Developer 314 Arts is preparing to take the horde survival and PvE extraction genres in a new direction with NightRunner, an intense 1-4 player co-op experience coming to PC in 2027. Players will take on dangerous jobs in a post-apocalyptic world where survival depends on teamwork, resource management, and making it to extraction with their hard-earned loot.
Set in the aftermath of a devastating solar event, NightRunner puts players in the role of NightRunners tasked with keeping a mobile train moving through a hostile world. Each run combines horde survival, high-risk extraction gameplay, dungeon-crawling, and tactical defense as players scavenge for resources and powerful equipment while protecting their wagon from waves of deadly mutants.
Players can choose between four different Runner Kits, with each one offering a distinct approach to combat, scavenging, and team support. Permanent Runner-Tech upgrades provide additional progression between runs, allowing players to strengthen their characters and take on increasingly dangerous jobs.
The train itself is central to every expedition. Players must defend their wagon, repair damage, and make strategic decisions about when to stop and scavenge and when to continue toward extraction. Any loot collected during a run is only truly theirs if the train successfully reaches its destination.
NightRunner will feature four different game modes, each offering its own challenges and objectives. Train Jobs serve as the game’s signature experience, allowing teams to choose their wagon and loadouts before fighting through dangerous territory, stopping at scavenging areas to collect weapons and resources, and reinforcing their train along the way.
Transition Jobs change things up by putting players aboard a heavily armed ship traveling through mutant-infested waters. With no reinforcements or scavenging stops available, surviving the journey unlocks higher-tier jobs, tougher challenges, and greater rewards.
Dungeons offer more traditional linear expeditions filled with dangerous enemies, unique boss encounters, and some of the game’s most valuable loot. Meanwhile, Endless mode embraces the classic survival formula, challenging players to withstand increasingly powerful enemy waves while upgrading their arsenal and chasing the highest possible score.
With a mix of roguelite mechanics and persistent progression, every run in NightRunner is designed around risk and reward. Players will need to decide how far they are willing to push their luck before attempting to escape with their loot.
NightRunner is currently in development at 314 Arts and is scheduled to launch on PC via Steam in 2027. The first public playtest is scheduled to begin in September, giving players an early opportunity to experience the game’s blend of co-op combat, scavenging, and extraction gameplay.