August 6!For the past few years I've been pouring everything into making the kind of horror game I always wanted to play. A grimy, neon-soaked detective nightmare inspired by classic slasher movies, VHS horror, film noir, and those wonderfully weird PS1 era visuals.You'll step into the shoes of Detective Dick Slater and his rookie partner Robbie Knox as they hunt down the city's most sadistic serial killer. The streets of Carrion City are filthy, the dialogue is unapologetically cheesy, the violence is grotesque, and things only get stranger the deeper you dig into the case.If you enjoyed the demo, thank you so much for all the support and feedback. It helped shape the final game, and I can't wait for you to experience the full story and uncover what's really happening behind The Skin Stapler's horrifying murders.I'm genuinely excited to finally put this game into your hands. See you in Carrion City on August 6. Just... try not to lose any skin.Thank you!! Please wishlist here:- Michael Cosio (Tainted Pact Games) 🐙Read full article on Community Announcements (Assemble_Made)AnnouncementsOfficial
NEW TRAILER DROPPED 🔥
Hey everyone, it's Michael here.Today I finally got to show a brand-new trailer for THE SKIN STAPLER during the Horror Game Awards Showcase: Midsummer Night's Scream.🔥 Watch the new Trailer here 🔥🔥Watch the complete showcase here 🔥This is the first proper gameplay trailer since the demo launched back in February and it contains a bunch of new footage, new scenes, new characters and a better look at Carrion City.If you're new here: The Skin Stapler is a short, story-driven horror game with retro PSX visuals, VHS slasher vibes and way too many questionable life choices. You play as Detective Dick Slater and several other characters as a serial killer known as The Skin Stapler terrorizes a crime-ridden 1980s city.Basically imagine if a grimy VHS slasher movie and an old PlayStation horror game had a very unfortunate child.The response to the demo over the last few months has been absolutely insane. The game trended on itch.io, hit 15,000 Steam wishlists, and was played by creators like CaseOh, MoistCr1TiKaL, CJU, Kubz Scouts, Joe Bart, Grizzy, Sev, LaynaLazar and many more.Also, I'm happy to finally confirm that THE SKIN STAPLER is coming this Summer 2026. 🖤There is still a lot more I can't show yet, but trust me... things only get weirder from here.Thank you all for the support so far. Every wishlist, stream, video, comment and screenshot helps more than you know.Now excuse me while I go back to making terrible decisions in Carrion City...- Michael Cosio (Tainted Pact Games) 🐙Read full article on Community Announcements (Maria)AnnouncementsOfficial
MY NEW GAME: THE SKIN STAPLER + WHAT'S NEXT
Hey everyone, it's Michael here.Here we go again.In case you missed it, I announced my new game THE SKIN STAPLER along with a DEMO: Currently sitting on 92% positive steam reviews 📈 Thank you so much 🙏The Skin Stapler is a short, story-driven horror game with that retro PSX look and a really grimy 80s slasher vibe. It’s more about atmosphere and tension than combat and you jump between playing the detectives and the victims (if you know my games, you know i love this mechanic).It’s pretty dark, but also intentionally cheesy and a liiiiitttle bit tongue-in-cheek. Okay I admit it's goofy as ****.Since the announcement, the demo was trending on itch.io, and we’ve collected 15.000 wishlists on Steam in 4 months - that’s amazing!I’m currently working on the full game, and I’m excited to show you a new trailer soon with a bunch of new stuff. So keep an eye out for news here on Steam, Discord or on Twitter.I was pretty overwhelmed and happy with the response to the demo. There were hundreds of Twitch streams and YouTube videos. Shoutout to the one and only CaseOh, who played the demo, and also MoistCr1TiKaL, CJU, Kubz Scouts, Joe Bart, Grizzy, Sev and LaynaLazar (who also has a voice acting role in the game) and many more.Thank you for helping indie horror games get discovered 🖤.... and so so many more thank you everyone!! Please wishlist here:- Michael Cosio (Tainted Pact Games) 🐙Read full article on Community Announcements (Maria)
