ASPIS is a story-driven first-person horror game set in the late-1980s USSR. Engineer Andrey enters an experimental system to see his deceased family again, but the machine opens worlds it was never meant to find. You explore the institute that built it and step beyond reality.

Steam 250 weekly chart: #45 on the Top 50 Games of the Past Week as a new entry, scored 6.84 from 125 reviews at 82% positive, released 23 October 2026. Chart position via Steam 250.

Key features

A horror setting with its own built-in dread

Late-Soviet institutional horror does work that a haunted house cannot. A state research programme into consciousness already implies secrecy, disposable test subjects and paperwork nobody will ever read, so the game inherits a reason for the building to be hostile instead of having to invent one. The period also removes the phone-and-internet escape route that modern-day horror has to keep writing around.

Grief is the motive, not a twist

Andrey enters the machine to see his dead family. That framing matters mechanically: the player already wants to go deeper, so the game does not need to force progress with locked doors. The pull and the danger point the same direction, which is the hardest thing to get right in first-person horror and the reason the premise carries a full story rather than a single scare.

Full Russian and Kazakh audio, not just subtitles

Steam lists English, Russian and Kazakh with full audio support, alongside subtitles in six more languages. For a setting this specific, hearing the institute staff in the language they would actually be speaking does more for atmosphere than higher-resolution textures would, and it is unusual for a self-published horror release at this budget.

Where to find it

ASPIS is on Steam for $11.99, developed and self-published by Dream Wire Games. Steam flags violence, blood and psychological horror, plus themes of death and loss and experiments on consciousness. The store page also warns of sharp flashes of light, which matters if you are sensitive to them.

Frequently asked questions

Who made ASPIS?

Dream Wire Games, which both developed and published it.

How much does ASPIS cost?

It is listed on Steam at 11.99 dollars.

Is ASPIS in English?

Yes. Steam lists English with full audio support, along with Russian and Kazakh audio and subtitles in French, Ukrainian, Japanese, German, Spanish and Simplified Chinese.

How long is ASPIS?

The developer has not published a length. It is presented as a single story-driven campaign rather than a repeatable or procedural game, so expect one run through the institute.

Does ASPIS have combat?

The store page describes exploration and story rather than combat systems. Steam does flag scenes of violence and blood, but the game is framed as first-person horror exploration.

Is ASPIS safe if I am sensitive to flashing lights?

Use caution. The developer explicitly warns on the Steam page about sharp flashes of light that may affect players with increased light sensitivity.