Cthulhu The Cosmic Abyss Shows Off Investigation Gameplay in New Trailer Ahead of Steam Next Fest Demo
Publisher Nacon and developer Big Bad Wolf have unveiled a fresh gameplay trailer for Cthulhu The Cosmic Abyss right before players get hands on time through a Steam Next Fest demo arriving on February 23 2026. The timing is a smart awareness play because this is the kind of narrative driven horror that benefits from a short playable slice to prove its pacing, atmosphere, and interaction loop beyond the cinematic pitch.
The new trailer focuses on one of the game’s central pillars, investigations, and frames it through the perspective of the player character Noah as he enters an underwater mining station that appears abandoned on first contact. The footage leans hard into moody traversal and clue work, with Noah moving through dark industrial corridors, scanning scenes, and analyzing evidence. It then escalates into a montage that teases the more unsettling elements waiting deeper inside the facility, reinforcing that this is not just a walking tour, it is a tension engine built around discovery and dread.
Cthulhu The Cosmic Abyss is scheduled to launch on April 16 2026 for PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X and S. It is also part of a broader 2026 wave of Lovecraft inspired releases, with the game positioned as a sci fi flavored take on cosmic horror that blends investigative structure with narrative stakes rather than relying purely on combat spectacle. What exactly will be included in the Steam Next Fest demo has not been detailed yet, but the messaging around the demo suggests it will be designed to showcase the game’s unique atmosphere and original mechanics, which likely means a curated investigation segment that introduces the scanning and analysis workflow while hinting at the larger mystery.
Big Bad Wolf’s track record is worth calling out here because the studio has experience building choice driven and narrative forward experiences. This project follows The Council from 2018 and Vampire The Masquerade Swansong from 2022, which makes Cthulhu The Cosmic Abyss feel like an evolution of their storycraft into a more oppressive horror frame. For players, the critical success factor will be whether the investigation mechanics stay engaging under pressure and whether the game maintains forward momentum without breaking immersion through repetitive scanning loops. The demo should be the first real checkpoint for that.
When you play the February 23 2026 demo, what will matter more for you, strong investigation mechanics and clue logic, or pure atmosphere and horror pacing?
