Deadnaut

Released: Dec 8, 2014
Platforms: WindowsmacOSLinux
Last updated: 04 Sep 2026, 19:40 GMT

Updates & announcements

20 posts

28 Mar 2023Developer post
Deadnaut: Signal Lost is out now!
Screwfly Studios' sci-fi horror roguelike set in the world of Deadnaut is finally here! Prepare for an unnerving and tense journey to the edges of the galaxy in search of the source of Rip space. As the Handler, you'll control a single Deadnaut, a treasure hunter navigating hazar
28 Mar 2023Developer post
Deadnaut: Signal Lost is out now!
Screwfly Studios' sci-fi horror roguelike set in the world of Deadnaut is finally here! Prepare for an unnerving and tense journey to the edges of the galaxy in search of the source of Rip space. As the Handler, you'll control a single Deadnaut, a treasure hunter navigating hazar
22 Mar 2023Developer post
Deadnaut: Signal Lost gameplay demo now available
Thanks to everyone who tried out the tech demo and gave us feedback. We've now upgraded it to a playable demo, with two suits, more enemies, and additional gear and upgrades. We will make it available here when Steam approves it, but if you want to try it out now, you can get it
10 Mar 2023Developer post
Try the Deadnaut: Signal Lost tech demo now!
We're very close to launching Deadnaut: Signal Lost but we need your help. We've prepared a technical demo of the first few levels of the game and we'd love to get it running on a wider range of systems. This will give you a taste of the game and help us catch any obvious bugs th
28 Oct 2022Developer post
Watch the Deadnaut: Signal Lost trailer!
We know you're keen to hear/see/inhale more about Screwfly's next game, Deadnaut: Signal Lost, and we're happy to say we can deliver! Check out the first trailer for the game right here. Along with the trailer, we've also refreshed the screenshots on the Steam page, as well as ad
01 Nov 2021Developer post
Announcing Deadnaut: Signal Lost!
The cosmos is tearing itself apart. Wrecks of long-dead starships are full of horrible, interdimensional creatures. The dead roam surfaces of moons, and you're being hunted by technically advanced soldiers. Welcome to Signal Lost , Screwfly Studios' return to Deadnaut's grim and
17 Jun 2017Developer post
Zafehouse Diaries 2: Available now!
The sequel to Zafehouse Diaires has arrived! You can now purchase the game on Steam or directly from us. Thanks to everyone who has returned for another outing in the drama-filled, chaotic world of Zafehouse and its unique brand of zombie mayhem! If you'd like a DRM-free version
17 Jun 2017Developer post
Zafehouse Diaries 2: Available now!
The sequel to Zafehouse Diaires has arrived! You can now purchase the game on Steam or directly from us. Thanks to everyone who has returned for another outing in the drama-filled, chaotic world of Zafehouse and its unique brand of zombie mayhem! If you'd like a DRM-free version
07 Jun 2016Developer post
The Screwfly Collection - get all our games for 15% off!
Love Deadnaut? Why not grab The Screwfly Collection containing our other games, Zafehouse Diaries and Fear Equation? Complete the set and save 15%! We've just released a special discounted Steam bundle containing all three of Screwfly Studios' strategy titles - Fear Equation, Zaf
07 Jun 2016Developer post
The Screwfly Collection - get all our games for 15% off!
Love Deadnaut? Why not grab The Screwfly Collection containing our other games, Zafehouse Diaries and Fear Equation? Complete the set and save 15%! We've just released a special discounted Steam bundle containing all three of Screwfly Studios' strategy titles - Fear Equation, Zaf
31 Mar 2016Developer post
Deadnaut v1.3.1 update notes - optimisations, fixes and balance tweaks galore
Greetings fellow commanders, Deadnaut has just been patched to v1.3.1! We've been tinkering under the hood of Deadnaut and come up with a healthy batch of balance changes, fixes, optimisations and tweaks to make your experience in the depths of space even more doomed enjoyable! B
Greetings fellow commanders, Deadnaut has just been patched to v1.3.1! We've been tinkering under the hood of Deadnaut and come up with a healthy batch of balance changes, fixes, optimisations and tweaks to make your experience in the depths of space even more ~~doomed~~ enjoyable!

