Screenshots
Watch trailer on Steam ↗No One Returns
Groovy Zebra Studio · Published by Groovy Zebra Studio
Content notice: No One Returns contains frequent depictions of realistic violence, blood, and gore as the player uses firearms to survive encounters with hostile, unnatural monstrosities. The game features intense psychological horror themes, a persistent atmosphere of severe isolation and dread, and startling encounters within a highly realistic 3D urban environment. This game does not contain any sexual content, sexual assault, drug or alcohol abuse, or depictions of self-harm.
Last updated 28 Sept 2026
Have you ever wondered what happens if you wake up and everyone is simply gone? No One Returns is a third-person survival horror game. Play as Denis, search a chillingly silent city for clues about your missing family while fighting the frightening zombies swarming the streets.
Action, Adventure, Indie · 2026 · More free games
About this game
It is a thought that crosses everyone's mind in the dead of night: What if I wake up tomorrow, and I am the only one left? For Denis, that intrusive thought just became reality. Your family is missing. The neighbors are gone.
No One Returns is a third-person survival horror game that trades the traditional ruined, post-apocalyptic wasteland for the unsettling tension of a perfectly normal, empty city. You step into the shoes of Denis as he leaves his home to find out what happened to his family.
But the silence does not mean you are alone...
Explore an Untouched City
Experience a fresh take on the horror genre. The environment is not destroyed or overgrown with vines. It is just chillingly empty. Navigate through familiar, everyday locations that have been turned into unsettling liminal spaces.
Classic Survival Combat
The missing population has been replaced by frightening zombies. This is a true survival experience where ammunition and health supplies are severely limited. You must manage your resources carefully and make every shot count.
Playable on Steam Deck
No One Returns has been thoroughly tested on the Steam Deck! You can expect a smooth, stable experience running at 35+ FPS on Medium settings. The game also looks fantastic on the Steam Deck OLED, with default brightness levels optimized so no manual gamma adjustments are required.
100% Handcrafted (No Generative AI)
No One Returns does not use any generative AI. The voice acting, 3D models, character animations, 2D images, music, and sound effects are either handcrafted directly by Groovy Zebra Studio, commissioned from professional artists, or purchased from human-made asset stores.
System Requirements
Will my PC run this? →Minimum
- OS: Windows 11 (64bit required)
- Processor: Intel corei5-8500 / AMD Ryzen 5 3500
- Memory: 16 GB RAM
- Graphics: GeForce GTX 1660 6GB / Radeon RX 5500 XT 8GB
- DirectX: Version 12
- Storage: 12 GB available space
Recommended
- OS: Windows 11 (64bit required)
- Processor: Intel Core i7-8700 / AMD Ryzen 5 5500
- Memory: 16 GB RAM
- Graphics: GeForce RTX 2060 Super 8GB / Radeon RX 6600 8GB
- DirectX: Version 12
- Storage: 15 GB available space
Supported Languages
*languages with full audio support
Latest news
Patch NotesOfficial
Demo Update v0.33: Rank Assessment!
Hi everyone! A new update for the No One Returns demo is officially live. The biggest addition in this patch is the brand-new Rank Assessment feature at the end of the demo! Now you can see exactly how well you performed and try to improve your score. I've also spent a lot of time tweaking the zombie AI so they chase you further, and made the boss fight a bit more dynamic.Here are the details of what is new in v0.33:HighlightsEnd of Demo Rank Assessment: When you complete the demo, you will now receive a final rank based on your performance. This is a great excuse to dive back into the empty streets of Paris and see if you can achieve a perfect score!More Relentless Zombies: Based on some great feedback, I have increased the navigation range of the zombies. They will no longer stop and turn around awkwardly if you are still nearby. You will have to work a bit harder to escape them!Dynamic Boss Fight: The boss can now destroy benches during the encounter, so watch your back and don't rely too much on cover!Thank you all for playing, recording videos, and leaving such amazing feedback. Good luck getting the top rank!Groovy Zebra StudioRead full article on Community Announcements (gzs.troop)Patch NotesOfficial
Demo Update v0.32b - Realistic Blood, Difficulty Selection, and new AI Boss!
Hello everyone!I've just pushed a massive new update (v0.32b) to the No One Returns demo! This patch focus heavily on combat realism, improving enemy boss AI, adding features like difficulty selection, and optimizing the game's overall file size.Here are the patch notes for v0.32b:Visuals & Immersion UpgradesRealistic Blood Splashes: Combat feels much more visceral now with overhauled, realistic blood effects during fights.Explosive Physics: Added realistic dead body launching physics when enemies are blown up by explosive barrels.Creepier Boss Zombies: Some zombies are now visually darker, and the big boss zombie now emits an eerie smoke effect while walking.New Features & Quality of LifeDifficulty Selection: You can now choose your preferred difficulty style before jumping in! (Please note: "Insane" difficulty is locked for the demo!)Objective Markers: Added an optional helpful UI feature to show objective markers so you don't get lost in the empty city. Optimized File Size: Cleaned up files to reduce the overall game download size.Gameplay & AI AdjustmentsSmarter Big Zombie: The boss zombie AI has been upgraded to be much smarter and more tactical during combat.Zombie Attack Variations: Enemies now have more attack variations to keep you on your toes.Better Demo Outro: Tweaked and polished the ending of the demo to make it feel much more satisfying.Under-the-Hood Fixes: Fine-tuned the NavMesh agent radius to prevent enemies from getting stuck on geometry.Join our Discord community to share your feedback directly with me: https://discord.com/invite/JdyffJFg54Thank you all so much for playing, reporting bugs, and supporting the game. Enjoy the new update, and please don't forget to Wishlist the full game on Steam!Best regards,GanisRead full article on Community Announcements (gzs.troop)Patch NotesOfficial
Demo Update v0.30 - Explosive Barrels, Tank Tuning, and Bug Fixes!
