SOMA and Amnesia Developers Reveal ONTOS Gameplay: A Systemic Horror Game on the Moon Starring Stellan Skarsgård
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25.08.2026 22:58
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2 min read
Frictional Games unveiled a new gameplay trailer for the sci-fi thriller ONTOS at the opening of Gamescom 2026. The spiritual successor to the cult classic SOMA will transport players to an abandoned lunar hotel and laboratory, with a release scheduled for 2027 on PC and consoles.
The project is set to be the most ambitious and narratively deep title in the Swedish studio’s history.
The Samsara Lunar Base and Philosophical Sects
The story follows researcher Aditi Amani, who arrives at the Samsara lunar complex to uncover the mystery behind the disappearance of her father—a prominent physicist who became the spiritual leader of a reclusive scientific cult.
The station is built upon the ruins of a bankrupt mining colony and a luxury orbital resort. Players will explore a multi-level complex divided among rival philosophical factions, ranging from scientific laboratories inside empty casino halls to flooded experimental bays and deep lunar caves.
Unveiling Crombie’s experiment.
— ONTOS (@ONTOS_Official) August 25, 2026
There is no right or wrong solution – though we can’t guarantee you’ll appreciate the consequences. pic.twitter.com/XDMc6oL0lH
Systemic Survival and Large-Scale “Experiments”
According to the official announcement on Xbox Wire, ONTOS moves away from the familiar hide-and-seek monster formula of the Amnesia series:
- The gameplay is built on systemic environmental exploration: gathering data, manually calibrating analog instruments, and repairing complex mechanisms;
- Tasks do not have a single correct solution, allowing players to combine physical laws and logic;
- Key narrative nodes are large-scale “Experiments”—complex moral and physical challenges that the developers compare to bosses in Shadow of the Colossus in terms of drama and impact on the finale.
Stellan Skarsgård’s Involvement and Platforms
Actor Stellan Skarsgård (Chernobyl, Dune, Andor) plays one of the key roles in the game, with his character appearing in the story’s introduction.
To polish the ambitious mechanics and script, the developers have moved the release window to 2027. The game will launch on PC (Steam), PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X|S.
