Australian studio Twice Different has announced its long-gestating horror game Winnie’s Hole will enter early access on 26 January. For those unfamiliar, this is an adventure starring the original version of Winnie the Pooh, who picks up a virus that mutates his body in terrifying ways.
You play as the virus, and must use your time wisely to transform Winnie’s cells, and adapt his body into a new form. As you make connections within your host and make your way through his innards, you’ll see Winnie grow and change on screen, forming new limbs, tentacles, mouths, and eyes, all of which are useful as he encounters various enemies in battle.
Winnie’s Hole release date – quick links
What to expect of Winnie’s Hole in early access
As announced, the early access version of Winnie’s Hole will invite players to experience Winnie’s early steps, as the virus finds its target and begins to reshape it. The game will have ‘all of its core features already’ and will include two complete regions to travel through, ‘each branching off the core path with its own theming, enemies, special events and boss encounter.’
There will be over five unlockable virus strains with each offering a different play style, over 50 research recipes to unlock new perks and mutations, over 100 perks to evolve Winnie, and over 150 mutations, which grant new combat styles.
Winnie’s Hole will be in early access for one year, with the game’s final state featuring more virus strains, perks, mutations, enemy encounters, bosses, stories, secrets, polish, and quality of life improvements.
Why Winnie’s Hole can feature Winnie the Pooh
One of the most intriguing parts of Winnie’s Hole is the appearance of Winnie the Pooh, the beloved children’s book character created by A.A. Milne.
The game is technically able to feature Winnie as Milne’s original book entered the public domain, based on US copyright law, in 2022. In the United Kingdom and other regions, the book won’t be in the public domain until 2027, but with Steam being a region-agnostic platformer, Winnie’s Hole will likely face no trouble.
In any case, developer Twice Different has spoken on this possible issue in the past, referring to exclusions for parody, and promising to address any challenges as they arise. Given Winnie’s Hole has already had a significant spotlight, thanks to its viral launch announcement, we expect it will barrel onto launch with no opposition.
That leaves keen players free to anticipate this wild, weird little gem. Keep an eye on Winnie’s Hole as it heads to early access launch this month.
Also on ScreenHub: All the big Australian and New Zealand-made video games we’re excited for in 2026
Australian and New Zealand-based game developers make incredible video games. Year after year, this is confirmed again and again. In 2025, Team Cherry held the torch with Hollow Knight: Silksong. Powerhoof delivered with The Drifter (ScreenHub‘s overall Game of the Year). We also got the excellent, creative, and entirely wonderful Letters to Arralla, Misc. A Tiny Tale, Cast n Chill, Mars First Logistics, Carmen Sandiego, and more.
So far, 2026 is shaping up to be an even bigger year, with a starry array of new video games planned for launch this year. Teams across Australia and New Zealand are currently working hard on a variety of new experiences, and we’re so excited to see what they bring in the months ahead. As curated by the ScreenHub team, with input from local gaming fans and developers, here are all the Australian and New Zealand-made games we’re so excited to see and play in 2026.
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