Indie duo Grimtaste Studios has officially revealed RUNT, a rural gothic visual novel steeped in paranoia, faith, and post-apocalyptic dread. Published by DreadXP, the game drops players into a world where the sky has been black for a decade—and something far worse than suspicion stalks what remains of humanity. A playable demo is available now on Steamahead of its full PC launch in 2026.
At the heart of RUNT is 19-year-old Runt Strayer, the youngest of five brothers and the last surviving sons of a disgraced cult leader who once called himself the Mouth of God. On the fifth anniversary of their father’s death, a message scrawled in blood appears across their abandoned church pulpit: “5 Days.” With the town of Skipclaw sealed behind towering walls and the outside world consumed by monstrous predators, Runt must uncover what the omen means—and decide who is responsible before time runs out.
RUNT unfolds as a branching narrative mystery driven by player choice. Over the course of five in-game days, players interrogate their brothers, question masked townsfolk, and navigate the suffocating politics of a community clinging to survival. Every conversation matters. The order of dialogue, the tone of questioning, and the personality traits you develop influence which clues surface and how others respond. On the final day, you must name the guilty party—leading to one of more than a dozen possible endings.
Skipclaw itself is as much a character as its inhabitants. After a cataclysm plunged the world into permanent darkness, horrific creatures rose to claim humanity’s place at the top of the food chain. Survivors stay in the light, conceal their skin, and wear masks to avoid attracting attention. Inside the walls, fear festers. The Strayer family, architects of the town’s defenses, occupy a precarious position of power, and distrust runs deep.
Gameplay expands beyond dialogue trees with hidden object segments, puzzles, and hands-on labor vignettes woven into the investigation. Visually, RUNT blends originally captured photography with hand-painted artwork, reinforcing its bleak rural gothic tone and isolating atmosphere.
With its mature storytelling, reactive character systems, and layered mystery structure, RUNT is shaping up to be a tense, highly replayable descent into suspicion and survival. The demo is live now, giving players their first chance to endure the five days—and decide who won’t make it to the sixth.