Critical Reflex reveals two new horror games for PC

Critical Reflex has revealed two upcoming horror games for PC, giving genre fans a pair of very different nightmares to watch. Pipes.exe is a co-op climbing horror game from Moving Pieces Interactive, while SATED is a solo cooking roguelike horror game from Forest Reges.

Both games were shown through recent publisher coverage and are now available to wishlist on Steam. Neither has a final launch date yet, though Pipes.exe is currently targeting a Q3 2026 release window.

Pipes.exe turns an old screensaver into co-op horror

Pipes.exe uses the look of the old 1990s pipe screensaver, but turns it into horror. Players become QA testers inside a strange operating system where the pipes are not just a background effect. They are the level.

The game supports solo play and online co-op for up to four players. The goal is to climb through surreal pipe-filled spaces, collect data bugs, complete assignments and get back out while avoiding whatever else is trapped inside the system.

The co-op hook is built for chaos

Pipes.exe focuses on chaotic co-op horror. Players can climb pipes, objects and even each other, which should make escapes funny before they become stressful.

The game also includes a voice feature that punishes players for swearing. Players can lose points if they shout the wrong words through their microphone, making panic part of the scoring system. It is a small idea, but it fits the game’s fake corporate setup, where players are treated like workers inside a broken software experiment.

SATED makes cooking the horror

SATED takes the opposite route. It is a solo roguelike horror game about cooking for monsters inside a grotesque megastructure. The player uses a cursed gacha fridge to pull ingredients, then tries to satisfy customers that become more demanding as the run continues.

The ingredients are deliberately disgusting, including organs, insects, batteries and other things that should never be near a kitchen. The challenge is not only making food, but surviving the consequences of bad combinations.

Roguelike systems drive the kitchen

SATED mixes horror with run-based decision making. Players spin for ingredients, combine them into dishes and deal with results that can become moldy, cursed or alive.

The setup has clear appeal for players who like horror games built around rules rather than just chase scenes. Its inspirations include gambling-style tension, card-game pressure and strange narrative horror, putting it closer to games such as Buckshot Roulette, Balatro and Inscryption than a standard survival horror release.

Both games are still waiting on release dates

Critical Reflex has built a reputation around strange horror projects, including Buckshot Roulette and Mouthwashing. Pipes.exe and SATED follow that style, but they also split the audience neatly. One is for groups that want co-op panic, and the other is for solo players who want something grimy and systems-driven.

Both games are listed on Steam now. Pipes.exe is targeting Q3 2026, while SATED has no confirmed release window and is still taking interest through its Steam page.

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Critical Reflex reveals two new horror games for PC

Pipes.exe turns an old screensaver into co-op horror

The co-op hook is built for chaos

SATED makes cooking the horror

Roguelike systems drive the kitchen

Both games are still waiting on release dates

Tagged In

Discussion

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Critical Reflex reveals two new horror games for PC

Pipes.exe turns an old screensaver into co-op horror

The co-op hook is built for chaos

SATED makes cooking the horror

Roguelike systems drive the kitchen

Both games are still waiting on release dates

Tagged In

Discussion

Latest Reviews

God of War Still Makes Kratos Feel Dangerous Without the Rage

The Sinking City 2 Finds Its Horror by Leaving Detection Behind

Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 2 Still Demands One More Run

Need for Speed Underground 2 Still Captures the Street Racing Atmosphere

Max Payne Still Hits Hard 25 Years Later

Trapped in Aincrad, Bored After Twenty Hours

Latest News

Hellraiser: Revival Is Now Coming to Switch 2 on October 8

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Co-Op Fantasy Roguelite Forsworn Launches on Steam September 10

Xbox Makes 3 Games Free to Play Through August 23

Ice Poseidon Gets Turned Away From Pok&eacute;mon Center, Then Returns in Disguise

Lacy and Marlon Plan Gaming Marathon Where One Loss Resets Everything

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