Players can delve into a world of hope, horror, and the struggles of survival with the first playable demo for DarkSwitch, a vertical survival city builder by developer Cyber Temple. When a malicious fog covers the land and plunges your outpost into isolation, it’s up to you to build a haven in the only safe place left: the treetops.

Build Up and Survive

What was once a thriving research outpost has been abandoned by the capital, left behind in the ever-encroaching fog. Faced not just with isolation and starvation, but the threat of monsters infiltrating the land below, the survivors fled upward to the safety of the Tree. Here, it’s your job to manage resources, research technologies, construct industrial, social, and defensive buildings, and uncover secrets from lost civilizations to help your settlement survive.

Beware the Fog

Those who go into the fog don’t come back the same. The unnerving presence that covers the ground corrupts everyone it touches, bringing insanity, terror, and violence to your world. Custom voxel grid technology turns the fog into a living thing, shifting and moving and seeping into your way of life if you aren’t careful. Combined with an atmospheric score by Akira Yamaoka—the composer behind Silent Hill—the unpredictable fog creates a tension that will have you holding your breath every time you venture into the wilderness.

Write Your City’s Story

Will your judgment keep your people safe, or will you break morale and lose everything to the fog? As the game’s narrative unfolds, you’ll guide four city leaders through critical quests, side missions, and judgments that determine the fate of your city. DarkSwitch isn’t just a story of survival; it’s an epic tale of struggle, unity, and the wavering but unbreakable hope that keeps humanity alive.

Announced at gamescom 2025, DarkSwitch’s demo is available to play now on Steam.