Santa Barbara Games has unveiled its new co-op survival horror title, 'Voidwood.' The developer announced on the 12nd that the game is currently in development with a target release on PC (Steam) in 2027. It is designed for 1 to 4 players.

The developer is a new studio founded by industry veterans with experience at EA, Riot Games, Bethesda, Unity, and Amazon. Based in Santa Barbara, California, the studio is debuting with 'Voidwood' and plans to self-publish the game on Steam. While the studio has not disclosed the names or previous projects of its staff, the only confirmed individual so far is founder and creative director Shawn Seibert.

Players take on the role of a child trapped in a cursed forest, gathering supplies and crafting tools during the day. The deeper they venture, the greater the rewards, but the less time they have to return to camp before nightfall. Once the sun sets, the forest summons 'The Beast'; the developer noted that this entity cannot be defeated, and survival is the only objective.

To share information with teammates, players must use their microphones. Whether signaling the location of supplies or warning of danger, speaking is necessary—but those sounds can also be heard by enemies that track noise. "I love co-op games where you actually have to talk to survive," said Seibert. "Your voice can save your team, but it can also give you away." The developer added that they have implemented spatial audio to simulate how voices, footsteps, and distant noises travel through the trees.

Gaming outlet DualShockers reported that the development team consists of 10 people and that each session lasts between 20 and 30 minutes. Supplies brought back from the forest are used to upgrade the camp and craft new tools, with each successful escape altering the conditions for the next run.

The first public demo will be held next month at PAX West in Seattle. The demo will be available exclusively to attendees at booth 744 from September 4 to 7; there are currently no plans for an online demo, and a specific release date has not been set. The developer is currently recruiting playtesters via its official website, and the Steam store page is open for wishlisting.