Dead Take

A game about the dark side of acting requires actors who can deliver, and Dead Take from Surgent Studios and Pocketpair Publishing hits the mark with Ben Starr and Neil Newbon, as well as numerous other high-profile guests. They are a perfect fit for this intense game.

Dead Take is set in a luxurious, secluded villa in the Hollywood Hills. Players take on the role of an actor (Neil Newbon as Chase Lowry) searching for his missing friend (Ben Starr as Vinny Monroe) after a glamorous Hollywood party. The two actors are competing for the role of 'Willie' in the next film by an influential Hollywood producer. However, we don't want to give too much away at this point because the game relies on this narrative experience and its plot twists. As well as Neil Newbon (Astarion in Baldur's Gate 3) and Ben Starr (Clive Rosfield in Final Fantasy XVI), many other actors appear in smaller roles, including Jane Perry (Baldur's Gate 3, Dragon Age: The Veilguard) and Alanah Pearce (Cyberpunk 2077, V/H/S/Beyond). Guest appearances are also made by Laura Bailey (The Last of Us Part II, Marvel's Spider-Man 2), Matthew Mercer (Critical Role, Final Fantasy VII Rebirth), Sam Lake (Alan Wake 2, Max Payne) and Travis Willingham (Marvel Rivals, Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order), as well as CDawgVA (Honkai Star Rail, Card-En-Ciel).

"As actors in games and beyond, Neil, Ben, and I have leaned on each other through some extremely gruelling times. In those moments, we exchanged some of the horror stories that built the foundations of this game. Not only do they bring considerable talent to the project, but they also helped create a space in which we could all be truly raw and honest. I can't wait for you to see the calibre of their performances in Dead Take." - Abubakar Salim, Creative Director of Dead Take at Surgent Studios

This psychological story adventure features puzzles and escape room-style challenges. Players must find live-action footage in order to solve the puzzles and uncover the secrets lurking behind the glittering facade of the entertainment industry. Thematically, the game highlights the darker aspects of the film industry, such as abuse of power and the stresses of being an actor. The puzzles evolve beyond the 'find and place an object' format, becoming progressively more intricate as players delve deeper into the game. However, it is important to note that this is a story-driven adventure game, not a puzzle game. Thus, the story slowly but surely comes together from the pieces of the puzzle. This slow pace creates an ominous and cold atmosphere that grows denser and more gripping over time. Overall, this story-driven experience leans more towards psychological horror than true scares, occasionally using jump scares. The game takes about four to five hours to complete, although some bugs have been discovered. Nevertheless, the game could have explored some aspects of the story in greater depth and benefited from more complex puzzles.

"Dead Take is about actors. So we needed actors who had experienced that first-hand. It's a game about the rush of ambition and the decay that lies beneath it. It's about the lies we tell ourselves to get into the spotlight, and the monsters we become to stay there. Everyone in this cast has felt that pressure. This was an opportunity to let it all out." - Abubakar Salim, Creative Director of Dead Take at Surgent Studios

Dead Take was developed by Surgent Studios in the UK. This BAFTA-winning studio is also behind Tales of Kenzera: ZAU and is currently working on several projects, including Project Uso. This is an Afro-Gothic action horror RPG set in the Tales of Kenzera universe, and was announced in 2024. The publisher is Pocketpair Publishing, a Japanese video game developer known for Palworld, Craftopia, and Overdungeon. Following the huge success of Palworld, the company entered the publishing business. Dead Take is the first game that Pocketpair has published.

Dead Take was released on 31 July 2025 for PC via Steam and the Epic Games Store for €13.99.