Balance: Ghosts enemies can no longer drag deadnauts. This fixes an issue where such enemies could drag characters into the void, resulting in them getting stuck.
Balance: Hacking sentinels is now more effective (easier to hack, hacks last longer).
Balance: Enemies can no longer hit each other with their own projectiles (blast weapons excluded). This matches the behaviour of deadnaut friendly fire.
Balance: The amount of Knowledge stolen by the Siphon flaw has been reduced and capped.
Balance: Mines are now significantly more effective, especially at higher gear levels, and take into account the wielder's combat skill.
Balance: The image created by the projector now decays faster and takes more damage from all sources, however, the wielder's detection skill provides more of a benefit.
Tweak: Stim use is now bound to the left ("[") and right ("]") bracket keys, representing the first and second slots respectively.
Tweak: Deadnauts with melee primaries and ranged secondaries will now use their ranged weapons when appropriate.
Tweak: Deadnauts with melee primaries, scanners and projectors no longer automatically shoot enemies unless they've been spotted or forced to attack.
Tweak: Inter-mission exit game button now reads "Save & exit".
Tweak: Grouped deadnauts are now smarter about spreading out work when a number of consecutive "Investigate" orders are given.
Tweak: Grouped deadnauts will no longer wait for the best hacker to open a door if that hacker is far away.
Fixed: End game debrief was reporting erroneous numbers for "Sentinels hacked".
Fixed: An issue where the chat log would stop working. A side-effect of this change is that extremely large chat logs will have their oldest entries culled.
Fixed: The Siphon flaw allowing a negative Knowledge balance.
Fixed: A few issues when exiting the game.
Fixed: The Selective Deafness flaw no longer allows deadnauts to open disabled (grey) doors.
Fixed: Mines now once again apply critical hit effects.
Fixed: Deadnauts will never attack hacked sentinels unless forced by the player.
Fixed: A rare issue where saved games would fail to load.
Fixed: Additional checks to make sure portals don't teleport deadnauts into the void.
Performance: Updated SQLite library to 3.11.
Performance: Game assemblies are now built with Microsoft's Roslyn compiler.
Performance: Updated screen space ambient occlusion effect.
Performance: Extensive optimisations to memory and CPU usage to reduce stuttering.
Performance: Optimisations to sentinel AI to reduce stuttering in later levels.
For past patch notes, please visit the Screwfly forums!
Original post
31 Mar 2016Developer post
Deadnaut v1.3.1 update notes - optimisations, fixes and balance tweaks galore
Greetings fellow commanders, Deadnaut has just been patched to v1.3.1! We've been tinkering under the hood of Deadnaut and come up with a healthy batch of balance changes, fixes, optimisations and tweaks to make your experience in the depths of space even more doomed enjoyable! B
Greetings fellow commanders, Deadnaut has just been patched to v1.3.1! We've been tinkering under the hood of Deadnaut and come up with a healthy batch of balance changes, fixes, optimisations and tweaks to make your experience in the depths of space even more ~~doomed~~ enjoyable!

Balance: Ghosts enemies can no longer drag deadnauts. This fixes an issue where such enemies could drag characters into the void, resulting in them getting stuck.
Balance: Hacking sentinels is now more effective (easier to hack, hacks last longer).
Balance: Enemies can no longer hit each other with their own projectiles (blast weapons excluded). This matches the behaviour of deadnaut friendly fire.
Balance: The amount of Knowledge stolen by the Siphon flaw has been reduced and capped.
Balance: Mines are now significantly more effective, especially at higher gear levels, and take into account the wielder's combat skill.
Balance: The image created by the projector now decays faster and takes more damage from all sources, however, the wielder's detection skill provides more of a benefit.
Tweak: Stim use is now bound to the left ("[") and right ("]") bracket keys, representing the first and second slots respectively.
Tweak: Deadnauts with melee primaries and ranged secondaries will now use their ranged weapons when appropriate.
Tweak: Deadnauts with melee primaries, scanners and projectors no longer automatically shoot enemies unless they've been spotted or forced to attack.
Tweak: Inter-mission exit game button now reads "Save & exit".
Tweak: Grouped deadnauts are now smarter about spreading out work when a number of consecutive "Investigate" orders are given.
Tweak: Grouped deadnauts will no longer wait for the best hacker to open a door if that hacker is far away.
Fixed: End game debrief was reporting erroneous numbers for "Sentinels hacked".
Fixed: An issue where the chat log would stop working. A side-effect of this change is that extremely large chat logs will have their oldest entries culled.
Fixed: The Siphon flaw allowing a negative Knowledge balance.
Fixed: A few issues when exiting the game.
Fixed: The Selective Deafness flaw no longer allows deadnauts to open disabled (grey) doors.
Fixed: Mines now once again apply critical hit effects.
Fixed: Deadnauts will never attack hacked sentinels unless forced by the player.
Fixed: A rare issue where saved games would fail to load.
Fixed: Additional checks to make sure portals don't teleport deadnauts into the void.
Performance: Updated SQLite library to 3.11.
Performance: Game assemblies are now built with Microsoft's Roslyn compiler.
Performance: Updated screen space ambient occlusion effect.
Performance: Extensive optimisations to memory and CPU usage to reduce stuttering.
Performance: Optimisations to sentinel AI to reduce stuttering in later levels.
For past patch notes, please visit the Screwfly forums!
Original post
18 Jan 2016Rock, Paper, Shotgun
Impressions: Fear Equation
Fear Equation is a game set aboard a train and that train is one of the last safe havens in a world consumed by a terrifying mist. You play as the engineer and as you ride the rails, you’ll attempt to pick up survivors, scavenge supplies and survive the dark. The mist manifests t
15 Jan 2016Developer post
Screwfly's new horror strategy game Fear Equation, now on Steam
If you've been anticipating the arrival of our latest game Fear Equation on Steam , your chance to venture into the fog is here! The game is now out and to celebrate, we're having a 25% off sale for a limited time . Fear Equation is a genre-spanning horror strategy title where no
[img=http://fearequation.com/images/steam_febanner.png]
If you've been anticipating the arrival of our latest game Fear Equation on Steam, your chance to venture into the fog is here!
The game is now out and to celebrate, we're having a 25% off sale for a limited time.
Fear Equation is a genre-spanning horror strategy title where no two games are the same. The world is covered in a mysterious fog. Most who enter the fog disappear, and those who survive say it brings their nightmares to life.
You are The Engineer and you're in control of a very special train. Will you rescue survivors and keep them safe from their self-inflicted terrors? More importantly... can you lead them to salvation?
Here's what awaits you in Fear Equation:

