What it is
Heartworm is a compact, single-player survival-horror game built as a respectful throwback to late-1990s classics. Vincent Adinolfi’s game first launched on PC via Steam on 31 July 2025, then arrived on PlayStation, Xbox and Nintendo consoles on Thursday, 1 October 2026. It combines fixed-camera exploration with modern third-person aiming, low-resolution visuals, environmental puzzles and deliberately limited combat in which a camera is your main weapon.
Its strongest idea is also its most distinctive: Heartworm treats memory and grief as places to explore rather than simply themes to discuss. The result is a short, focused horror adventure that clearly wears its Resident Evil and Silent Hill influences, but uses them to tell a personal story about loss, obsession and the wish to speak to the dead.
- UK release
- Thursday, 1 October 2026
- PC release
- 31 July 2025 via Steam
- Platforms
- PC (Steam), PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, Nintendo Switch and Switch 2
- Developer
- Vincent Adinolfi
- Publisher
- DreadXP
- UK price
- £12.79 on Steam; console prices not published
- Genre
- Survival horror, action, adventure, puzzle and indie
- Online mode
- No — single-player only
- Perspective
- Fixed-camera and third-person over-the-shoulder
- Engine
- Unity
Story and setting
You play as Sam, a young woman who cannot move on after the death of her beloved grandfather. Her search for a way to contact him leads into a murky online rabbit hole, where users on a mysterious message board discuss a house in the mountains that is supposedly connected to the afterlife. Nobody who has visited the house has returned, but Sam follows the trail anyway.
The game’s environments move between a surreal suburban world and more overtly supernatural locations shaped by memory. Pre-rendered and in-game cutscenes help frame the story, while the atmosphere is carried by low-resolution 3D scenery, unsettling transitions and Vincent Adinolfi’s original soundtrack. The PC release describes Heartworm as a psychologically focused journey through grief and loss, and that remains a more accurate description than simply calling it a nostalgic horror game.
How it plays
Heartworm is primarily about exploration, puzzle-solving and deciding when not to fight. It uses fixed camera angles for much of its classic survival-horror presentation, while a modern control option switches to an over-the-shoulder third-person view for aiming. Traditional tank controls are also available for players who want the older, more deliberate feel.
Combat is intentionally limited. Sam uses a camera to defend herself, making positioning, timing and resource management more important than firepower. The game includes classic environmental puzzles, backtracking, pre-rendered sequences and multiple endings, with the main story expected to take roughly four to six hours. Optional pixelation and retro effects can be enabled or reduced, so the presentation can lean fully into the PS1-era look or appear cleaner while retaining the same underlying art direction.
Platforms, editions and UK price
The console release is available on PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, Nintendo Switch and Nintendo Switch 2. The original PC version remains available through Steam. The UK console launch date is Thursday, 1 October 2026, which falls during British Summer Time; no exact UK storefront release time has been published.
The standard PC Steam price is £12.79 in the UK. Console prices were not published in the reliable listings checked for launch, and there is no confirmed physical, deluxe or collector’s edition. The separate soundtrack is available on Steam and contains 60 original tracks, but it is not a confirmed console bundle. There is also a free Steam demo, although no equivalent console demo has been announced.
Updates and platform notes
Heartworm received a substantial 1.1 update on PC on 29 September 2025. Its main addition was an optional Challenge mode with tougher enemies, fewer health and ammunition supplies and no access to the camera bag. Completing it unlocks a baseball-themed costume. The update also added the Long Exposure camera modification, adjusted boss encounters, refined enemy behaviour, fixed map and puzzle problems and made a range of interface and collision fixes.
An earlier post-launch patch addressed several soft-locks, puzzle and map issues, lighting problems and subtitle errors. It also improved loading in the caves and made Steam Deck use its native resolution. Valve’s compatibility data lists Heartworm as Steam Deck Verified, with full controller support and a default configuration that performs well. Independent technical comparisons of the PS4, PS5, Xbox and Nintendo versions were not available from reliable outlets at the time of the 1 October 2026 launch.
Critical reception and verdict
The PC release received a mixed but generally interested critical response. Metacritic lists a 69 out of 100 average from 16 critic reviews. Individual scores include 80 from Hooked Gamers, 79 from Xbox Tavern, 70 from GameSpew and 40 from Eurogamer Germany. Positive reviews tend to value the atmosphere, compact structure, soundtrack and puzzles, while less enthusiastic critics point to uneven combat, a thin story in places and an homage that can feel more imitative than transformative.
Heartworm makes most sense for players who want a short, old-fashioned survival-horror adventure rather than a large modern campaign. Its fixed cameras, tank controls, limited resources and optional retro effects are carefully targeted at a particular taste. The camera-based combat gives it an identity of its own, but the modest length and uneven reception mean it is better approached as a focused indie horror game than as a full-scale alternative to Resident Evil.
Not yet confirmed
- No PEGI rating has been published in the UK listings checked for the game.
- Console prices, physical editions, special editions and UK retailer pre-orders have not been confirmed.
- Heartworm has not been confirmed for PlayStation Plus, Xbox Game Pass or Nintendo Switch Online.
- Console-specific resolution, frame-rate targets and performance differences between PS4, PS5, Xbox, Switch and Switch 2 have not been published.
- Cross-buy, Smart Delivery, save transfer from PC and cross-platform ownership have not been confirmed.
- No exact UK launch time for 1 October 2026 has been announced.
Heartworm: your questions
When was Heartworm released in the UK?
The PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, Nintendo Switch and Switch 2 versions released in the UK on Thursday, 1 October 2026. The PC version launched on Steam on 31 July 2025.
Is Heartworm coming to PS5, Xbox and Switch?
Yes. It is available on PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, Nintendo Switch and Nintendo Switch 2, as well as PC through Steam.
Does Heartworm have online multiplayer?
No. Heartworm is a single-player survival-horror game with no online multiplayer or co-operative mode.
How long does it take to complete Heartworm?
The advertised main experience takes around four to six hours. Multiple endings and Challenge mode provide reasons to replay it.
Can I try Heartworm before buying it?
A free demo is available on Steam. No console demo has been confirmed.
