Darkstone Digital, the solo studio behind The Mortuary Assistant, has released Playable Archive, a short psychological horror game that costs nothing. It went live on Steam for PC on October 26, 2026, and there is no price to pay, according to PC Gamer and Gematsu.
What you get
Playable Archive is billed as a micro horror experience. PC Gamer and Gematsu both put the running time at 30 to 60 minutes, so it fits into a single evening.
The setup is a found-footage style archive. A couple renovating an old house finds something mysterious, and events inside the home slowly turn sinister. Gematsu says the story is framed as material handed over by an anonymous whistleblower, who describes unexplainable events. DreadXP is listed as the publisher, and the game is built by Darkstone Digital, which is run by Brian Clarke.
Where it comes from
This is not a stand-alone project from the start. PC Gamer describes it as a demo built for a larger game that was cancelled. Gematsu reports that Clarke called the release “some form of personal healing” and said the full game will never come out, with much of it cut.
PC Gamer likens the mood to PT, the playable teaser from years ago, and notes that Clarke had Paranormal Activity in mind while designing it.
The catch
There is one practical limit: the game has no save function, according to both outlets, so plan to play it in one sitting. PC Gamer’s reviewer also reported hitting a snag near the end of their own playthrough and did not finish it, so expect a rough edge or two.
The sources list the game for PC through Steam only. No console version has been mentioned. Neither source gives an end date for the offer, so we cannot say whether it is permanent or temporary. Neither mentions anything specific to Canada, so check the price shown on your own Steam store page before downloading.
What it means for readers
For anyone in Canada or the United States who likes horror, this is a low-risk way to try the developer’s style without paying for The Mortuary Assistant first. Since it is free, the only cost is an hour of your time.
To get it, open Steam, search for Playable Archive and look for the Darkstone Digital listing, then add it to your library. You need a Steam account and a PC. Because the game is short and has no saves, set aside a free hour, play with headphones in a dark room if that is your thing, and keep the lights on if it is not.
Halloween is days away, which makes the timing convenient for a scary evening that does not cost anything.
