Slasher horror Horror Co-op and multiplayer horror

The Casting of Frank Stone

Rate it

Make a horror film in Frank Stone's steel mill, and decide who survives it.

Platforms: PC, PlayStation, Xbox
Stores: Steam
Price: Paid
Rated: Mixed on Steam (62% of about 6,100 reviews); Metacritic 68 on PS5 from 31 critics; 3.65 of 5 stars from about 8,800 ratings on the PlayStation Store
Length: about 7 hours
Players: 1-5
Made by: Supermassive Games
Released: 2024

On PlayStation: one of the PlayStation horror games.

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

What frightens In Cedar Hills, Oregon, a group of young friends making a horror film in a condemned steel mill walk into the legacy of Frank Stone, a sadistic masked killer whose crimes there spawned horrors beyond comprehension; every choice decides who survives him.
Content: violence, gore, strong language.

The Casting of Frank Stone is a cinematic horror game by Supermassive Games set in the Dead by Daylight universe. In the summer of 1980, young friends shooting an amateur horror film in an Oregon steel mill walk into the legacy of Frank Stone, a sadistic killer, and every decision you make shapes who lives. Play it alone or pass the controller among up to five friends.

About The Casting of Frank Stone

The Casting of Frank Stone is an interactive horror drama from Supermassive Games, the studio behind Until Dawn, The Quarry and The Dark Pictures Anthology, published by Behaviour Interactive on 3 September 2024 for PC, PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S. It is set in the world of Dead by Daylight, Behaviour's multiplayer horror game, and gives a wider look at that world.

The shadow of Frank Stone hangs over Cedar Hills, a town changed by his violent past. The story moves between timelines: in 1963 a police officer faces the killer at the steel mill, and in the summer of 1980 four young friends go to the abandoned mill to shoot their own horror film, Murder Mill. What they find there is a mystery where nothing is quite as it seems.

As in Supermassive's other games, you control several characters in turn, walk through each scene looking for clues and collectibles, solve small puzzles in the environment and react to quick-time events when things turn violent. Every decision shapes the story and the fate of the people in it, so a simple choice can turn into a hard dilemma, and any character can die. The story runs over 14 chapters; GameSpot put a first run at roughly 7 to 8 hours and God is a Geek at around six.

New for the studio is The Cutting Room Floor, a map of the story's branches that lets you return to key decisions, change their outcome or pick up collectibles you missed. It opens after you finish the game once, or from the start with the Deluxe Edition. Couch Co-op lets up to five friends in one room share the characters and pass the controller; there is no online co-op. Streamers can let Twitch viewers vote on each choice, with a few vetoes to overrule them.

Reviews were mixed: 62% of Steam reviews are positive and the PS5 version has a Metascore of 68. It suits fans of Dead by Daylight, and players of Until Dawn and The Quarry who want another slasher story driven by choices, to play alone or with a group on one sofa.

How to play The Casting of Frank Stone

Buy it for PC, PlayStation 5 or Xbox Series X|S, or play it with PlayStation Plus Extra.
Choose to play alone or in Couch Co-op, where up to five players in one room split the characters and pass the controller.
Follow the story, switching between the characters you control, and explore each scene for clues and collectibles.
Make choices in conversations and tense moments, and react quickly in action scenes; your decisions decide who reaches the end.
After the first ending, open The Cutting Room Floor to go back to key decisions and try another branch.

Screenshots

A killer in a welding mask, apron and chains, seen from behind with a long blade in the orange glow and sparks of the steel mill

Two young men seen from behind look up at the dark blast furnace tower of the mill under a cloudy moon

Three friends with a flashlight and a film camera stand over a body on foggy railway tracks at night

A frightened young woman, held by gloved hands, is dragged through the air toward a swirling green portal in a dark doorway

A figure in an orange jacket on a railed walkway faces giant curved metal rings above a glowing green mist in a dark industrial hall

A blood-red sky seen through dark treetops, with a black smoke shape like curved horns spreading across it

Tips

Look around each scene for collectibles and clues; they add to the mystery and The Cutting Room Floor shows which ones you missed.
Take your time on big decisions; small ones can matter later.
Finish one blind run before using The Cutting Room Floor; it unlocks after the first ending anyway, so the Deluxe Edition only opens it sooner.
For a group night, Couch Co-op needs only one controller passed around the room.

Questions

Do I need to play Dead by Daylight first?

No. It tells an original story set in the same universe; owning both, linked through a Behaviour Account, unlocks some extra Dead by Daylight rewards.

How long is The Casting of Frank Stone?

A first playthrough takes about six to eight hours over 14 chapters. Seeing every branch with The Cutting Room Floor takes far longer.

Can I play The Casting of Frank Stone with friends?

Yes, locally. Couch Co-op lets up to five people in one room share the characters and pass the controller. There is no online co-op.

Who made The Casting of Frank Stone?

Supermassive Games, the makers of Until Dawn and The Quarry, with Behaviour Interactive as publisher.

Does The Casting of Frank Stone have multiple endings?

Yes. Your decisions shape the story and which characters survive.