Send passengers out into the fog to investigate locations, find survivors and bring back supplies
Manage defenses, power and resources. But be careful: if you aren’t the saviour they need, they’ll revolt against you
Handle disputes between carriage leaders that can end in dramatic events that swing the balance of power between your defenders and detractors
Monitor your passengers’ dreams to discover what kind of horrors will attack the train – and how to defeat them
Create your own Engineer with special modifiers that determine your train’s starting conditions, as well as the course the game will take
Customise the passengers on board your train, importing photos of friends to give your game that personal touch... right before you send them to their demise
Do your best to avoid the military and cult-like "Fearless" as they seek to eliminate anyone caught in the fog
Interact with intricate machines and devices within a richly detailed, fully 3D cabin
So, Engineer... will the fog claim you?
http://store.steampowered.com/app/428350
Original post
15 Jan 2016Developer post
Screwfly's new horror strategy game Fear Equation, now on Steam
If you've been anticipating the arrival of our latest game Fear Equation on Steam , your chance to venture into the fog is here! The game is now out and to celebrate, we're having a 25% off sale for a limited time . Fear Equation is a genre-spanning horror strategy title where no
[img=http://fearequation.com/images/steam_febanner.png]
If you've been anticipating the arrival of our latest game Fear Equation on Steam, your chance to venture into the fog is here!
The game is now out and to celebrate, we're having a 25% off sale for a limited time.
Fear Equation is a genre-spanning horror strategy title where no two games are the same. The world is covered in a mysterious fog. Most who enter the fog disappear, and those who survive say it brings their nightmares to life.
You are The Engineer and you're in control of a very special train. Will you rescue survivors and keep them safe from their self-inflicted terrors? More importantly... can you lead them to salvation?
Here's what awaits you in Fear Equation:

