Pale Abyss - Prototype

Pale Abyss - Prototype

Released Feb 2025

Descend into the Pale Abyss, a cursed chasm where the forgotten truths of a dying world fester in its depths. Inspired by games such as King’s Field and Shadow Tower, Pale Abyss is a first-person action RPG about exploration and adventure. Currently it's just a demo with about 1 h of playtime.

86% positive · 374 reviews
Not yet
Released, content planned but development status unclear
Low confidence
Content Planned
Development Uncertain
Not yet
Released, content planned but development status unclear
Low confidence
Content Planned
Development Uncertain

Where to get it

Free on Steam

Evaluation

Pale Abyss - Prototype launched on Steam as a free-to-play game on February 17, 2025. The store description openly acknowledges the game is currently a demo with roughly one hour of playtime, so it is explicitly an incomplete product. On February 17, 2026 — the game's one-year anniversary — the developer (a three-person student team) published a post confirming that Pale Abyss will continue development and is not abandoned, but that active work is on hold until the team members finish their academic degrees. No specific timeline or resumption date was given. More content is clearly intended, but there is no way to determine when development will pick back up or how long the pause will last.
Evidence
Developer confirms Pale Abyss is not over and will resume development after the team completes their degrees, but active development is currently on hold with no set timeline.
news post · Feb 17, 2026 source content planned
high
Short description explicitly states the game is 'just a demo with about 1 hour of playtime,' confirming it is an incomplete product.
store metadata source development ongoing
high

Media

Details

Publisher
Permanent Crab Studios
Achievements
4
Platform
Windows
Controller
—
Steam Deck
Not rated
Players
Single-player

About this game

Our precious sunlight… taken by that… thing.

The Pale Abyss, they call it. A wound in the earth, an accursed maw that swallows all it touches. And from its depths spills that pale, unholy light. Lay your eyes upon it… Our warm and golden sunlight has been dragged down into that darkness, twisted and defiled. Mocking us with what was taken!

Immersive First-Person "King's Field-Like" Exploration

Master the tactile combat of old school melee and magic when battling strange creatures and traversing the depths. If you want to survive the Pale Abyss, you'll have to fight with every scrap you can find. Long lost weapons, spells and consumables will aid you on your way.

Let the Abyss change your very being with the unique Otherworldly Influence System  

In the Pale Abyss the otherworldly beings seem to clash and influence whatever mortal beings dare to descend its vast depths. Your actions in battle and during exploration shape your mind and body as you drift towards either the Abyssal or the Occult. Many secrets and powers are connected to the otherworldly, but when trifling with the eldritch, you might discover unheard of dangers as well... 

Beautiful Old-School Aesthetics

Harken back to a simpler time in gaming where the few polygons we had jittered and shifted away as we were in awe of the first instances of 3D on our CRT screens. Pale Abyss combines its more modern gameplay with this nostalgic aesthetic to bring a whole new experience in a familiar form.

From Humble Origins to Stalwart Explorer

Choose from 6 different starter classes with unique origins and let your choice of character stats and Level Ups empower you and the way you fight! 

Rich Asynchronous Multiplayer

Communicate with other delvers with Chatter Pebbles. Leave behind cryptic messages for other players to find and feel the faint echoes of other players' journeys as you traverse through the Pale Abyss. 

Small team with big aspirations

Pale Abyss is a student project by a team of three people made within six months. As such, this game is currently only a short Demo with about 1 hour of playtime, but we will continue providing updates in the future.
Our humble team at Permanent Crab Studios consists of one Programmer, one 3D Artist and one Musician. While it ain't much, it's honest work, so please enjoy this experience we created for any Adventure Game enthusiast. 

Last evaluated Jun 18, 2026
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