The Outlast Trials is a first-person survival horror game that places players in the role of Reagents undergoing twisted experiments at the Murkoff Corporation facility. Set during the Cold War era, it emphasizes stealth, resource management, and cooperation as participants navigate disturbing trials filled with objectives, traps, and aggressive enemies known as Ex-Pops and Prime Assets.
Gameplay
Core gameplay revolves around completing objectives in large, maze-like environments while avoiding detection. Players rely on night-vision goggles that require scarce batteries, throwables like bricks and bottles for distractions or brief stuns, and consumables to manage sanity and health. A selection of rigs provides cooldown abilities such as wall-piercing vision, area healing, smoke mines, stun devices, and barricades to slow pursuers. Progression involves earning grades from trials to level up and unlock upgrades or new rigs. Solo play is fully supported with scaled difficulty and extra respawns, though groups of up to four benefit from coordinated tasks like activating multiple generators or reviving teammates with syringes.
Game Modes
The main experience centers on Therapy programs that include story-driven Trials and shorter MK-Challenges with alternate objectives. Escalation mode starts players with minimal gear and ramps up difficulty across randomized trials. Weekly Therapy adds variators that alter enemy behavior, loadouts, or environmental hazards. Invasion serves as a permanent Experimental Therapy mode where participants choose to act as Reagents completing objectives or Imposters who disguise themselves to hunt others with knives, using surveillance cameras for intel while operating under time limits and facing penalties for failure. Additional options like Program X and Program Ultra offer heightened challenges once core content is cleared.
Current State and Updates
The game continues to receive seasonal content and events that introduce new maps, Prime Assets, MK-Challenges, and limited-time catalogs. Recent additions include reworks to existing systems and fresh environments such as the Prison Farm. Player counts have fluctuated with promotions but remain active, reflecting sustained interest in its co-op horror formula.
Is It Worth Playing?
Reviews describe the title as an addictive take on multiplayer horror that blends escape-room-style puzzles with tense chases and psychological dread. It suits players who enjoy stealth-focused co-op experiences or solo challenges against intelligent enemies and environmental hazards. Ongoing support through seasons keeps the content fresh for those invested in the Murkoff lore and trial progression. The Unholy Night Pack adds thematic cosmetics that enhance the holiday atmosphere without altering core systems, appealing to collectors who want to personalize their Reagents and cells. Overall, it delivers consistent value for fans of the genre seeking repeatable sessions with meaningful teamwork and escalating tension.