Haunted Paws: Closed Alpha Begins – Announced at Wholesome Direct 2025
Hi everyone,
We’re thrilled to finally share that the Closed Alpha for Haunted Paws is beginning, and we’ll be inviting players to test the game in small waves starting today!
Before diving into the details, we want to take a moment to thank you for your continued patience and support. We know it’s taken longer than expected to reach this stage — and we’d love to share why.
Why It Took Time – A Process of Testing and Listening
As a small team, we’ve been focused on building something special: a cozy co-op horror experience where you and a friend play as brave little puppies exploring a haunted world. Getting the tone and feel right has taken time — especially because early on, we explored multiple directions in how the game could play.
In our initial prototypes, the game featured a third-person, semi-open world structure. Players could explore large areas, switch between characters, solve puzzles, and fight enemies. It looked great, and in some moments, it really shined. We even imagined a wide range of player-driven exploration, with environments like forests, apartments, crypts, and graveyards — and we built early versions of all of that
But through internal testing and lots of play sessions, we started to notice that something was missing. The spooky, atmospheric tone that’s so important to Haunted Paws often got lost in the open layout. Movement felt too loose. Pacing was inconsistent. And local co-op, a central feature of the game, became harder to design around in those wide spaces.
We weren’t sure whether to keep going in that direction or refine things. So we turned to the community — and ran a poll that nearly 3,000 of you responded to. Your feedback showed a strong interest in a more focused, atmospheric experience — something that would lean into mood, tension, storytelling, and handcrafted moments, like in INSIDE, Little Nightmares, or Limbo.
That helped confirm what we had already begun feeling during internal testing: Haunted Paws would thrive in a more directed format, where pacing, scares, exploration, and emotional beats can be carefully shaped and shared.
Private Alpha Testing Starts Now
To manage feedback effectively, we’re rolling the alpha out in three phases, all focused on local co-op for now.
Phase 1 – Available Now
Local co-op only
Focus: puppy customization, controller support, and movement
Goal: ensure the basics feel great and technical stuff is bug-free
Phase 2 – In a few weeks
Local co-op only
Adds: enemies, puzzles, early story content
Goal: test core interactions and early atmosphere
Phase 3 – Later one
Local co-op only
Adds: 30–50 minutes of full gameplay
Goal: test a full early-game slice with story, exploration, and progression
Access links will be sent daily to everyone who signs up.
After Phase 3 wraps, we’ll move into online co-op support and prepare a public demo, which we’re aiming to launch around Halloween, alongside new content.
Want to help us test Haunted Paws?
📩 Sign up for Alpha Access: Haunted Paws Closed Alpha
💬 Join the discussion on Discord: Haunted Paws Discord
Thank you again for being on this journey with us. Your support — and feedback — have directly shaped the path of Haunted Paws. We can’t wait to see what you think.
— The Haunted Paws Team