Sci-fi and space horror Horror Co-op and multiplayer horror The Dark Pictures

Directive 8020

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A colony crew crash-lands on an alien world, and something wears their faces.

Platforms: PC, PlayStation, Xbox
Stores: Steam
Price: Paid
Rated: Mixed on Steam (62% of 2,325 reviews); Metacritic 72 from 61 critics on PS5; 3.7 of 5 on the PlayStation Store (4.4K ratings)
Length: about 8 hours
Players: 1-5
Made by: Supermassive Games
Released: 2026

On PlayStation: one of the PlayStation horror games.

Get it on Steam PlayStation Store (PS5)Xbox (Series X|S)

What frightens After the colony ship Cassiopeia crash-lands on Tau Ceti f, its crew is hunted by an alien organism that perfectly imitates its prey; you evade it in the ship's dark corridors, never sure who is still human, and your choices decide who makes it home.
Content: gore, violence, strong language, jumpscares.

Directive 8020 is a cinematic sci-fi horror adventure in The Dark Pictures series by Supermassive Games, the makers of Until Dawn and The Quarry. The colony ship Cassiopeia crash-lands on Tau Ceti f and its crew is hunted by an alien that mimics its prey. You sneak past it, react in quick-time events and make choices that decide who lives, alone or with up to five players.

About Directive 8020

Directive 8020 is a cinematic sci-fi horror adventure by Supermassive Games, the studio behind Until Dawn and The Quarry, and the latest game in The Dark Pictures. It came out on 12 May 2026 for PC, PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S.

Earth is dying, and Tau Ceti f, twelve light years away, is a small hope for humanity. When the colony ship Cassiopeia crash-lands on the planet, its crew finds it is far from alone. An alien organism able to perfectly imitate its prey hunts them, and the survivors face the hardest choice of all: to save themselves, they must risk the lives of everyone on Earth. Lashana Lynch plays the pilot, Brianna Young.

You play the crew in turn, in third person. Between conversations and choices, you evade the creature in the ship's dark corridors with improvised weapons, quick reflexes and, new for the series, stealth sequences: you sneak behind crates and walls, track it with a scanner and crawl through vents, where the camera switches to first person. If it catches you, a quick-time event may give you a chance to stun it and run. Because the enemy hides in plain sight, trust between the crew breaks down, and the question of who is human drives the choices you make.

The new Turning Points story tree maps how your decisions branch the story, toward multiple endings and hidden paths. In Explorer mode you can rewind to a decision at any time and change it, which makes keeping everyone alive less punishing; you can also play without it and live with your mistakes.

Up to five players can share the crew. Movie Night mode works on one couch, and a free update added online play for up to five, mixing couch and online players; each player online needs their own copy.

The creative director puts one run of the main story at about eight hours, and more than twenty to see every path. Reviews were mixed: Metacritic critics average 72 and Steam players are split, with critics praising the spectacle and the story and some finding the stealth dull and the scares milder than earlier Dark Pictures games. It suits players who liked the earlier Dark Pictures games and want one set in space, and fans of The Thing-style paranoia about who is still human.

How to play Directive 8020

Buy it on Steam for Windows, or on the PlayStation Store or Xbox store for PS5 or Xbox Series X|S.
Choose solo play, Movie Night on one couch, or online play with up to five players, each with their own copy.
Pick Explorer mode if you want to rewind decisions freely with the Turning Points story tree.
Play through the crew's scenes, making choices in conversations and at each Turning Point.
Sneak past the creature behind cover, keep track of it with the scanner and use vents to get around it.
React to quick-time events when you are caught to stun the creature and run.

Screenshots

An astronaut in a suit with glowing cyan lights stands on the outer deck of the Cassiopeia under a starry sky

A crew member aims a revolver at his identical double, who holds a clawed tool, in a dim purple-lit corridor

A Turning Point choice between Help and Run, with a crew member fallen on the floor and a suited figure by red stairs

A dark ship corridor with red-lit pipes and black fleshy growths, a silhouette lurking in the pale light at its end

An astronaut floats weightless among drifting glass shards and sparks as a helmeted figure reaches up

A suited astronaut in a foggy red-rock cave, lit by a cold blue light ahead, with a fallen body nearby

A crew member with one side of the head swollen by a fleshy growth, mouth open, in a dark cave

Tips

Treat every crew member with suspicion: the alien imitates its prey.
In stealth sections, watch the creature's patrol before you move and steer around noisy glass.
On a first run, use Turning Points only to undo a major mistake or death; jumping back often breaks the flow of the story.
Play again to find the hidden paths and the endings you missed.

Questions

Is Directive 8020 part of The Dark Pictures?

Yes. It is Supermassive Games' Dark Pictures game set in space, and its deluxe edition links it to Man of Medan, Little Hope, House of Ashes and The Devil in Me.

How long is Directive 8020?

About eight hours for one run of the main story, according to its creative director, and more than twenty hours to see every path the story offers. A run can end earlier if your choices go badly.

Is Directive 8020 on PS5 and Xbox?

Yes. It is on the PlayStation Store for PS5 and the Xbox store for Xbox Series X|S, as well as Steam on PC.

Can you play Directive 8020 online with friends?

Yes. Movie Night mode lets up to five players share the crew on one couch, and a free update added online play for up to five players, who can mix couch and online. Everyone playing online needs their own copy; there is no friend pass.

Does Directive 8020 have multiple endings?

Yes. Its makers say the Turning Points story tree leads to multiple endings and hidden paths, and your choices decide which of the crew survive.

Is Directive 8020 scary?

It is tense, with gore and a few jump scares, but some reviewers found it less frightening than earlier Dark Pictures games, with fewer quick-time events and more sneaking.