Dark Hours: Prologue

Horror· Survival Horror· Funny· Team-Based

Released Jul 2024

Dark Hours: Prologue is a free co-op survival horror game for 1-4 players. Your heist has been disrupted by a supernatural event, and your team of robbers is now trapped with a monster. Forget your plan, your mission: survive! Explore and cooperate to find a way out or hide and wish for daylight.

88% positive · 6,247 reviews

Not yet

Released, but still in active development

Medium confidence

Active Development

Not yet

Released, but still in active development

Medium confidence

Active Development

Where to get it

Free on Steam

Steam Free

Evaluation

Dark Hours: Prologue is a free, intentionally scoped demo released on July 18, 2024, offering players a taste of the full co-op horror experience. The prologue itself is set in a single Auction House environment with up to 2 monsters, and it has received updates — including a monster rotation on November 22, 2024 — but it is not designed to grow into a full independent product. The prologue functions as a permanent marketing gateway to the full game, Dark Hours, and the developer's update cadence for the full game is what defines the ongoing development activity visible on this store page. Dark Hours launched into Early Access on October 24, 2024 and received four major content updates during that period: The Cursed Pharaoh update (December 17, 2024), All Bets Down (February 27, 2025), Watt the Hell! (May 15, 2025), and Cruise into Madness (August 21, 2025). The full game then reached its 1.0 release on October 23, 2025, accompanied by a massive content drop including 8 monsters, 60 maps across 5 environments, a new PvPvE mode, mafia faction reputation systems, and much more. This establishes a clear and sustained cadence of major content releases roughly every 2–3 months across the Dark Hours ecosystem. The 1.0 launch post on October 23, 2025 expressed ongoing enthusiasm and made no statement indicating development was concluding. As of today, September 24, 2026, approximately 11 months have passed since the 1.0 release — which is beyond the historical 2–3 month cadence. However, 1.0 launches often represent a natural pause before a new content cycle begins, and the developer made no completion statement. The prologue page continues to serve as a live entry point for the full game's ecosystem, and the developer has not communicated that Dark Hours development has ended.

Evidence

Dark Hours 1.0 launched with 8 monsters, 60 maps across 5 environments, PvPvE mode, mafia reputation system, and dozens of new items. Developer expressed enthusiasm and invited players to continue heisting with no indication of development ending.

news post · Oct 23, 2025 source content shipped

high

Cruise into Madness major update shipped a new environment (Cruise Ship), new monster (Driftborn), Nightmare difficulty, and new customization options.

news post · Aug 21, 2025 source content shipped

high

Media

Details

Developer

Piece of Cake studios

Publisher

Piece of Cake studios

Achievements

—

Platform

Windows

Controller

partial support

Steam Deck

Playable

Players

Single-player · Multiplayer · Co-op

Horror Survival Horror Funny Team-Based Psychological Horror Exploration Free to Play Atmospheric Procedural Generation Mystery Heist Adventure Supernatural Dark Action

About this game

Dark Hours: Prologue is a free version of Dark Hours. Experience the core gameplay and get a taste of the experience that awaits in the full game.

Dark Hours is a co-op survival horror game for 1-4 players. Just when you think you've pulled off the perfect heist, your break-in is suddenly interrupted by an unexpected supernatural event. You find yourself trapped in the auction house you came to rob and you realize with horror that you are no longer alone... A demonic creature has taken over the place and you have become its new prey. Will you manage to escape? Will you survive this apocalyptic night?

PROLOGUE FEATURES:

The Auction House: Explore the area in search of a way out, solve co-op minigames, deactivate lasers and security cameras, fill your bag with valuable loot, and take advantage of the building's secrets to get out of there.
New monsters: Encounter up to 2 creatures, each with distinct behaviors and unique abilities.
Unique items and co-op action to make your heist a success.

KEY FEATURES

Cooperate: Dark Hours is a 1-4 player cooperative experience where you must work together to escape the evil entity that is hunting you. You can't survive alone, stay close to your teammates and collaborate to find your way out of this nightmare.
Manage your equipment: A lock-picking set, a hacking device, a flashlight or a crowbar? Pick your gear and find all sorts of items during your exploration. Use them wisely with your teammates and you may have a chance to get out alive. Or not…
Escape or survive: There are only two ways out: find the exit or hide from the creature until morning. Will you make it through this dreadful night?

GAMEPLAY FEATURES

Steal: Remember, your first objective is to rob this place, so make sure to steal every valuable item you find. Score big!
Best Thieves: Carrying all that illegally-acquired loot can be tiring for your friends, so don't hesitate to discreetly offer your help by emptying their bags to steal the most precious items. There is no honor among thieves!
Be stealthy: Don’t make too much noise or the monster will find you. Be careful: the more you loot, the louder you get. In case of extreme urgency, you can (sneakily) fill your teammates' bags so they are noisier than you.
Survive: Seek refuge wherever you can or push your teammate to the entity's clutches. Survival justifies any action. Between us, it's better him than you, right?

Live a terrifying and fun co-op horror experience where you will discover more about the origin of the dark hours! …and who your friends really are!

Warning

This game contains flashing lights that may make it unsuitable for people with photosensitive epilepsy or other photosensitive conditions. Player discretion is advised.