What DeathWatchers is
DeathWatchers is a first-person co-op horror game from Swain Games, the sequel to DEATHWATCH. You go into locations with a set of tools and work through two linked jobs: logging paranormal events, then using what you learned to work out the ingredients for a banishing ritual. The event side plays a bit like spot the difference — you compare what you see against what should be there and record the anomalies with your Event Logger V2.0. Once you have enough logged events, you build the ritual from the ingredients you've deciphered and attempt to banish the entity. Getting the ingredients wrong has consequences: the game warns that you may never leave. It's in Early Access, so expect things to still be in progress.
Playing it as a group
All game modes can be played solo or with up to 3 friends, so a full run is four players online. The work splits naturally: someone watches feeds on the tablet, someone places and checks equipment, someone logs events, and someone keeps an eye on the entity. Communication matters more than reflexes here — you're calling out what you spotted, where it was, and which ingredients you think are right before anyone commits to the ritual. The cameras are not pre-placed for you, so the group has to buy gear and set it up yourselves at the start of a run, which gives everyone a job before the investigation even begins. There's also Twitch Integration and character creation if your group streams or wants its own look.
Before you start
Go in expecting to be exposed. You are not sitting safely behind a monitor feed — you are physically present and in danger, and the gameplay includes hiding and protecting yourself or dying. The equipment list is wide: event logger, tablet for observing cameras, lighting you set up yourself, a camera for taking photos to memorize locations, and more. Interactive video tutorials are available in-game, so run through those before a serious attempt rather than learning the tools mid-hunt. The locations vary and are designed to work with each game mode, so a spot you learned in one setup may not carry over directly. Take the ingredient step seriously — it's the part where a confident guess ends the run.