Co-op Horror Title ‘Alchemists’ Has You on the Run While Completing Rituals [Trailer]

For their first game, WASD Game Studio is going the co-op horror route with Alchemists. Coming to Steam in Early Access Q3 2024, Alchemists will be getting a free demo later this month.

Taking a page from Phasmophobia, players will team up with three other players (or go solo) as you attempt to expel an evil spirit from a location by completing four elemental rituals. In order to do so, you need to locate ritual pieces hidden throughout the environment.

It’s never than simple, of course. As you search for these pieces, you’ll be hunted by a monster that tracks your every move, requiring you (and your team) to stay alert and work together in order to survive. To add some spice, members of your team can be captured by the monster at any time, and taken to a hidden location. If that happens, you must track them down before picking them back up to rejoin the team.

To help you complete the rituals, you’ll have access to a plethora of tools and gear, such as UV lights, medkits, a camera, a radio, a cross, and so on. There’s also a voice interaction mechanic that allows you to interact with the game by speaking through your microphone. Alchemists also features a dynamic difficulty system, with enemies such as the monster and other hostile foes becoming increasingly aggressive and dangerous the more progress you make on your rituals, as well as the game itself.

As for that demo, you and your team will have access to eight different tools, with the four possible monster forms and one map (the final version of Alchemists will have three maps).