Springs, Eternal shows hope for 2026 release

• Announcements by Jack Allin
• Published:

Short lo-fi narrative adventure unveiled by Fullbright's Steve Gaynor, co-creator of Gone Home and Tacoma

Relaxing in mineral-rich natural hot springs has long been used by people for recuperative and meditative purposes, but when we open ourselves up to such deep introspection, we'd best beware just what might emerge. We'll discover that first-hand next year in Springs, Eternal, a short narrative adventure by Fullbright's Steve Gaynor, co-creator of Gone Home and Tacoma. 

The Stillwater Springs are tucked away in a "secluded, dreamlike and eerie retreat nestled deep amongst the fog-shrouded pines." In the middle of the night, you grab your flashlight and make your way along the "dark, winding, wooded path" until you reach your destination – an "otherworldly location that is equally inviting as it is unsettling." Along the way you will begin experiencing flashbacks about a woman named Twyla, which let you "piece together the humanistic and deeply heartfelt memory of the romantic relationship" that led you to this place, and "perhaps discover where it will lead [you] next."

Springs, Eternal is largely a solo project by Gaynor and is inspired by his own personal experiences at Breitenbush Hot Springs in Oregon. Darkly lit and created to resemble the lo-fi aesthetic of late-nineties PC graphics with its "dithered and crunchy pixelated stylings," the game promises a "compact narrative exploration" that takes players to various "pools, saunas, caverns, grand lodge, and other points of interest, the map "gradually expanding as you explore, revealing new discoveries." At each stop you'll encounter fellow visitors, each with their own troubles and stories, such as "the philosophers engaging in a debate that could last a lifetime; the tattooist waiting to inscribe you with your future; the old men, the widow, the young lovers" and more, among the dozen-plus other strangers you'll encounter. 

With no voice-over there will be plenty of reading to do, as the script will have "over 30,000 words of dialogue." You won't hear them all in one go, however, as unlike in the developer's previous titles, here you'll be shaping the conversation through your choices. The game is designed to be "mostly open-structure" to explore as you wish, though progress will sometimes depend on "performing specific actions" that open up new lines of dialogue elsewhere. As you begin coming to terms with our own past relationship and discover more about the "lost souls" you meet, you will begin to understand "how their stories relate to your own, and what other secrets the supernaturally-tinged Stillwater might be hiding." This is not a horror game in the traditional sense, but rather a "heartfelt and haunting" one that can be an "eerie, otherworldly, sometimes tense experience" at times. A single playthrough is expected to take only 2-3 hours or so, encouraging replays to go back and take different paths, both geographically and narratively. 

There is no firm target release date for Springs, Eternal just yet, but the game should be launching sometime in 2026 on Steam for Windows PC with Steam Deck support.