Co-op and multiplayer horror Psychological horror PS1 horror

Fears to Fathom - Scratch Creek

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A couple's move goes wrong in a decrepit small town. Survive it together.

Platforms: PC
Price: Paid
Rated: Mostly Positive on Steam (76% of 8,534 reviews); players praise it with a friend but report bugs and soft-locks
Length: about 3 hours
Players: 2 (online only)
Made by: Rayll
Released: 2026

What frightens A young couple moving out of Oregon are forced off their route into Scratch Creek, a decrepit small town where something is going on. You play one of them while a friend plays the other, driving, running errands and talking to locals as an ordinary trip turns menacing, with a few sharp scares and a chase near the end.
Content: jumpscares, chase sequence, uses your microphone (proximity voice chat).

Fears to Fathom - Scratch Creek is an online co-op episode of the Fears to Fathom horror anthology from Rayll. Two players take the roles of Tessa and Marcus, a young couple whose move from Oregon leads them into the decaying town of Scratch Creek. It plays as a narrative walking simulator with driving and exploration, told through a VHS film look as a story its survivors chose to share.

About Fears to Fathom - Scratch Creek

Fears to Fathom - Scratch Creek is an episode of Fears to Fathom, Rayll's episodic horror anthology in which each story is narrated by the people who survived it. It came out on Steam for Windows on 10 June 2026, and unlike the earlier single-player episodes it is part of Fears to Fathom [Together], played only in two-player online co-op.

You play Tessa Langley or Marcus Reed, a young couple from Oregon preparing to move to another state. Their journey takes an unexpected turn and they end up in Scratch Creek, a run-down small town where something is going on that they know nothing about. The store page promises only that they survived because they made the right choices together.

It is a narrative walking simulator with driving and exploration. You load the moving trailer, drive the car, stop at a gas station and a motel, talk to locals, and receive and send text messages, while proximity voice chat lets you talk to your partner in the world. The grainy VHS film filter and slow everyday tasks build a sense that something is wrong long before anything happens. Players describe a few jump scares and a chase sequence toward the end that can take several tries.

You need a friend, or a stranger found through the in-game duo matchmaking, to play at all. It suits pairs who enjoy slow-burn story horror and the earlier Fears to Fathom episodes, and who can live with the bugs some reviewers report.

How to play Fears to Fathom - Scratch Creek

Buy Fears to Fathom - Scratch Creek on Steam for Windows; each player needs their own copy.
Invite a friend or use duo matchmaking to find a partner.
Choose who plays Tessa and who plays Marcus.
Follow the story: drive, explore, talk to the locals and keep in touch by voice and text.
Work together through the night, making the choices that let you both survive.

Screenshots

A dark country road at night leading to a fenced old house with a windmill and a sign by the gate

Marcus talks to a gas station worker in a cap who says the car will not make it there

View from the driver's seat at night, pulling into a motel car park behind a pickup

A tall wooden house at night with one lit window and old cars parked under a streetlight

Tips

Play with someone you can talk to easily; proximity voice chat and texting are part of the game.
Save time for a single sitting; most players finish in about three hours.
If a chase goes wrong, look for the one route through; players say it takes trial and error.
Steam reviewers report occasional soft-locks, so stick close to your partner and follow objectives in order.