Hello everyone!A new update (v0.30) is now live for the No One Returns demo! This patch introduces some explosive new tactical options to help you deal with the threats in the city, alongside a variety of highly requested bug fixes.Here are the patch notes for v0.30:New Features & Gameplay AdjustmentsExplosive Barrels Added: You can now find explosive barrels scattered around the environment. Use them wisely to take out groups of enemies and save your precious ammunition!Friendly Fire Tank: Adjusted the tank mechanics regarding friendly fire to make combat scenarios feel more dynamic and realistic.Bug Fixes & PolishZebra Glitches Fixed: Fixed an issue where the zebra would occasionally disappear into thin air. Also resolved a bug where the zebra was double-counting.UI & Text Fixes: Fixed bugs related to subtitle timings and floating text elements remaining on screen.Join the Community! Want to share your feedback directly, report bugs, or just chat about the game with other players? Come join our official Discord server!👉 https://discord.com/invite/JdyffJFg54Thank you all for playing and helping me make the demo better with every update. Don't forget to Wishlist the game if you haven't already!Read full article on Community Announcements (gzs.troop)Patch NotesOfficial
Demo Update v0.26h - Better Combat, Smarter Zombies, and a Special Live Stream!
Hello everyone!Thank you so much to everyone who has played the No One Returns demo and shared your feedback. I have been working hard to make the game feel even better, and I am excited to release the new v0.26h Update today!Before we get to the patch notes, I have a fun community announcement!🔴 Special Live Stream This Sunday! If you want to see the new update in action, the awesome streamer Nietschiy will be playing the No One Returns demo live on Twitch!When: Sunday, June 14th at 7:00 PM (Berlin time)Where to watch: Please drop by the chat, say hello, and help them survive the empty city!What is new in Update v0.26h?This update focuses heavily on making the combat feel more realistic and making the zombies much more dangerous. Here are the full patch notes:Combat & Enemy ImprovementsMore Realistic Shooting: Gunplay feels much heavier now. Added muzzle flashes, more realistic gunshot sounds, and zombies will now actually flinch when they get shot.Smarter Zombie AI: Zombies are much smarter. They will run away if the player gets too far, and they can track and get near the player much more accurately now.More Danger: Increased the total number of zombies in the city.Smoother Animations: Fixed an issue where zombies would "snap" between movements. Their animations are now much smoother and more natural.Quality of Life & PolishQoL ImprovementsUI ImprovementsImproved CutscenesBug FixesFixed bugs related to inspecting items in the world.Thank you again for your support!If you enjoy these new changes, please consider leaving some feedback in the community hub and Wishlisting the game.Good luck out there!Read full article on Community Announcements (gzs.troop)Patch NotesOfficial
Demo Update: Faster Threats, Visibility Fixes, and a Brand-New Trailer!
Thank you for playing the No One Returns demo over this past week! Your gameplay videos and detailed feedback gave us exactly what we needed to make the experience tighter, scarier, and smoother.We have spent the last seven days pushing out a massive patch based directly on your reports. The update is live right now!🎥 Watch the New TrailerBecause the pacing and lighting have completely changed, we have cut a brand-new trailer featuring updated gameplay and a faster pace.The new trailer: https://youtu.be/IO4KVKj7w7M 🛠️ Patch Notes:Smarter, Faster Threats: Introduced new zombie variants that move much faster and utilize smarter pathfinding to actively hunt you down.Hit Registration Fixed: Reworked weapon collision. Your bullets will now land exactly where your crosshairs are pointing.Visibility Overhaul: Brightened the map significantly. The environment is now much easier to navigate, especially on Low and Medium graphics settings.Rebalanced Resources: Increased the availability of ammo drops across the map to help you deal with the tougher enemy variants.Deeper Investigation: Added more environmental clues and expanded text descriptions to make exploring the mystery more fluid.🎮 Handheld OptimizationThese lighting and performance tweaks transfer beautifully to handheld. The demo continues to run at a stable 35+ FPS on Medium settings with crisp visibility on the Steam Deck.Thank you for helping us shape the game. If you like the direction we are taking No One Returns, please hit the Wishlist button on our main store page!Read full article on Community Announcements (gzs.troop)
