Unearthing The Primal Source (Announcing DARK 0)

Hey everyone,

We've been hard at work mapping the future of the DARK universe, and today we’re thrilled to announce a surprise project that takes us all the way back to the very beginning: DARK 0!

This is the absolute chronological start of the entire DARK saga.

A New Era of Fear: The Year is 1673

Forget the Power Facility and the Signal Host. DARK 0 throws you back to 1673 as Elias Thorne, a normal man caught in a nightmare.

The setting is a claustrophobic, dark dungeon that hides a terrifying secret: a bizarre mix of rough stone and chillingly out-of-place modern steel doors. This prequel explores the initial contact with the darkness—the primal, physical manifestation that eventually leads to the technological horror of the later games.

Unique Mechanics: The Fear Bar

Just like every DARK game, DARK 0 features a unique core mechanic unlike anything you’ve played before:

• Movement is a Trap: We are completely stripping away the sound-based stealth of The Station arc. Here, the terror is internal, governed by your Stamina/Fear Bar.
• The Price of Progress: Every step you take drains your Fear Bar. Your movement is timed by your own panic.
• The Inescapable Threat: When your Fear Bar hits zero, the relentless, non-technological Wraith/Contamination instantly appears and pursues you.
• Survival is Stillness: The only defense is to stop moving entirely. Standing still is the only action that recharges your Fear Bar and banishes the entity.

DARK 0 is a game about mastering the ultimate psychological challenge: forcing yourself to freeze in fear to survive.

Why DARK 0?

We estimate DARK 0 will feature four intense levels of pure, unforgiving evasion. This project serves as a crucial bridge:

• It allows us to deliver a complete, compelling story about the franchise's origin.
• It lets us test the new basic 3D First-Person perspective—a major shift from our top-down history—in a short, focused environment.

DARK 0: The Primal Source will release soon as a standalone title. Prepare yourself for the darkness before the dark.

—Dragan Ellis