Exploring the abandoned labs
Inside the Labs is a survival horror game for one to four players online. You take on the role of teenagers who head into abandoned laboratories after hearing news reports about failed human experiments. The goal is to work through a series of tasks, which usually means finding evidence to uncover what really happened in the facility and doing chores to reduce the harm and malevolence inside. You can tackle these objectives on your own or with friends. Rumors point to a powerful malevolent presence that came from a failed experiment involving a former patient, and there are various speculated mutations roaming the labs. The game runs on Unreal Engine 5 with a dark, chilling atmosphere and eerie 3D audio with attenuation and distortion.
Playing together with friends
Online co-op lets you bring up to three friends along if you would rather not face the labs alone. Each explorer gets a walkie-talkie for proximity voice chat, so you can coordinate, but speaking too loudly can attract unwanted attention. Before you head in, you pick your item and perk in the loadout screen, and you can give your character a custom look by buying items with cash found inside the labs. Useful items go into your inventory, so spend them wisely. As you progress, you unlock new items, perks, maps, and characters.
What to know before starting
Difficulty modes are easy, normal, and hard, so the group can pick a level that suits it. The AI treats the lab as its home and knows the place better than you do; it can see you and might hear you. Replayability comes from multiple maps plus randomized mutations, item spawning, and triggers. Each character has a complex and mysterious past with their own motivations, fears, and secrets to uncover. The game is in Early Access, and it carries tags for gore, dark themes, and psychological horror.