This Horror Game Plays Like The World's Scariest Game Show, And It's Out Today

October is the best month for horror games, as you can see in our October horror games roundup, and today we're adding a new one to the long list: 7 Minutes in Hell. Developed by Gaggle Studios, the team behind the Among Us-like Goose Goose Duck, 7 Minutes in Hell has a similarly obvious inspiration, though with an unexpected twist; it's like if Lethal Company was a twisted game show.

7 Minutes in Hell asks players to descend into some decrepit, monster-infested labyrinths, collect as much loot as they can, and get out before the timer is up. For players of a certain age, it could best be likened to Supermarket Sweep, only with worse lighting and less advertising for laundry detergent.

The game can be played alone, but also in co-op, and there's a strong emphasis on social elements, like deciding to ditch the group and escape with your earnings even if it means leaving everyone else in the (literal) dark. With only seven minutes per run, rounds are meant to unfold quickly and ramp up in difficulty with each passing minute.

Like in Lethal Company, you can spend your earnings on subsequent rounds on resources like flashlights, which ought to improve your chances of not just surviving, but thriving in later rounds.

With in-game "sponsors" contributing additional buffs, it seems the game has a satirical side to it, the same way Lethal Company depicts workplace class structure or, perhaps more closely, how Squid Game depicts the common person's chase for wealth in a system designed for them to lose.

7 Minutes in Hell launches today, October 7, on Steam, and debuts as an early access title with a roadmap already revealed. This year will see additional threats and items come to the game across multiple updates, as well a new arena in December. Updates into 2025 are set to include mod support, plus more items and monsters.