The Blackout Club visits your neighborhood this July

The Blackout Club is set to move out of early access soon and launch officially on Steam. I had the pleasure of previewing the game late last year, and certainly liked what I experienced. The game offers an interesting take on stealth survival, adding four-player co-op and an invisible enemy you can only see when you close your eyes. There have been some changes to the game since I tried it out in October. However, The Blackout Club seems to be sticking to what made it so good eight months ago.

In The Blackout Club, you play as a teen discovering the truth about a haunted Virginian town. Redacre was once a normal community. However, a looming shadow called the Angel has warped the minds of adults and filled your head with nightmares. Now, you and up to three friends have to sneak around at night, unearth a conspiracy, and try not to be caught.

During my original playthrough, the Angel was called “the shape.” Invisible to the naked eye, the Angel stalks you at every turn. Adults now do the creature’s bidding, and report your “sins,” to the being. The more sins against you, the higher the chance the Angel will enter the fray to track you down. I liked this feature quite a lot in the game. It’s one thing to dodge enemies as they lazily shuffle around town. However, it’s quite another when you’re being tracked down by a monster, having only rising musical cues as warning that it’s right behind you.

What goes bump in the night

The goal in The Blackout Club is simple, but not easy to achieve. You and your allies have to scurry around the town, as well as winding, underground caves, discovering clues. All the while, you must avoid detection by any means possible. Finding more clues leads you in the direction to discover your missing friend and, hopefully, a way to get the hell out of Redacre. Personally, I don’t know what happens at the end of the game. I played it co-op with another from the site, and we found success to be something not easily gained. Perhaps you’ll find yourself at better odds with a full party, but I’d expect that winning will still take a lot of communication and effort.

The Blackout Club lands on PC via steam on July 30. You can currently pick up the game with a 20% discount during the Steam Sale.