Dive into the gameplay of Cthulhu: The Cosmic Abyss

There’s a fresh catch today, as a gameplay trailer for undersea horror title Cthulhu: The Cosmic Abyss has arrived.

Cthulhu launches players into the depths

NACON and developer Big Bad Wolf’s Cthulhu: The Cosmic Abyss is on the horizon now. A horror game playing off of the overall mythos of H.P. Lovecraft’s most famed works, the title will send players into an undersea world where there’s much more lurking in the dark than a few errant sea creature.

Unlike some recent Lovecraft-fueled offerings though, this title isn’t an action affair. Instead Cthulhu: The Cosmic Abyss looks like it’ll focus on investigation. Main character Noah and his AI ‘Key’ will be the vehicles for that. An operative for a secretive group, it’ll be up to Noah to dig into a series of disappearances, though that might be putting it lightly.

In the game, an entire undersea mining team has vanished from the floor of the Pacific Ocean. They were looking into a recently discovered series of ruins, and with a billion dollars riding on the venture, the sponsoring company isn’t going to just let things lay.

Cthulhu: The Cosmic Abyss is a narrative investigation game inspired by the universe of Lovecraft. In this frightening first-person thriller, the player embodies Noah, an agent of the Ancile, an office specializing in occult affairs, investigating the mysterious disappearance of miners in the heart of the Pacific Ocean. His research will plunge him into the depths of the immense labyrinthine prison of R’lyeh, an ancient sunken city where Cthulhu is held captive. The player and their AI companion, KEY, will have to solve complex puzzles, make choices that will influence his destiny, and try to resist the corruption of the mind caused by the influence of Cthulhu.

NACON press release

Playing an under-sea of madness

As mentioned, today’s look at Cthulhu: The Cosmic Abyss focuses once again on gameplay. And with the investigative bent, that potion of the game does look a bit different than usual. Players will have to analyze and handle objects that they find on their journey, some of which will unlock new frequencies for Noah’s sonar.

Looking to be a big part of the game, the sonar that’s built into Noah’s suit will give him vision. And yes, we mean that literally. As you a see in the trailer below, there’ll be places where human eyes won’t be able to see. The sonar will fill in the blanks there, allowing players to traverse the murky terrain.

As with almost every Cthulhu-driven tale though, madness will creep in. Players will have to manage their energy levels to stave it off. That sounds like it’ll have something to do with Noah’s suit, and doesn’t sound like it’ll be easy. Energy will be consumed when engaging in analysis, and once it gets too low, they’ll have to worry about something called “corruption”.

The mechanic that will keep Noah’s sanity in play, corruption will be affected by every “action or decision”. It’s not just for show either, as the press release points out that it will “impact the course and conclusion of the investigation”. All of that adds up to a Lovecraftian game that we’re keeping a cyclopean eye on.

Stay tuned, Cthulhu: The Cosmic Abyss heads to the PS5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC in less than a month. Look for it on April 16th, 2026.