Nearly 7 years later, we finally have a new look at the follow-up to two of the greatest, darkest platformers of all time

28.02.2024 - 12:03 / gamesradar.com / Hirun Cryer

The developer of Limbo and Inside has revealed two new pieces of art for its long-gestating third game.

Sublime horror-platformer Inside launched nearly seven years ago in 2017, and since then, we've heard very little from developer Playdead, despite the fact that its third game was announced just a few months after Inside's launch. We always knew it was a desolate-looking, sci-fi-based game, with the former descriptor in particular bringing to mind memories of Inside and Limbo, the developer's first two games.

Now, we finally have a new look at Playdead's new game. The studio revealed via its Twitter account that it would be at the Game Developer's Conference in San Francisco next month in March, posting some tantalizing artwork to accompany the message. This artwork would appear to be from Playdead's new game, given that we've never actually seen it before.

Do you want to work with us? Meet Playdead at #GDC2024 Sign up for a face-to-face or a virtual meeting https://t.co/cSMHR4os8w pic.twitter.com/kleEtdUrIvFebruary 27, 2024

If you follow the link in the tweet, a Google form reveals that the new game is "a 3D, open world, sci-fi adventure set in a remote corner of the universe made in Unreal 5." These are the first gameplay details we've ever actually had for Playdead's new game - we never knew it was open-world, which is a big departure from the linear stories and worlds of Limbo and Inside.

The Google form also reveals a second piece of art for the new game. Just below, you can see the second piece, which sees a small figure making their way past what appear to be massive pipes, and towards what could be a broken-down car. Knowing Playdead, I'd bet there's a fair chance we end up going inside one of those pipes.

This is the first time we've heard anything of Playdead's new game since a tiny interview back in 2019. At the time, Playdead co-founder Arnt Jensen said the new title would be "a bigger game than the other two," referencing both Limbo and Inside. The new open-world detail from Playdead only hammers home that point, and perhaps alludes to why we haven't seen anything of the game for so long.

Read up on our upcoming indie games guide for a look ahead at how the year is going to shake out for smaller titles.