Developer Steelkrill Studio has released a trailer confirming that its World War 1 horror-survival gameTrencheswill be launching on PC soon. Thetrenches of World War 1are a horrifying setting for any game, but adding in supernatural terrors and first-person gameplay takes it to another level.Trenchesis an indie horror experience from the developer ofThe Backrooms 1998andCustomers From Hell. For those looking for jump scares and psychological horror, it’s worth looking forward to.
Trenches, like many indie horror games anymore, is aSteam Early Accessgame already available to purchase and play on the platform. It launched on July 14, 2025 and has received multiple substantial updates since. It isn’t clear exactly what Steelkrill Studio will be adding in its final update for launch, but the initial promise ofTrencheswas to add more randomized scares. As such, even those who have playedTrenches' Early Access release before should have a unique experience if they come back to play the full version of the game.
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The launch trailer forTrencheshas confirmed that the game will be fully released on January 20. As can be seen in the new trailer,Trenchesputs players “somewhere in the trenches” ofWorld War 1in the year 1917. “Escape. Hide. Survive,” flashes on the screen as a lumbering, headless monster wanders by the player’s hiding spot. It’s clear that the player isn’t alone in the trenches.
Alongside the announcement of the release date forTrenches, there’s also a sly confirmation that Steelkrill Studio is now working withRatalaika Games. The relationship between the two isn’t exactly clear, but Ratalaika is both a publisher and a porter. Coincidentally,Trenchesis now going to be released not only on PC, but also on Xbox, PlayStation, and the Nintendo Switch, as well.
Being an independent game developer as well as a solo developer isn’t an easy career choice. Steelkrill’s first game,Customers From Hell, currently has no user reviews on Steam, but Steelkrill has decided to carry on and is finding its niche.Trenchesmay only have 65 reviews from its Early Access window, but those reviews are listed as “Very Positive.” Steelkrill’s other in-development game,The Backrooms 1998, has 396 reviews and a “Very Positive” label.
Trencheswill be a big test for Steelkrill, but it’s also a major opportunity. That may be why Steelkrill decided to partner with Ratalaika, taking a chance to see if thisindie horror gamehas what it takes to go viral. Expect an update from Steelkrill on what will be changing with the full release closer to January 20.
Trenchesreleases January 20 on PC, PS4, PS5, Switch, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.
