THE OUTLAST TRIALS: FOUR PRISONERS, ONE MADMAN, NO EXIT

Name: The Outlast Trials
Item: The Outlast Trials
Rating: 7.5
Author: The Alpha

The Outlast Trials Steam header art with a grinning man in a hat and goggles and a New Update Available banner — Header art credit: Red Barrels, from the Steam store page the button points to. The banner on the art is the studio's own update notice.

7.5 of 10 bananas. Red Barrels turns its asylum horror into a co-op game for up to four, set in a Cold War experiment. Loud, nasty fun with friends, and still scary solo, but the loop repeats and much of the progression is grind.

By the Alpha. Steam listing. Updated Oct 25 2026.

Honest note: This is not a fresh hands-on playtest. I built this verdict from launch reviews, critic consensus, update history, and what is known about the game today. If I put real hours in on stream, I will update the score and say so.

Platforms: PC on Steam, plus PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X|S, and Xbox One (Red Barrels, full release March 5 2024 after early access in 2023). The button on this page is the Steam store page, 39.99 dollars at my Oct 25 check. Amazon US search showed no listing for this game, so there is no Amazon button.

Horror Multiplayer

Get The Outlast Trials on Steam

Sit with me a moment. Outlast taught the troop to hide in lockers alone. The Outlast Trials asks a crueler question: what happens when three friends are hiding in the same room and one of them sneezes?

What It Wants To Be

You are a test subject in a secret Cold War program run by the Murkoff Corporation. You complete Trials, twisted missions in staged sets like a police station and an orphanage, while psychopaths called Prime Assets hunt you. You can play solo or with up to three friends. Between Trials you return to a sleep room hub where you unlock tools called Rigs and customize your prisoner.

What Works

With friends it is a riot: shared panic, frantic revives, and screaming when one of you gets caught. The villains are memorable, loud, and genuinely unsettling. The night vision fear from the original still works, and each Trial has a clear goal that mixes stealth and escape. Red Barrels kept adding content after launch, including new Trials and events.

What Breaks

Listen well. Once you know a Trial, the fear fades and the loop repeats. A lot of progression is grind, and solo play is harder and lonelier. The gore and themes are extreme, as with every Outlast. It needs an online connection, and matchmaking with strangers is less fun than a regular group.

Who Should Play

Play it if you have a horror loving friend group, or loved Outlast and want more. Skip it if you play alone and hate grinding, or if graphic content bothers you.

STRENGTHS

Great co-op panic
Memorable villains
Clear, tense Trials
Kept getting new content

HONEST COSTS

Repeats once learned
Grind heavy progression
Tougher solo
Very graphic

ALPHA VERDICT: 7.5 of 10. A scream with friends, a slog alone. Gather your crew and turn off the lights. Get The Outlast Trials on Steam, then meet the troop on Twitch.

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Store note: the troop still needs an Amazon referral for this one. At my Oct 25 check Amazon US search showed no listing for The Outlast Trials. Steam is the only button until a fair listing is real. This is not an affiliate link.