The Pines horror RPG signs with Silver Lining Interactive

The Pines, an open-world psychological horror RPG made by a single developer in the Netherlands, has found a publisher. Studio Abattoir announced on 7 October that it has signed with Silver Lining Interactive, with the news breaking live during the Horror Game Awards Halloween Showcase. Due on PC in 2027, the game follows a former detective sent to a retreat deep in the pine forest, where everything feels a little too calm. Six months after its reveal, it has already passed 50,000 wishlists on Steam.

At a glance

Silver Lining Interactive signs The Pines

In its announcement on the game’s Steam page, Studio Abattoir calls the deal “a massive leap forward”. According to the studio, the publisher gives it “the platform and independence needed to deliver The Pines without compromises”, and it heads into this next chapter with plenty of optimism. Future news about the game will also come through Silver Lining Interactive’s channels.

To mark the occasion, the studio reshared its latest trailer, which now ends on its new publisher’s logos. For now, the Steam page lists a PC release in 2027 and there is no demo to try yet. Studio Abattoir thanks players for their support and says it will share more “when the time is right”.

The Pines is an open-world psychological horror RPG

According to the game’s Steam page, the story begins after a case goes wrong. Burnt out, former detective Edward Walker follows his therapist’s advice and checks into The Pines, an isolated retreat promising peace and on-site therapists. Beneath its peaceful surface, something is deeply wrong.

You explore a dense open world full of hidden places and side stories. Edward grows through a skill system, you can join groups and factions, and you investigate by connecting clues to decide who to trust. Guns and ammo are scarce, so most of the time you defend yourself with bats, axes and whatever comes to hand, dodging and parrying at the right moment. According to the store page, situations can be handled through talking, fighting or investigating, and Edward can grow stronger, smarter or more persuasive depending on how you play.

The game’s big hook is its Stalker System, which reacts to your choices. As described in the studio’s reveal material, every resident of The Pines has a history and secrets, and the game remembers how Edward treats them. A neighbour who once seemed harmless can come back as the one stalking you through the woods.

One developer, a basement and three years of work

Studio Abattoir is a single developer. As Zach Jackson noted for the Australian site Well Played when the game was revealed in April, it is a one-person team based in the Netherlands, and the trailer gave him Alan Wake, The Last of Us and Twin Peaks vibes. COGconnected also introduced The Pines as a psychological horror RPG where choices matter.

In a Steam post on 11 April, the developer explained that he had been working on the game from his basement for three years, and that he next wanted to show some of the characters, the interface and menus, and a full gameplay overview. He also invited players to ask their questions on the game’s Discord server, where he tries to reply himself. Wishlists then climbed fast, according to his own updates: 5,000 by mid-April, 15,000 a week later, then 50,000 on 2 July, a milestone he celebrated with a small new look at the game. As of this Sunday, The Pines sits 887th among the most wishlisted unreleased games on Steam.

A new trailer then aired in early June during the Future Games Show, and the studio said it was aiming to have a full gameplay reveal ready in the autumn. If you enjoy horror projects made by one person, Whispers in the Fog, a one-man horror project, has followed a similar path.