The Mound: Omen of Cthulhu - Deluxe Edition is a co-op horror first-person shooter developed by ACE Team and released on PlayStation 5 on July 15, 2026. Players form groups of up to four explorers who venture into a cursed jungle filled with Lovecraftian threats, where the goal centers on completing contracts for riches while managing personal and group sanity.
Gameplay
Core gameplay revolves around expedition preparation and execution in a hostile environment. On the galleon hub, players sign contracts that dictate objectives and gear provisions before heading into the jungle. Equipment includes items such as knives, oil lamps, matchlock muskets, and flintlock muskets, which players distribute among the party. Once ashore, the focus shifts to navigation through dense terrain, resource gathering, and survival against creatures that warp reality.
The standout feature is the madness system. This mechanic introduces hallucinations and altered perceptions that affect individual players differently, creating paranoia and unreliable sensory information within the group. Spatialized voice chat becomes essential for verifying threats and coordinating responses, as what one player sees or hears may not match reality for others. Expeditions emphasize careful movement, noise management, and strategic use of light sources or weapons to handle reanimated monsters and other dangers. Logbooks recovered from abandoned forts unlock new starting locations for subsequent runs, adding progression through exploration.
Combat blends shooting with close-quarters tools, while the environment itself poses ongoing risks through unpredictable creature encounters and sanity degradation. The loop encourages repeated expeditions with increasing depth into the jungle toward the central mound.
Game Modes
The primary experience consists of contract-driven expeditions designed for co-op play. These runs involve preparation at the galleon, jungle traversal, objective completion, and extraction under pressure. Full cross-play supports seamless grouping across platforms.
Online play supports up to four players, with the option for solo sessions available. The structure ties directly to contract selection, which influences starting gear and targets, while fort discoveries expand available entry points over time. No separate competitive or versus modes exist; the design centers entirely on cooperative survival and extraction pacing.
The Expedition Loop
Each session follows a consistent rhythm of hub preparation, deployment, and return. Contracts provide structure by outlining rewards and risks, while the jungle presents layered threats that scale with distance from the starting point. Players recover treasures and information to fulfill agreements, with success depending on group coordination amid sanity effects that intensify deeper in the map.
Fort logbooks serve as persistent unlocks, allowing teams to begin closer to key areas on future attempts. This system rewards thorough exploration without altering the core focus on short, high-tension runs that typically last around twenty minutes.
Is It Worth Playing?
The game suits players who enjoy tense co-op horror experiences built around communication and shared uncertainty. Its sanity mechanics and creature variety create distinctive group dynamics that reward reliable teammates and careful planning. The PS5 version includes online play support for up to four participants, with the option to play solo if preferred.
Player ratings on the PlayStation Store average 3.96 out of 5 from 732 reviews shortly after launch. Recent updates focus on the core expedition systems, and the title remains actively supported following its July 15 release. Those seeking atmospheric Lovecraftian tension in a multiplayer format will find the verified mechanics align with that preference, particularly when played with a consistent group.
