Lovecraft's Untold Stories 2 comes to Steam Early Access in October

Lovecraft's Untold Stories, not to be confused with No Code's Stories Untold, is an action roguelite with a side order of RPG mechanics that takes place in various Cthulhu-flavored locales such as abandoned hospitals and old Victorian mansions. It's more action-oriented than you might expect, but the basic elements of madness, the Old Ones, and relentless rain are all there, and people seem to like it—it's got a "very positive" user rating across almost 500 reviews on Steam.

That's good enough to warrant a sequel, Lovecraft's Untold Stories 2, which will feature similar gameplay with a more advanced visual style, six different playable characters, and co-op multiplayer for up to four people. Players will also be able to craft their own equipment, including weapons, clothing, and consumables, using blueprints and resources found throughout the game.

It doesn't sound like the most conventional approach to a Lovecraftian game, which tend to be more of a "creeping horror" sort of thing told through adventures and slow-paced RPGs, but that doesn't mean it can't work: Stirring Abyss is an interesting XCOM-like take on the classic mythos, for instance, while the first-person adventure Call of the Sea is inspired by Lovecraft, yet not a horror game. So you never know.

Lovecraft's Untold Stories 2 will launch on Steam Early Access, with three of the promised six character classes, on October 28. Have a look at some "pre-alpha" gameplay below.

Andy Chalk

Andy has been gaming on PCs from the very beginning, starting as a youngster with text adventures and primitive action games on a cassette-based TRS80. From there he graduated to the glory days of Sierra Online adventures and Microprose sims, ran a local BBS, learned how to build PCs, and developed a longstanding love of RPGs, immersive sims, and shooters. He began writing videogame news in 2007 for The Escapist and somehow managed to avoid getting fired until 2014, when he joined the storied ranks of PC Gamer. He covers all aspects of the industry, from new game announcements and patch notes to legal disputes, Twitch beefs, esports, and Henry Cavill. Lots of Henry Cavill.