After several years in development, the Aussie-made survival-horror adventure Dead Static Drive is set to launch for PC and Xbox Game Pass on 5 November. The highly-anticipated game has been a standout at showcases in recent times, with its cool, creepy vibes inspiring plenty of fervour.
While keen folks have been asked to wait patiently, good things take time – and as the old adage goes, good things come to those who wait.
Dead Static Drive – quick links
Dead Static Drive: what’s in store?
For those unfamiliar, Dead Static Drive – often described as ‘Grand Theft Cthulhu‘ – is a road trip game filled with all sorts of horrors. It’s set in a twisted version of 1980s America, where players will ‘take on the role of Hearst, a wayward traveller following a cryptic letter through gas stations, diners and decaying suburbs.’
As described by developer Reuben Games, Dead Static Drive is primarily a survival game, with players required to ‘scavenge, fight, sneak and explore’ to ‘stop the continuing violence of an estranged father, who has fast-spiralled into a paranoid recluse convinced technology will ruin us all.’
The game is heavily inspired by weird fiction authors, filmmakers and photographers, including David Lynch, TED Klein, Gene Wolfe, Ramsey Campbell and William Eggleston.
‘Dead Static Drive hopes to invoke images of an America now lost, where with the right car and enough gas, anything felt possible,’ Reuben Games said.
Watch the Dead Static Drive teaser trailer
Australian games running strong
With Dead Static Drive releasing in November, it joins a long list of exciting Australian-made game releases. While the headliner of this list – Hollow Knight: Silksong – has taken up plenty of attention we’ve also seen equally worthy releases in The Drifter, Letters to Arralla, Mars First Logistics and Isopod: A Webbed Spin-off.
Read: Hollow Knight: Silksong hits 535,000 peak concurrents at launch
Dead Static Drive has long been a game to keep an eye on and it’s fantastic to see it finally heading to launch, and so soon after its announcement. While it’s flown under the radar over the past year, it’s clear Reuben Games has been using this time wisely, quietly chipping away at what promises to be yet another excellent Aussie-made release.
Those keen to get hands-on with Dead Static Drive won’t have to wait long at all. You can now wishlist the game on Steam to be notified on launch, or simply head back in a week’s time to dive in.
Also on ScreenHub: New Bluey video game set to launch in December 2025
BBC Studios, Halfbrick Studios, and Ludo Studio have announced a brand new Bluey game adaptation, Bluey’s Quest for the Gold Pen, which will officially launch on the App Store on 11 December, followed by other devices in 2026. This new game has been developed with series creator Joe Brumm, and will tell an original story set in the Bluey universe.
‘Inspired by the hand-drawn worlds of the Dragon and Escape episodes from the global hit TV series, Bluey’s Quest for the Gold Pen invites players to unlock Bluey’s drawings, brought to life as the Heeler family gather around the kitchen table to draw together,’ the game’s description reads, via Apple. ‘Featuring fully animated cutscenes woven into an all-new story written by Joe Brumm, the game blends heartfelt storytelling with discovery-driven gameplay for an experience filled with exploration and delight.’
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