Cursed Bet: Everything We Know

There’s something awfully disturbing about the need to exploit the authenticity of innocence for entertainment’s sake. Take Poppy Playtime, for example. Naturally, you’d expect such a concept to be rife with lighthearted tones and family-friendly aesthetics. On the contrary, that wholesome concept was really just an underlying nightmare in disguise. And it worked, just as well as Five Nights at Freddy’s, Among the Sleep, and Emily Wants to Play, for that matter. And now, well, let’s just say there’s another reason to fear the like-minded. Cursed Bet has officially entered the chat, folks.

In case you missed the initial announcement, Cursed Bet is a brand-new body cam survival horror game that will look to lean on the potholes of innocence. Rather than hurl you into the thick of an abandoned toy factory, however, Lightworker Games’ upcoming project will send you on a phishing expedition in a poltergeist-riddled pre-school. Curious to know more? If so, then be sure to read on for the full scoop. Cursed Bet: just what is it, and when are are likely to see it hit the shelves?

What Is Cursed Bet?

So, what is Cursed Bet? Well, to cut to the chase, it’s a survival horror game that brings a photorealistic body camera perspective to a dark and gloomy pre-school case scenario. In it, players will take on the role of Davin, who’s dared by his friends to enter the confines  of the seemingly vacant educational facility and unearth an unsettling presence that’s supposedly the reason behind its permanent closure several years prior. And of course, you can pretty much guess what happens from there.

Story

Just to expand on that previous passage, Cursed Bet will slump you into the shoes of the ever-curious Davin, a boy who, unlike his friends, straight up refuses to believe the rumors that pertain to a cursed pre-school and the possessed doll that it supposedly houses. “It is among the rumors that the curse still continues, bad things happen to those who enter the school, and some of them are still not heard from.”

Rather courageously, Davin signs a bet to venture deep into the school during the twilight hours with nothing more than a body cam, fully equipped to document whatever horrors are rumored to roam within. And that’s exactly where you’ll begin your tale: on the outskirts of the pre-school, headstrong but indescribably naive, and bound for the beating heart of the once-loved beacon of innocence.

Gameplay

Like a lot of survival horror games, Cursed Bet will divide its time between two key gameplay elements: exploration, and stealth. Naturally, the player will need to adopt both of the aforementioned elements into their time at the pre-school in order to unearth clues, progress deeper into its world, and of course, evade the demonic clutches of the doll that lurks within. What’s more, there’ll be a number of puzzles that daring trespassers will need to solve, too. Again, standard survival horror tropes that we’ve seen many, many times before. Not that this is a bad thing, mind you; if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.

“Play as Davin, and record every moment at school with his body camera,” the description adds. “Experience the story of the terrible abandonment of the school with the clues and puzzles left behind by those at the school.”

So, there you have it. Abandoned school? Check. Singled-out friend lumped with a life-threatening dare? Check. If we were to add a few B-list actors to the mix, then we’d have all the ingredients to formulate a pretty good movie. Here’s hoping it translates just as well in the form of a video game, then!

Development

The good news is, this isn’t exactly Lightworker Games’ first rodeo in the realm of survival horror, so we needn’t worry about its ability to spin a convincing yarn. And while its first game—a psychological horror titled SANRI—did go under the radar for a lot of gamers, it did find stable ground on Steam following its early 2023 launch. Here’s hoping, with any luck, that Cursed Bet will take the untapped resources of its predecessor’s casket and push them to their limits.

Trailer

Lightworker Games recently took the opportunity to show off its photorealistic visuals in Cursed Bet via one of its announcement trailers. But don’t let us spoil the fun. If you’re curious to see more, then you can check out the pre-release footage in the video embedded above.

Release Date, Platforms & Editions

Cursed Bet will be heading to PC via Steam on an undisclosed date. Rumor has it it’ll be releasing at some point in 2024, though we can’t say for certain when it will set up shop on the storefront. Either way, chances are the devs will shed a little more light on the matter over the next several months. With a little luck, we’ll also catch wind of any potential console ports, as currently there is only the PC version that’ll be up for grabs on day one.

As far as launch editions go — again, it’s a little too early to say what’ll come to light and what won’t. Our best guess is that, taking into account its independent label, it’ll release with a standard copy and nothing particularly extravagant. But don’t take our word for it, though. Either way, you can keep tabs on the matter as well as add the base edition to your wishlist on Steam here.

If Cursed Bet has left you on tenterhooks, then be sure to follow Lightworker Games’ official social feed for all the latest updates here. In the meantime, we’ll be keeping tabs on its Steam page, and will let you know in due course if and when there’s a release date nailed down.

So, what’s your take? Will you be getting your hands on a copy of Cursed Bet when it finally comes to PC? Let us know your thoughts over on our socials here.