Send passengers out into the fog to investigate locations, find survivors and bring back supplies
Manage defenses, power and resources. But be careful: if you aren’t the saviour they need, they’ll revolt against you
Handle disputes between carriage leaders that can end in dramatic events that swing the balance of power between your defenders and detractors
Monitor your passengers’ dreams to discover what kind of horrors will attack the train – and how to defeat them
Create your own Engineer with special modifiers that determine your train’s starting conditions, as well as the course the game will take
Customise the passengers on board your train, importing photos of friends to give your game that personal touch... right before you send them to their demise
Do your best to avoid the military and cult-like "Fearless" as they seek to eliminate anyone caught in the fog
Interact with intricate machines and devices within a richly detailed, fully 3D cabin
So, Engineer... will the fog claim you?
http://store.steampowered.com/app/428350
Original post
09 Nov 2015Developer post
A train. A terrifying fog. Nightmares brought to life. Watch Fear Equation's first trailer!
With the release of Fear Equation drawing closer, what better time to show you more of the game - this time in video form! Here's our first trailer, featuring various snippets of gameplay including rigging the lottery, scavenging missions, course plotting and driving the train, a
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3056nRIZi50
With the release of Fear Equation drawing closer, what better time to show you more of the game - this time in video form! Here's our first trailer, featuring various snippets of gameplay including rigging the lottery, scavenging missions, course plotting and driving the train, as well as a peek at a few of the fear manifestations themselves.
In addition, here's a list of features you'll see the final game:
Send passengers out into the fog to investigate locations, find survivors and bring back supplies
Manage defenses, power and resources. But be careful: if you aren't the saviour they need, they'll revolt against you
Handle disputes between carriage leaders that can end in dramatic events that swing the balance of power between your defenders and detractors
Monitor your passengers' dreams to discover what kind of horrors will attack the train - and how to defeat them
Create your own Engineer with perks and flaws that determine your train's starting conditions, as well as the course the game will take
Do your best to avoid the military as they seek to eliminate anyone caught in the fog
Interact with intricate machines and devices within a richly detailed, fully 3D cabin
If you'd like to stay up-to-date with developments, be sure to follow us on Facebook and Twitter.
Original post
09 Nov 2015Developer post
A train. A terrifying fog. Nightmares brought to life. Watch Fear Equation's first trailer!
With the release of Fear Equation drawing closer, what better time to show you more of the game - this time in video form! Here's our first trailer, featuring various snippets of gameplay including rigging the lottery, scavenging missions, course plotting and driving the train, a
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3056nRIZi50
With the release of Fear Equation drawing closer, what better time to show you more of the game - this time in video form! Here's our first trailer, featuring various snippets of gameplay including rigging the lottery, scavenging missions, course plotting and driving the train, as well as a peek at a few of the fear manifestations themselves.
In addition, here's a list of features you'll see the final game:
Send passengers out into the fog to investigate locations, find survivors and bring back supplies
Manage defenses, power and resources. But be careful: if you aren't the saviour they need, they'll revolt against you
Handle disputes between carriage leaders that can end in dramatic events that swing the balance of power between your defenders and detractors
Monitor your passengers' dreams to discover what kind of horrors will attack the train - and how to defeat them
Create your own Engineer with perks and flaws that determine your train's starting conditions, as well as the course the game will take
Do your best to avoid the military as they seek to eliminate anyone caught in the fog
Interact with intricate machines and devices within a richly detailed, fully 3D cabin
If you'd like to stay up-to-date with developments, be sure to follow us on Facebook and Twitter.
Original post
05 Nov 2015Developer post
Deadnaut v1.3.0 update notes - unlockable campaigns, difficulty settings and new achievements!
Welcome back to the fore, commander! Word on the grapevine is you've been itching for more challenges to test your skills. Well, headquarters has cooked something delicious just for you... Added: Five unlockable campaigns and campaign selection. As of 1.3.0, you can now unlock ea
Welcome back to the fore, commander! Word on the grapevine is you've been itching for more challenges to test your skills. Well, headquarters has cooked something delicious just for you...

Added: Five unlockable campaigns and campaign selection. As of 1.3.0, you can now unlock each campaign type you complete successfully, allowing you to play it at your leisure. In addition, you'll be awarded a rating out of four for each campaign type, based on the difficulty level it was finished on.
Added: Four difficulty settings: Easy, Normal, Hard and Extreme. Easy is perfect for learning Deadnaut's ropes without being bombarded by the trickier aspects of the game by significantly reducing Sentinel damage and disabling environmental damage. Hard represents the game's difficulty pre-1.3.0, while Extreme poses a huge challenge for even the most proficient commanders. Normal, Hard and Extreme also provide the player with a small Knowledge bonus. Steam users: Please note you cannot earn achievements in Easy mode!
Balance: Increased the damage bonus applied to fielded enemies.
Fixed: Shields should now be correctly reapplied between missions.
Fixed: Holographic projector strength now scales correctly with better versions.
Fixed: Various issues with blast weapon damage. The net result is that they are far more effective.
Fixed: In rare cases, enemies in the Horror campaign with blast weapons would spam such attacks.
Fixed: An issue with statistics tracking not working correctly after winning a series of games in the same session.
Fixed: The communications text area should no longer break after long sessions.
Fixed: The structural damage alarm is properly squelched outside of missions.
Fixed: Deadnauts teleported by portals should now respect collision.
Fixed: Deadnauts chasing teleported horrors through collision.
Tweak: Game assemblies are now built with the latest version of the Mono compiler.
To complement the update, we've added two new achievements:

