Sovietcore FPS Hrot launches second episode, 'The Degustation'

Hrot is a grim experience, with developer Spytihněv stating of its Czechoslovakia, 1986 setting: "Those times were dark and terrifying and so is this game." That's what makes its bone-dry sense of humor land so well.

Right at the start of the game's second episode, before encountering any enemies, you find an interactable object on the ground: it's a game-within-a-game, a Soviet knockoff Game & Watch where you guide a little cartoon wolf collecting eggs rolling down from hens. Then the bloody cultist murder starts.

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view of soviet game-and-watch knockoff game within a game in Hrot — (Image credit: Spytihněv)

Hrot's second episode launched on June 22, and its intense, Quake/Dusk-style shooting remains a blast, while its twisty, multilayered levels require ample backtracking that offers plenty of quiet time between intense fights, but never leaves me feeling frustrated or lost. Episode 2's first level is a castle out in the mountains, a bit of a shift from episode 1's brutalist dormitories and office buildings. I've only just started "The Degustation," but I'm excited to see how episode 2 develops, as well as how weird the planned final episode, "The Gastroscopy," might get.

Hrot is currently 22% off for the Steam summer sale, down to about $16/£12. This throwback FPS is definitely one to check out or follow as it approaches a full release.

Ted has been thinking about PC games and bothering anyone who would listen with his thoughts on them ever since he booted up his sister's copy of Neverwinter Nights on the family computer. He is obsessed with all things CRPG and CRPG-adjacent, but has also covered esports, modding, and rare game collecting. When he's not playing or writing about games, you can find Ted lifting weights on his back porch. You can follow Ted on Bluesky.