Thanks to everyone who tried out the tech demo and gave us feedback. We've now upgraded it to a playable demo, with two suits, more enemies, and additional gear and upgrades. We will make it available here when Steam approves it, but if you want to try it out now, you can get it from our Discord server: https://discord.gg/BpFG5M3mep [previewyoutube=b0pswW5arCQ;full][/previewyoutube]

What can we expect in the full release?

There are five core suits, dozens of enemies, over 180 upgrades, loads of gear and equipment, and powerful 'sigils' that let you modify various aspects of the game. You can also create a custom Deadnaut, import a photo and alter their stats.

When will the demo arrive on Steam?

We'll put it up as soon as it gets approved by Steam, which could be up to a week.

Can I play the demo now without joining the Discord server?

You sure can. Just email us at support@screwflystudios.com. https://store.steampowered.com/app/1801410/Deadnaut_Signal_Lost/

[ 2023-03-22 06:14:02 CET ] [ Original post ]

The world is covered in fog. Most who enter the fog disappear, and those who survive say it brings their nightmares to life.

No-one knows where it came from, but they all have ideas. Some say it's an experiment gone wrong, others believe it's divine judgement. And you? All you know is that the Sun is rumoured to shine just over the horizon.

You are The Engineer. You have designed the perfect system: a train, sealed off from the fog, ready to rescue survivors and take them to salvation.

If only they'd listen...

Fear Equation is a turn-based strategy with rogue-like elements where you must take control of a modified freight train in an end-of-the-world scenario. The landscape has been overrun by a thick, deadly fog that manifests the nightmares of those inside it. Your survival depends on tactical planning and careful resource management.


As the Engineer, you'll need to rescue survivors, analyse their dreams and build defenses to protect them from their own imaginations. Complicating matters, passengers have their own theories as to how the fog was created and will form inter-carriage factions based on their beliefs.

Every game is unique and you can customise your Engineer to dramatically change how the game is played.

Your passengers bring their nightmares with them. When the fog attacks, it will make their worst fears come alive. Read your passengers’ dream logs to help prepare defenses.

The train needs resources and there's only one way to get them: send your passengers back out into the fog. Listen to radio broadcasts for hints and equip your scavengers well. But don’t stay too long because they’ll disappear into the fog.

Passengers will group into four factions based on where they think the fog came from. Different factions are associated with different nightmares, skills and concerns. You’ll need to maximise their talents, handle their disputes and meet their needs.

Create your own Engineer with special modifiers - both good and bad - that determine your individual train's starting conditions, overall difficulty and the different courses the game can take. Personalise your Engineer further by importing photos of yourself (or others) for use with your character.

Populate your train with passengers of your own design using the custom passenger creator. Name, vital statistics, occupation, factional tendencies and influence can all be modified. As with Engineer customisation, you can import photos from outside the game to give each passenger a life of their own.

Explore a richly detailed 3D cabin and interact with computers, train controls, maps and consoles. All interaction points feature an in-game manual so you’ll never get lost.

With squabbling passengers, limited resources and wandering foes including the cult-like "Fearless" and powerful military, the fog might be the least of your concerns...

About Screwfly Studios

We're a two-man developer based in Australia, dedicated to creating deep, innovative strategy games for PC. Fear Equation is Screwfly's third title; its previous games Zafehouse: Diaries and Deadnaut are also available on Steam.