At tonight’s The Game Awards, Kepler Interactive and Frictional Games announced a spiritual successor to their well liked horror game, SOMA. They call it ONTOS.
“In ONTOS, players will become Aditi Amani, a resourceful engineer, as she explores the repurposed moon hotel Samsara in search of the truth around her estranged father. Samsara is a vast labyrinth built atop the ruins of a failed mining colony, and players will explore this open, interconnected environment in their quest for the truth. Every corner of Samsara tells a story, and every story has something hiding beneath the surface, waiting to be found…
Players will scavenge for helpful items, manipulate intricate machinery and face intense tests of morality as they encounter horrific Experiments throughout Samsara. There is no ‘one solution’ to the obstacles players will encounter in ONTOS. Players will need to use their wits and ingenuity to reach the narrative’s mysterious conclusions and face the consequences of their choices.”
“After more than 10 years of development it is incredibly exciting to finally announce ONTOS. This is easily our most ambitious project yet in terms of scope, production values and sheer thematic ambitions,” says Thomas Grip, creative director and co-founder of Frictional Games. “Where SOMA tackled consciousness, ONTOS aims to do the same thing with the very nature of reality. A lofty goal – yes – and a risky one too. I feel we have managed to create something that does just that though – a game that lets you actively engage with the mysteries of existence headfirst. I am personally dying to see how players react to it.”
ONTOS is being developed using the developer’s proprietary HPL4 Engine. It’s expected to be fully realized and released onto Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 5 and PC in 2026.