DreadXP has announced that they’ll be handling publishing duties with developer Dark Machine Games to help bring the highly anticipated first-person speed climbing game, White Knuckle, to horror fans. First unveiled during DreadXP’s Indie Horror Showcase last October, White Knuckle currently has a demo available on Steam for you to check out while the game is in development.
Despite now having the funding for the completion of the game, Dark Machine Games will still be going the Early Access route for White Knuckle. “Initially, we planned on early access to fund development while opening the game to community feedback. We don’t need the money anymore, but we do think that having the community around during a game’s development is an amazing thing, and we don’t want to lose that.”
As for when Early Access will happen remains to be determined.
Thrust into the role of a lone climber, players must attempt to ascend SUB-STRUCTURE 17, an enormous, crumbling complex buried deep underground. With ten thousand meters of concrete and decay above and an encroaching ooze below, every climb is a race against time. Players must navigate perilous environments, using a blend of precision movement, sharp reflexes, and resource management to scale deteriorating walls, leap across gaps, dodge traps, and avoid the deadly forces lurking in the shadows.
While speed is key to survival, players must also manage a limited inventory of tools and resources to avoid becoming encumbered and plummeting into the abyss. Failure to quickly retrieve key items from your bag could result in a deadly fall, making resource management and quick thinking just as important as skillful climbing. The higher that players ascend in the structure, the more dangerous the obstacles become, with each new region offering unique threats and challenges.