Sci-fi and space horror PS1 horror Short horror

Salvage Protocol

Rate it

Strip dead space stations for scrap while something watches from the wreckage.

Platforms: PC
Stores: Steam
Price: Paid
Rated: Very Positive on Steam (100% of 68 reviews)
Players: 1
Controls: Mouse and keyboard. Left mouse to punch with the power glove, hold right mouse to charge a punch, hold E to vacuum up scrap, number keys 1 to 4 to switch tools.
Made by: IAmDirt, Dicedbasilisk
Released: 2025

What frightens Alone in dark, abandoned space stations, you smash props for scrap against the clock while monsters hide in plain sight among the wreckage and traps wait in the dark; your ship's computer warns you when something knows you are there.
Content: monsters, jumpscares.

Salvage Protocol is a short first-person sci-fi horror game by IAmDirt and Dicedbasilisk. As a scrap worker deep in debt to the S.R.P.O. mega-corporation, you break into abandoned space stations, smash everything for salvage before time runs out, and deal with the monsters and traps hiding in the dark.

About Salvage Protocol

Salvage Protocol is a small single-player horror game by IAmDirt and Dicedbasilisk, released on Steam for Windows on 30 April 2025. You owe the S.R.P.O. mega-corp a debt counted in millions, and the only way to pay it down is to fly out to abandoned stations and bring back their junk.

Each job drops you into a handcrafted, dark location with a quota and a countdown. Nearly everything can be broken: smash props with a hammer or a power glove, vacuum up the scrap, and carry it back to your ship. Between jobs you spend your credits on upgrades and new tools. The stations are mazes of vents, unstable structures and old machines you can switch back on to open new paths, and the makers promise five of them, from overgrown greenhouse domes to sites floating over lava.

The horror is in what shares the stations with you. Monsters hide in plain sight among the wreckage and traps wait in the dark, and your ship's computer, Admin, keeps up a running commentary that turns from banter to warnings. Players compare it to a solo, story-led Lethal Company, and to Prey and Hardspace: Shipbreaker for the salvage. Several say it made them jump; others say it becomes less scary once your tools are upgraded, and the makers balance the dread with a dry sense of humour about corporate debt.

It is drawn in a low-poly, PlayStation-era style behind a CRT-like frame. It suits players who want a short, cheap evening of tense scavenging in the dark, and who like their horror with a satisfying loop of smashing things.

How to play Salvage Protocol

Pick a location from your ship and land at the abandoned station.
Break props with your hammer or power glove and hold E to vacuum up the scrap.
Carry your salvage back to the ship and meet the quota before the countdown runs out.
Watch and listen for monsters among the wreckage, and fight or avoid them; mind the traps.
Spend your credits on upgrades and new tools between jobs, then take on the next station.

Screenshots

Salvage Protocol screenshot: a first-person view holding a flashlight in a misty green greenhouse dome of giant low-poly trees and walkways

Salvage Protocol screenshot: on the ship, a computer screen with a cartoon face sits under an S.R.P.O. debt display as Admin says Pretty sure it knows you're here

Salvage Protocol screenshot: a red, spiny creature lunges out of the dark through grainy static as the player raises a flashlight

Salvage Protocol screenshot: the player's power glove raised over a station built above glowing red lava, with prompts to vacuum and charge a punch

Tips

Explore a level before you clear it of scrap: quotas are generous and there is more to find than you need.
Use vents and old machines to open shortcuts back to your ship.
Players warn that the black hole gun recharges very slowly, so think before buying it over cheaper upgrades.
Listen to Admin: the ship's computer often tells you when something has noticed you.

Questions

How long is Salvage Protocol?

Its makers call it a short horror game. Most players report finishing it in about two to three hours.

Is Salvage Protocol multiplayer?

No, it is single-player only, though players often compare it to the co-op game Lethal Company.

Is Salvage Protocol scary?

It has a tense, dark atmosphere and monsters that can catch you off guard, and some players say it made them jump. It grows less frightening as your tools get stronger.

Is there a demo?

Yes, a free Salvage Protocol Demo is on Steam, holding the first mission as a 20 to 30 minute introduction, as its makers say.