Othercide is a mostly-monochromatic XCOM-style horror game about mystical warriors called the Daughters, who are holding the line against extra-dimensional terrors bent on humanity's destruction. I thought it looked potentially very cool when it first came to our attention last year, but unfortunately the Steam Early Access release expected for later that year didn't materialize.
That's because in April 2019, developer Lightbulb Crew announced a publishing deal with Focus Home Interactive that will enable it to "build the challenging and gruesome gaming experience we have always dreamed of," and skip Early Access in favor of going straight to full release—but, unfortunately, not until sometime in 2020.
With a more conventional release plan in place, the studio announced today that it has "now reached a stage where we'd like to gather feedback about the game," and that means it's time for a closed beta test. Developers are seeking roughly 1000 people to take part: Applicants must be at least 18 years of age, have a Steam account, speak English or French, and own a minimally-capable PC.
If that describes you reasonably well and you'd like an early look at what Othercide's got going on (and I still think it looks very interesting), you can hit up the closed beta application form here. Take note that it also includes a fairly comprehensive NDA that forbids streaming, sharing screenshots, or otherwise "publicly disclos[ing] any part of the game or its elements."
A start date for the closed beta hasn't been set but Lightbulb Crew said on Twitter that it's "just around the corner." While you wait, you can find out more about Othercide's stylish tactical horror (horror tactics?) at othercidegame.com.
