Co-op and multiplayer horror Stealth horror Mystery and detective horror

The Blackout Club

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Sneak out with your friends at night and prove what the town does in its sleep.

Platforms: PC, PlayStation, Xbox
Stores: Steam
Price: Paid
Rated: Mostly Positive on Steam (77% of 2,891 reviews); 4.3 of 5 on the PlayStation Store (519 ratings); Metacritic 72 for PS4 (14 critics)
Players: 1-4
Made by: Question
Released: 2019

What frightens Every night the whole town gets out of bed and sleepwalks, and a friend has gone missing; you and up to three friends sneak past the adults to record evidence, and if you are noticed The Shape, which you can only see with your eyes closed, comes for you.
Content: violence with tranquilizer darts and stun guns, some blood, depictions of kidnapping and murder, teenagers in peril, sexual themes, drug references and strong language (esrb m), optional mode that uses and records your microphone, other players can invade your session.

The Blackout Club is a first-person co-op horror game for one to four players. You are teenagers in a small town where every adult sleepwalks at night; you sneak out to record evidence of what is going on, hiding from the sleepers and from The Shape, a hunter you can only see with your eyes closed.

About The Blackout Club

The Blackout Club is a first-person co-op horror game made and published by Question, a small studio whose earlier game was The Magic Circle. It opened in early access in October 2018 and came out in full on July 29, 2019 on Steam, and on July 30, 2019 for PlayStation 4 and Xbox One. The PlayStation version also plays on PS5, and the Xbox version on Xbox Series X|S.

In its town, everyone gets out of bed every night and sleepwalks, and in the morning nobody remembers where they went. A few teenagers woke up during these Blackouts, in the woods or on the train tracks, and no parent, teacher or police officer believed them. So they formed a club, and when a close friend disappears, the sleepwalking stops being only strange.

Each night is a mission for one to four players, who can drop in and out; the host's lobby can be public or friends-only. You explore houses, woods and a network of tunnels under the neighbourhood, using drones, noisemakers and grappling hooks to slip past the adults and film proof of what happens on your phone. Goals, enemy patrols, loot and obstacles are drawn anew each night. A sleeper who catches you can brainwash your character, and a friend has to come back and revive you. You create your own teenager, level up, and unlock abilities, clothes and gestures.

The central threat is The Shape. If you draw too much attention, it comes for you, and you can only see it by closing your eyes. Two other ideas set the game apart from other co-op horror. From level 5, a session with at least two players can be invaded by a Stalker, another player who tries to film the club and report them without being caught. And an opt-in Enhanced Horror setting lets the game hear your microphone and record your voice, which its supernatural side uses later; you can switch it off at any time.

Critics were split. Game Rant found the missions repeated within a few hours and the fear wore off once running past everything worked, while players on the PlayStation Store rate it well. It suits groups of friends who like sneaking more than shooting and do not mind playing similar nights again. The game is spoken in English, with subtitles and menus also in French, German, Spanish and Russian.

How to play The Blackout Club

Buy it on Steam, PlayStation or Xbox and create your teenager.
From the Hideout, host a night alone or with up to three friends, or join someone else's; choose public or friends-only.
Sneak through the neighbourhood and the tunnels toward the night's goals, avoiding the sleepwalking adults.
Use your tools, such as drones, noisemakers and the grappling hook, to get past obstacles.
Film evidence with your phone, then get back out; if The Shape is hunting you, close your eyes to see where it is.
If a friend is brainwashed, hide until the sleepers move on, then go back and revive them.

Screenshots

A crouching teen in a red jacket watches a figure carried on another's back past a brick house on a foggy, purple-lit night street

A teen crouches on a rooftop over a foggy night street while a spotlit house casts a giant stag shadow, a launcher held in the foreground

A phone records three sleepwalkers crouching in a dark tunnel lit red from arched openings

Two silhouetted figures, one with a flashlight, cross a fog-filled purple underground chamber with wooden beams and a cable spool

Two dark figures struggle in blinding white light and fog beside a deer statue at night

Tips

Keep a low profile: the more attention you draw, the sooner The Shape comes.
Stay near your friends so someone can revive you when a sleeper gets you.
Close your eyes when you feel hunted; it is the only way to see The Shape.
Set your session to friends-only in Network Options if you do not want strangers to join.
If you would rather not be invaded by a Stalker, the feature can be turned off in the Options menu.

Questions

How many players can play The Blackout Club?

One to four in drop-in, drop-out co-op. From level 5, a session with two or more players can also be invaded by another player as a Stalker.

Can you play The Blackout Club solo?

Yes, sessions are for one to four players, so you can go out alone.

Is The Blackout Club on console?

Yes, it is sold for PlayStation 4, which also plays on PS5, and for Xbox One and Xbox Series X|S. Online play on Xbox needs a Game Pass subscription that includes online multiplayer.

Does The Blackout Club use my microphone?

Only if you opt in to Enhanced Horror. Then the game can hear your microphone and record your voice for in-game content; you can opt out at any time, and it does not change your voice chat settings.

What is The Blackout Club rated?

ESRB M for sexual themes, blood, drug reference, violence and strong language, and PEGI 16 for violence and bad language.