What would you do to achieve your dreams? Would you sacrifice relationships, your livelihood, or even your own sanity? Dead Take, a first-person psychological horror game from Surgent Studios, explores this question. It even goes to some length to answer it. More of an escape room and walking simulator than a traditional video game, Dead Take’s focus is its narrative. In it, players take control of Chase Lowry (Neil Newbon) as he searches the home of reclusive and enigmatic Hollywood titan Duke Cain for his acting friend Vinny Monroe (Ben Starr). You’ll solve puzzles, explore the mansion, and learn the truth about many of the game’s key players. You may even get a jump scare or two along the way.
EXT. MANSION – NIGHT
Dead Take is an extreme departure from Surgent Studios and creator Abubakar Salim’s previous title. Tales of Kenzera: Zau, a 2D action-platformer inspired by African folklore, was one of 2024’s best games. The actor/ developer’s pedigree in the video game industry is storied even before he started Surgent Studios, having played Bayek in Assassin’s Creed Origins. Now, with Dead Take, he and his team delve into the world of psychological horror. I omit the word survival here, as there’s no combat and no way of “losing”.
Instead, you explore Cain’s mansion, solve puzzles, and experience the superb narrative. I have a hard time even calling this horror. It really doesn’t offer much in the scares department, save for two or three jump scares that actually got me. Tense, atmospheric, dark, sure. But if you’re hoping for the next Outlast or Amnesia, look elsewhere.
However, the game’s narrative and performances are easily its greatest asset, even with its extremely short run time. I rolled credits in about four hours. In fact, its length was a benefit to the whole experience. Bite-sized experiences like this are a welcome addition to my Steam library, and I could see myself getting bored of the plot had it continued any further than it did. Luckily, the story starts and ends on high notes.
Lights, Camera, Action
You play as Chase Lowry, expertly portrayed by Neil Newbon (Baldur’s Gate III), a Hollywood actor who is in the running for a career-changing role in legendary filmmaker Duke Cain’s new film, The Last Voyage. You’re searching the mogul’s mansion for your friend Vinny Monroe, who is played by Ben Starr (Clair Obscur: Expedition 33), after a raucous Hollywood Hills party. No spoilers here, but Chase’s motivations and mental decline throughout the story are as interesting as they are disturbing. Newbon and Starr’s performances are exactly what you’d expect from some of the biggest names in voice acting today: absolutely tremendous.
Both actors effortlessly portray their characters with such ferocity and raw emotion that, at times, I forgot they’re some of the most recognizable faces around. Also, Ben Starr’s American accent was something I was uneasy about going in, but once I heard his delivery all my fears were washed away. He nails it. These performances, along the excellent writing, help sell the game’s setting and player motivations perfectly.
Good Puzzles and Performance
In terms of gameplay, Dead Take is very light on mechanics, opting for minimalist interaction with virtually no user interface. The puzzles are expertly crafted and would all be right at home in a real-life escape room, and are reminiscent of something you’d see in a Resident Evil game. It’s inspired instead of derivative, and I had a blast scouring around for notes that led to clues on where to go next. For example, throughout the game you watch in-universe audition tapes performed in live-action by the actors. At one point, Vinny mentions the code to unlock his cell phone on camera. Later on, you find his cellphone and need to unlock it, so it’s important to make sure you’re searching every nook and cranny of the mansion. It’s little details like this that make Dead Take a great experience.
Exploration is very tactile, and you’ll interact with much of the environment until you reach the end. Opening drawers and cabinets, searching paintings, reading notes, you name it. Everything you do feels good and has a tight responsiveness that feels good to interact with.
I reviewed the game on PC via Steam. It ran very well and at a stable framerate throughout, with no noticeable dips in quality and zero crashes. It isn’t the most technically-demanding game, but I still appreciate the sturdy performance. The mansion design, both inside and out, is bolstered by the graphics quality. There’s a pool house area roughly midway through the game with blue neon lights that light up the porcelain tile of the empty pool in a way that made me not want to look away, like a mosquito captivated by lamplight. The game’s gorgeous, ya’ll.
Wait, I Know Who That Is!
For some added fun and detail, other characters who are present in the story tangentially through headshots found around the house show up as cameo appearances from other video game alumni. You have Alan Wake creator Sam Lake and iconic voice actors Laura Bailey and Matt Mercer, to name some. Former Santa Monica Studio writer and IGN alum Alanah Pearce even has a small speaking role as Victoria Cross, another actor in the fictional film. It’s clear Dead Take is a game made by Salim and his friends, and it’s all the better for it.
Verdict
Dead Take from Surgent Studios isn’t the scariest or most mechanically-complex game around, but its gripping story and impeccable performances are its best selling point. Pair that with the game’s intuitive yet not-too-difficult puzzles, mixed in with a runtime that respects your time, and you have a good, bite-sized game that you can easily finish in a weekend. If you’re in the market for the next great horror classic like Outlast or Soma for streaming, unfortunately I’d try again. But thanks to its narrative strength and quality, Dead Take is a game I’d recommend to horror fans the world over for that reason alone.
Score: 7/10
Reviewed on PC with a review code provided by the publisher. Dead Take launches July 31, 2025 on Steam and the Epic Games Store.