Master Of Unlocking: Unlock all campaign modes
Lieutenant Ripley's Believe It Or Not: Complete a campaign on Extreme difficulty
Please note that the new Easy difficulty disables achievements -- we're not just giving these awards away, you know.
For past patch notes, please visit the Screwfly forums!
Original post
05 Nov 2015Developer post
Deadnaut v1.3.0 update notes - unlockable campaigns, difficulty settings and new achievements!
Welcome back to the fore, commander! Word on the grapevine is you've been itching for more challenges to test your skills. Well, headquarters has cooked something delicious just for you... Added: Five unlockable campaigns and campaign selection. As of 1.3.0, you can now unlock ea
Welcome back to the fore, commander! Word on the grapevine is you've been itching for more challenges to test your skills. Well, headquarters has cooked something delicious just for you...

Added: Five unlockable campaigns and campaign selection. As of 1.3.0, you can now unlock each campaign type you complete successfully, allowing you to play it at your leisure. In addition, you'll be awarded a rating out of four for each campaign type, based on the difficulty level it was finished on.
Added: Four difficulty settings: Easy, Normal, Hard and Extreme. Easy is perfect for learning Deadnaut's ropes without being bombarded by the trickier aspects of the game by significantly reducing Sentinel damage and disabling environmental damage. Hard represents the game's difficulty pre-1.3.0, while Extreme poses a huge challenge for even the most proficient commanders. Normal, Hard and Extreme also provide the player with a small Knowledge bonus. Steam users: Please note you cannot earn achievements in Easy mode!
Balance: Increased the damage bonus applied to fielded enemies.
Fixed: Shields should now be correctly reapplied between missions.
Fixed: Holographic projector strength now scales correctly with better versions.
Fixed: Various issues with blast weapon damage. The net result is that they are far more effective.
Fixed: In rare cases, enemies in the Horror campaign with blast weapons would spam such attacks.
Fixed: An issue with statistics tracking not working correctly after winning a series of games in the same session.
Fixed: The communications text area should no longer break after long sessions.
Fixed: The structural damage alarm is properly squelched outside of missions.
Fixed: Deadnauts teleported by portals should now respect collision.
Fixed: Deadnauts chasing teleported horrors through collision.
Tweak: Game assemblies are now built with the latest version of the Mono compiler.
To complement the update, we've added two new achievements:

Master Of Unlocking: Unlock all campaign modes
Lieutenant Ripley's Believe It Or Not: Complete a campaign on Extreme difficulty
Please note that the new Easy difficulty disables achievements -- we're not just giving these awards away, you know.
For past patch notes, please visit the Screwfly forums!
Original post
21 Aug 2015Developer post
Announcing our new game, Fear Equation!
Hello folks! We're happy to announce our next game, Fear Equation . It’s due out this year - we’re aiming for October. It’s a horror strategy game - part-real time, part-turn-based - where your job is to guide 150 passengers through a fog that brings their nightmares to life. Kee

Updates & announcements

Try the free demo

What's next?

How can I get help with the game?

Try the free demo

What's next?

How can I get help with the game?

What can we expect in the full release?

When will the demo arrive on Steam?

Can I play the demo now without joining the Discord server?

Join the Screwfly Studios Discord Server!

(Check the #general channel topic for links to the tech demo)

FAQ

How long until the game comes out?

Will the demo be available on Steam?

I don't use Discord, can I still try the tech demo?

The sequel to Zafehouse Diaires has arrived! You can now purchase the game on Steam or directly from us.

The sequel to Zafehouse Diaires has arrived! You can now purchase the game on Steam or directly from us.

Love Deadnaut? Why not grab The Screwfly Collection containing our other games, Zafehouse Diaries and Fear Equation? Complete the set and save 15%!

Love Deadnaut? Why not grab The Screwfly Collection containing our other games, Zafehouse Diaries and Fear Equation? Complete the set and save 15%!

Greetings fellow commanders, Deadnaut has just been patched to v1.3.1! We've been tinkering under the hood of Deadnaut and come up with a healthy batch of balance changes, fixes, optimisations and tweaks to make your experience in the depths of space even more doomed enjoyable!

Greetings fellow commanders, Deadnaut has just been patched to v1.3.1! We've been tinkering under the hood of Deadnaut and come up with a healthy batch of balance changes, fixes, optimisations and tweaks to make your experience in the depths of space even more doomed enjoyable!

Welcome back to the fore, commander! Word on the grapevine is you've been itching for more challenges to test your skills. Well, headquarters has cooked something delicious just for you...

Welcome back to the fore, commander! Word on the grapevine is you've been itching for more challenges to test your skills. Well, headquarters has cooked something delicious just for you...