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A Nun’s crusade through a plague ravaged, gothic survival horror

Key Takeaways:

• Grimdark Survival Horror: “Void Martyrs” is a brutal, faith-driven horror game where you play as a newbie nun scavenging through plague-ridden space cathedrals.
• Stigmata/Faith System: Your divine choices shape gameplay, affecting item access and how you survive against the biomechanical plague.
• Mac n Cheese Games: The indie studio was founded by art veteran Max Bottega and entrepreneur Maaroof Fakhri, blending AAA expertise with fresh creativity.
• Coming Soon: The demo drops in late March or early April, with a full release planned for 2025 on PC.

Void Martyrs Announcement Trailer

Imagine being a nun, just starting your work and life of dedication to a religion, but then chucked into a crusade at the edge of a black hole. Sounds wild, right?

Well, that’s “Void Martyrs” for you, a grimdark survival horror from Mac n Cheese Games with RPG, psychological horror, and sci-fi elements built in.

This game throws you headfirst into a twisted mission to secure sacred relics after a biomechanical plague has inundated upon the surroundings, restricting space cathedrals and ships. Yeah, things get gnarly.

The Game: Sci-fi, Grimdark, and Religion

So, what’s your job? Let’s say searching, scavenging, surviving, and crafting your way through the eerie, quarantined areas takes that claim. If you die, no sweat (for the Universal Church, anyway), they’ll just send another newbie to retrieve your remains and pick up where you left off.

This game doesn’t just mess with your survival instincts, it messes with your immortal soul.

A dynamic feature that’s part of the game is the intriguing Stigmata/Faith system. You’re not confined to just one path, as your divine choices shape how you experience the game and survive.

Whether you go in guns blazing or take a more devout path, your actions impact item access and how you fight the encroaching, insidious evil.

Want to be righteous and slay the wicked without abandon? Cool, but expect the plague to bite back harder.

Prefer to question the institution that threw you into the cosmic deep end to trek the abyss? Well, then your defiance could be your salvation, or your downfall. Either way, your faith (or lack thereof) changes everything from how you survive to in the game.

While caught in the conflicting interplay among cosmic entities, you’ll confront themes of good and evil. You’ll explore how concepts of good and evil are shaped. They are not dictated by organizations and doctrine but rather by intrinsic motivations, decisions, and conscience.

Yes, I said cosmic entities, so you know there’s some Lovecraftian vibes in this game too.

So, if you vibe with the eerie and dark tension of “Darkwood,” the retro horror of “Signalis,” or the grotesque beauty of “Blasphemous,” then “Void Martyrs” is right up your alley.

And yeah, the name nods to “Void Bastards,” but this game carves out its own terrifying path through the dark filled regions of places that those fear to tread.

Behind Void Martyrs: Mac N Cheese Games

Mac n Cheese Games took notes from the successful Kickstarter project “Trench Crusade”. This project proved there’s a demand for grimdark World War 1 aesthetics mixed with traces of religious aspects that hungry audiences crave.

So, if you like your horror with a side of theological dread, you’re in for a treat (or a nightmare).

Make note, though, Mac n Cheese Games isn’t your average indie studio. Founded in 2021 by Maaroof Fakhri, the CEO, and Max Bottega, Creative Director, this EU-based team is all about crafting unforgettable gaming adventures.

Max? He’s a graphics expert with 20+ years of art direction under his belt, including leading art roles on big hitters like “Cyberpunk 2077”.

He even snagged the 2019 Unity best project award for “The Cluckening”, because why not make a killer action-adventure game about a chicken out for revenge first?

Maaroof’s journey is a bit different. After nearly missing to turn in his bachelor’s thesis on account of too much “World of Warcraft,” he swore off gaming for a decade.

Fast forward to the pandemic, his love for games reignited like a fuse being relit, and now he’s helping spearhead one of the most exciting horror titles on the horizon.

Before diving into “Void Martyrs,” the duo led Labster, an educational game company backed by heavyweights like Unity Founder David Helgason. They took it from a tiny pre-seed venture to a massive 600 million Euro powerhouse.

But their love for entertainment games pulled them back into the wilds of gaming, and Mac n Cheese Games was born, paving the way for studio’s first game.

Mac N Cheese Games Munch

The first game from Mac N Cheese Games was “Munch,” which began development in 2022 of September. It was chosen for the Swiss Games Showcase 2023 and was presented at the Game Developers Conference (GDC) in San Francisco in March 2023, achieving finalist in Pitch.

The studio achieved a milestone, in July 2023, when “Munch” was awarded Swiss Arts Council Interactive Media Grant. Later, the game launched on Steam in November 2024.

Now, with “Void Martyrs” on the horizon, they’re pushing deeper into the weird and the terrifying. And honestly? We love it and we’re here for that.

Game Coming Out Soon

The “Void Martyrs” demo is dropping late March or early April, with a full release scheduled sometime in 2025. Platforms? PC for now. Keep your eyes on their Steam page for updates, because you won’t want to miss this one.

If cosmic horror, theological dread, and scavenging through haunted space cathedrals sounds like your jam, then “Void Martyrs” is a no-brainer. With its curious faith-driven mechanics and haunting aesthetic, it promises to deliver a fresh take on survival horror.

If you crave more indie game news, check out my info on Bendy The Cage here!

So, how would you survive a plague-ridden area while plunged into deep space? Share you thoughts and comments below.