Although "The Dark Pictures Anthology" is not mentioned in the main title, Supermassive Games' Directive 8020 is an interactive narrative film with decision-making elements, this time inspired by Alien and The Thing. However, it also breaks new ground.
Directive 8020 is a sci-fi survival horror game created by Supermassive Games. It is part of The Dark Pictures Anthology, although this is not included in the title. However, the game clearly identifies itself as part of the series when it is launched. At its core, the game is an interactive narrative film with decision-making opportunities (quick-time events), but this time it is set in space and draws inspiration from classics such as Alien and, to a greater extent, The Thing. Towards the end, it begins to diverge from its inspirations. While Directive 8020 features relatively well-developed characters, it also offers more "active" gameplay.
Directive 8020 © Supermassive Games
In Directive 8020, Earth has become uninhabitable. The reconnaissance ship Cassiopeia is sent to find a new home for humanity, but it collides with a meteorite on the way. The crew are then hunted by an alien life form that can mimic human form. The game cleverly plays on the isolation of space here, and the potential presence of an imposter among the crew fuels paranoia. Although the story is somewhat predictable at the start, the ending is surprising — sometimes at the expense of logic. Players must navigate difficult moral dilemmas amid rising paranoia where no one in the crew can be trusted and every choice matters. Pacing issues crop up here and there, though, as some characters and their interactions with one another feel underdeveloped. These interactions sometimes take place via instant messaging in the game — a good idea, but somewhat lifeless. Five characters from the crew are playable.
In addition to the usual dialogue options and not-so-frequent quick-time events (QTEs), stealth sections have now been introduced as a core mechanic. While this adds a more traditional survival-horror feel, and represent a genuine innovation for the series, the execution often drags down the game's pacing, making encounters feel repetitive rather than tense. They are not very challenging from a gameplay perspective at all and occur too frequently. The terror/horror element could have been stronger, too. It would have been better to have more narrative decision points instead of these stealth elements.
Speaking of decisions: As in the other games in the series, as well as in Until Dawn or The Quarry, the game features a branching narrative shaped by player choice. For the first time in a Dark Pictures game, players can see their decisions mapped out in a story tree and use the Turning Points System to rewind. This allows players to rewind important decisions on a timeline. This reduces frustration when a character dies accidentally, and it also respects the player’s time better. On the other hand, it takes away some of the appeal of seeing what outcomes the decisions ultimately lead to. Nevertheless, this is just an option, which is disabled in classic survival mode.
In any case, there are plenty of useful options available, such as making quick-time events easier if players don't press the right button. The game takes around 6–8 hours to complete. It can be played alone or in local couch co-op ('Movie Night' mode supports up to five players). Online co-op has been announced as a free update after launch. There is no dedicated two-player co-op mode. Overall, the atmosphere is well executed and menacing. On PC, it even features path tracing, which enhances the gloomy lighting further. Nevertheless, it feels a little sparse in places, and Supermassive Games has produced better facial animations in the past (The Casting of Frank Stone). More fitting are the background sounds.
Directive 8020 © Supermassive Games
Directive 8020 was developed and published by Supermassive Games. Founded in 2008, the studio is known for developing storytelling games. These include Until Dawn (2015), The Dark Pictures Anthology (a series of standalone horror games created in collaboration with Bandai Namco Entertainment), the teen horror game The Quarry (created in collaboration with 2K Games), and The Casting of Frank Stone (created in collaboration with Behaviour Interactive). They have also developed Little Nightmares III, which was released on 10 October 2025; the previous instalments were developed by Tarsier Studios, who went on a different path with Reanimal. In 2022, Supermassive Games was fully acquired by Nordisk Games, which is part of the Egmont Group. In early 2024, the co-founders Pete and Joe Samuels left the studio after more than 15 years.
"With Directive 8020, we've taken our signature horror narrative and everything we love about cinematic storytelling, pushing it all into new territory. We're incredibly proud of what the team has accomplished, and bringing our storytelling into a sci-fi setting for the first time has been a hugely exciting step. The team has worked hard to refine every part of the experience, so we can't wait for players to finally get their hands on it." - Will Doyle, Creative Director at Supermassive Games.
Directive 8020 launched on 12 May 2026 for the PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S and PC via Steam. The physical editions are being distributed by Bandai Namco Entertainment.
Overall, Directive 8020 is a good game — or rather, an interactive movie — from Supermassive Games, although not all of its innovations hit the mark.
