Under the River

Under the River

Released Mar 2026

Under the River: The Borrowed Skin-She saved you—but turned you into a monster. You live on, wearing her skin as your body rots. To survive, you must devour her. One begs you to eat her. One begs you to stay human. What will you choose?

96% positive · 549 reviews
Done
All announced content has been released
High confidence
Done
All announced content has been released
High confidence

Where to buy

Steam $5.99
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Evaluation

Under the River launched on Steam on March 6, 2026. It is a self-contained narrative text adventure set in Ming Dynasty China, adapted from classical Chinese short stories. The game was announced as a complete product at launch: 150,000 characters of text, 11 distinct endings, full voice acting, and a traditional music soundtrack. The only DLC listed on the store is a soundtrack, which has already been released. Developer communications consist of pre-launch demo patches (December 2021 and February 2026), a launch announcement (March 2, 2026), and a single bug-fix patch shortly after launch (March 7, 2026). No post-launch content — expansions, story DLC, or roadmap — has been announced by the developer at any point. As of today, September 3, 2026, the game has been out for nearly six months with no developer communications beyond that initial post-launch patch. For a narrative text adventure of this type — a story-driven indie game with a fixed cast, defined endings, and no live-service elements — the absence of any further content announcements, combined with the genre and structure, strongly indicates the game launched as a complete, finished product. The 180-day recently-launched window has now closed, and the pattern of developer silence since March 7, 2026 is consistent with a finished release rather than a game in active development.
Evidence
Launch announcement describes the game as a complete product: 150,000 characters of text, 11 distinct endings, over 1,500 lines of full voice acting. No post-launch content or roadmap mentioned.
news post · Mar 2, 2026 source content shipped
high
The only DLC listed is a soundtrack, and it is already released. No unreleased DLC exists on the store.
dlc listing source content shipped
medium

Content

1 of 1 released · no outstanding content

Media

Details

Publisher
夜火游戏(Night Fire Game)
Achievements
12
Platform
Windows
Controller
—
Steam Deck
Playable
Players
Single-player

About this game

Game introduction

During the Jiajing era of the Ming Dynasty, the ancient city of Sui'an had not yet sunk beneath the lake; it was still a thriving, prosperous city in western Zhejiang.

Shuijsheng's opera troupe received an invitation to perform for a ritual sacrifice to the "River God," and the destination was none other than this ancient capital, nestled between mountains and water.

However, during the journey, he slipped and fell into the river. Contracting a severe illness, his life hung by a thread, until he was saved by Qingqing, a drowned ghost.

From then on, cloaked in a sinister "demonic skin," he was reduced to a half-human, half-ghost existence. His flesh gradually decayed, and his time grew short.

Qingqing informed him that only by consuming her spectral form could he extend his life;

His junior apprentice sister, however, said it would be better to pray for divine mercy to overcome this calamity.

The solemn-looking sacrificial ceremony concealed untold secrets.

Shuijsheng gradually realized he had stepped into a labyrinthine plot that connected the realms of humans, ghosts, and gods...

He must uncover the truth within the profound depths of the ancient city,

Make a choice between Qingqing and his junior apprentice sister,

And find his own path to redemption.

Game background

This work is adapted from Pu Songling's collection of classical Chinese short stories, Strange Tales from a Chinese Studio, incorporating elements from tales such as The Painted Skin, Old Master Zhang, The Fox's Daughter, and Wang Liulang.

Character introduction

Li Qingqing, an 10018-year-old girl who drowned, refused to be reincarnated and instead became a water ghost, lingering in the rivers of Sui'an.

Huang Cuicui, a 10016-year-old girl, is the daughter of an opera troupe leader and Shuisheng's junior fellow apprentice.

Game experience

Under the River is Nightfire Games' debut title, with initial script drafting by Huyu and subsequent refinement and production by Huyan.

The game features 150,000 words of text, 11 unique endings, and fully voiced dialogue throughout all 1,500 lines.

Players will take on the role of an opera performer in the Ming Dynasty, making choices based on their own judgment and ultimately deciding between two female protagonists.

The game contains some adult content elements:

Combat and weapon imagery without bloodshed or gore, depictions of bones/skeletons, derogatory language, intense pain, criminal behavior, bleeding, violent acts, accidental death, physical injury, corpses, violent depictions, suicide, partial nudity, and alcohol consumption.

The game is currently in full development, and we warmly welcome everyone to come and take an early look.

Last evaluated Sep 3, 2026
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