Screenshots
Watch trailer on Steam ↗The Vaults Below Durn: A Field Study
Gongylus Games · Published by Gongylus Games
Last updated 28 Sept 2026
Three Doors. One Safe Path. Observe the signs, learn the patterns, and uncover the fate of the explorer who ventured before you.
Adventure, Indie · More free games
About this game
Far below the town of Durn lies the Vaults, a sprawling dungeon no explorer has ever returned from.
Now it stretches endlessly before you. Can you read the signs to find the safe path through?
An atmospheric dungeon experience designed to be completed in one sitting.
Each room presents a choice between three doors. Subtle signs reveal which door is safe:
faint sounds beyond the door
moisture clinging to the ancient stone
the slightest movement of the air around you
Pay attention. The Vaults rewards the cautious, and punishes the careless. As you descend deeper, the signs will be harder to spot, and you will have to consider the combinations of them to continue on your journey.
As you descend, you’ll find field studies left behind by the last explorer. They will help guide you deeper.
Then there are the journal pages. Why would the explorer leave these behind and what story do they tell?
Deduction based top-down dungeon exploration with environmental clues
A short narrative mystery told through notes and the environmental story telling
A randomized endless mode for players who master the vaults
Extensive accessibility settings:
No jumpscares
No quicktime events. Play at your own pace
Multiple input methods supported, as well as remapping inputs
Important audio cues have visual indicators
Volume control
Stereo/mono toggle
Brightness/contrast control
Long press duration configuration
Multiple display modes, including windowed
Option to switch fonts to Atkinson Hyperlegible
Color blind friendly
Font size customisation
System Requirements
Will my PC run this? →Minimum
- Requires a 64-bit processor and operating system
- OS: Windows 10 (64-bit)
- Processor: Quad-core Intel Core i5-8400 or AMD Ryzen 5 2600
- Memory: 8 GB RAM
- Graphics: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 (6GB VRAM) or AMD Radeon RX 580 (8GB VRAM)
Recommended
- Requires a 64-bit processor and operating system
Supported Languages
*languages with full audio support
Latest news
Patch NotesOfficial
Steam Achievements Update
Grab your Steam Achievements!If you haven't tried the demo yet, or even if you have, jump in and grab your Steam achievements. There are two Steam Achievements to find in the demo, and many more to come in the full release.New FeatureThe listen mechanic has been reworked so it is now proximity based, instead of having the player toggle it on and off. The audio clue's volume has also been increased. Performance EnhancementsTextures have been optimized to improve performance, and the "Low" Quality Setting is now even more performative, so it will work on less powerful hardware.Playstation Controller SupportGlyphs for Playstation controllers are now officially supported, so you should see the correct glyphs when playing with a DuelShock or DuelSense controller. XBox, Switch, and third party controllers should all work too.New DiscordA Discord server has been set up! A link to it can be found in the demo, or you can join directly here.https://discord.gg/m9zK6vsWGD Bug FixesFixed a bug related to screen aspect ratios, so the UI should scale properly now.Read full article on Community Announcements (gongylusgames)Patch NotesOfficial
Gamayo Update
We had a great time exhibiting the demo for The Vaults Below Durn: A Field Study at Gamayo! It was great to watch people play the game for the first time, and we even got to try out some awesome games ourselves. The players provided some great feedback.Many said the tentacle grab was lacklustre. Many people were confused about what counted as a clue and what wasn't. Opinions on the sound design was mixed so that will require more work.Everyone loved the aesthetic even more than we expected which was great to hear!Based on the feedback, the latest update includes:Clues and Signs are announced when discovered, and are displayed on the top right of the screen.Grabby's appearance has more impact, while still not being a jumpscare.Added extra ambience to several rooms.Added East Button support for gamepads to go back to the previous menu.Fixed a bug where multiple interactables could be active at once.Thank you to everyone who has tried out the demo so far, and as always if you have any feedback we'd love to hear it!Read full article on Community Announcements (gongylusgames)AnnouncementsOfficial
The Vaults Below Durn Demo is LIVE!
Greetings, Explorers!🚪 The gates are finally open. The Vaults Below Durn: A Field Study Demo is officially live and free to play on Steam right now!Step into the depths. Your task is simple but perilous: navigate the dungeon using nothing but your own wits and the ominous notes left by the previous explorer.👁️ What to expect in the Demo:The First Five Rooms: Including the first two clue variations. Expect to find more clues, and dealing with combinations of clues in the full release.The Core Deduction Loop: Each room has three doors. Only one is safe. Look closely at the ground, the walls, and the notes to deduce the path forward.Atmospheric Tension: No cheap jumpscares. Just rich atmosphere and increasing dread as you plunge deeper.A Taste of the Field Study: Uncover pieces of lore left by the last explorer.Accessibility: Play how you want. Many input methods are supported, and accessibility features can be found in the settings.🐛 Help Us Improve (Feedback & Bugs)This demo is a vertical slice of our core mechanics, and your feedback is incredibly valuable to us as we continue development.Found a bug?Got a theory about the lore?What's the one thing you would add/change?If you enjoy your time in the Vaults, the absolute best way to support us is to hit the Wishlist button on the main store page. It helps our visibility immensely.Good luck down there. You’re going to need it.Read full article on Community Announcements (gongylusgames)
