A new force in indie horror has arrived — and it’s bringing nightmares by the truckload.
Founded by horror veteran Ted Hentschke (formerly of DreadXP and Critical Reflex), Black Lantern Collective is officially stepping into the light — or rather, the flickering, blood-stained glow of CRTs and candlelight — with a massive debut catalog of 10 uniquely terrifying indie games. First up? The disturbing psychological horror Caput Mortum, launching this August on PC.
A New Horror Publisher, Led by Industry Horrorheads
Helmed by Hentschke and co-founder Jakub Bałuszek-Sobolewski (an experienced producer and founder of Indie Games Starter), Black Lantern Collective is built around a singular mission: empower indie horror devs who aren’t afraid to get weird, disturbing, or just plain uncomfortable.
Their inaugural lineup proves it. The collection spans genres, tones, and art styles — from analog horror and pixel-art ghost stories to surreal RPGs and twisted narrative shooters. Whether you love your horror slow-burning or absurd, methodical or messy, this publisher is going all in.
Here’s a breakdown of what’s coming:
The Premiere Catalog of Terror
- Caput Mortum (WildArts Games)
The debut title. A short, atmospheric first-person horror game inspired by retro dungeon crawlers. Explore an abandoned alchemist’s tower in 16th-century France. Solve puzzles. Avoid grotesque things. Descend deeper. - CHILDREN OF SATURN (Boie & Shoray)
Tag billboards. Watch your house burn down. This VHS-era narrative experience captures the final days of a crumbling society from the perspective of a disillusioned youth. - Dead Finger Dice: A Billionaire Killing Game (Rocket Adrift)
Play poker dice with literal demon billionaires aboard a mega yacht. Yes, it’s exactly as unhinged as it sounds. Roguelike dice-builder meets satirical class warfare. - Muffles’ Life Sentence (BossyPino & Nomad)
A dark RPG where criminals are remade into their crimes — literally. Use your grotesque faces in deckbuilding battles while trying to escape a surreal prison and reclaim your identity. - Nightmare House (We Create Stuff)
A reimagining of the classic Nightmare House 2 mod, now rebuilt as a visceral first-person horror experience. Wield an axe, survive twisted puzzles, and piece together memories in a nightmare that doesn’t want to end. - No Players Online (Beeswax Games)
Explore the haunted husk of a dead multiplayer shooter. Navigate a cursed 90s desktop, dig through files, and uncover the truth behind an eerie capture-the-flag game no one should be playing. - SOVIET SPOOKY TALES: Green Eyes (Fishnauts)
A nonlinear, pixel-art visual novel inspired by creepy Soviet folklore. Set during Perestroika in the late USSR, this one’s heavy on atmosphere, dread, and historical strangeness. - Sucker for Love: Crush Landing! (AkaBaka)
The horror-comedy dating sim returns, this time featuring a comet-shaped cutie and interstellar Lovecraftian chaos. Feed her desire… and maybe get that kiss? - 3 Shots Left (Alex Hetherington & team)
Six months into the apocalypse, you’re alone with only three bullets left. This slow-burn FPS is more about survival and suspicion than action, and the choices you make could be fatal. - White Line Fever (Blast Furnace Games)
You’re driving at night. Something’s in the car with you. This surreal first-person road horror game blends survival mechanics with an eerie sense of isolation and dread.
The Start of Something Dark
With Caput Mortum leading the charge this August, Black Lantern Collective is setting out to redefine what indie horror can be. From haunting visual novels to sadistic dice games, this is a lineup that embraces experimentation — and welcomes the terrifying unknown with open arms.
Keep an eye on Black Lantern Collective’s website for updates, and if you’re brave enough, start planning your descent into their twisted universe.