From Press Release:
Kraków, Poland – 7th of October: Developer Beeswax Games and publisher Black Lantern Collective today announce that No Players Online will launch on the 6th of November 2025 on PC via Steam. The short, 15-minute cult-hit 2019 freeware game of the same name has been rebuilt as a full commercial release that expands its mystery into a larger, playable investigation. You will uncover an abandoned capture-the-flag prototype on a retro PC and step into a world where the line between old code and something alive begins to blur…
You begin playing on an old computer where you explore a desktop filled with mysterious folders, corrupted files, and forgotten software. Among them lies a broken FPS shooter that seems to have been left running for years. What starts as a harmless curiosity becomes a descent into a digital labyrinth, where each login reveals new secrets about the world behind the screen.
Learn the story behind why a developer is trying to bring his partner back to life by trapping her in the game and dive into the history of their relationship, grief, obsession and the dynamics of an artist couple dealing with illness and identity through his work. No Players Online becomes an allegory of sorts about not being able to let go and leave things unfinished.
Explore eerie maps once built for competition but now inhabited by strange figures and remnants of the past. But, beyond the matches lies a growing web of hidden files, encrypted messages, and clues that suggest the system itself may be haunted by its own creation. Every discovery brings you closer to uncovering the truth about who built the game, why it was abandoned, and what still lingers inside it.
“Our aim was to take the concept of an empty multiplayer server and treat it as a world in itself. Every detail, from the sound of the modem to the flicker of the maps, tells part of the story. It is as much about how players explore as it is about what they find.” – said Adam Pype
Through exploration, puzzle solving, and fragments of story found within the system, No Players Online turns familiar nostalgia into something darkly introspective. It asks you not just to play, but to investigate, to listen, and to question what on earth is really going on.
More Information:
- Soul Fusion Mechanic: Merge two downloaded games into a new hybrid experience via the Soul Transfer tool, with unpredictable consequences and corruption risks.
- Clues are Key: Hidden fragments in maps, files, forum posts, and nested games combine to reveal a deeper narrative thread.
- Interactive Desktop: A fully simulated 90s computer environment with tools, folders, and utilities that you can explore, experiment with, and manipulate. And yes, Minesweeper is included!
For more information about No Players Online, and to stay updated on future developments, visit the official Steam page or join the Black Lantern Collective Discord.
About Beeswax Games
Beeswax Games is a studio based in Belgium, founded by Adam Pype, Viktor Kraus, and Tibau Van Den Broeck. The team is known for Spookware and is now focused on No Players Online, a full-length evolution of their earlier cult concept.
About The Black Lantern Collective
Black Lantern Collective are a team of experienced horror specialists that together have over 15 years of experience within the genre. Wanting to push the boundaries of traditional game publishing, the team’s focus is on games that are bold, weird, take risks, explore unsettling themes, and ultimately deliver a wild yet memorable experience to their players.
