Haunted Heist gameplay revolves around round-based, asymmetric PvP horror where a team of Heisters attempts to extract valuable gems from a procedurally generated luxury mansion while player-controlled Tricksters hunt, sabotage, and deceive them. Matches last up to 10 minutes, forcing Heisters to balance limited resources, friendly fire, and communication hazards against supernatural abilities that actively turn teammates against one another.
Developed by autotroph games in the Godot engine, the game blends cooperative survival mechanics with fast-paced party chaos designed for 3 to 8 players on Steam (with custom playtests accommodating up to 10).
Match Structure and Core Objectives
Every round of Haunted Heist places players into one of two asymmetric roles with opposing win conditions:
- The Heister Objective: Heisters spawn inside a designated safe room. Their goal is to locate a set quota of gems scattered across the mansion, carry them back to the safe room deposit point, and survive until extraction before the round timer reaches zero.
- The Trickster Objective: Tricksters must prevent the heist by wiping out the Heister crew, stalling retrieval until the 10-minute clock expires, or picking off players one by one using stealth and psychological sabotage.
Lobby hosts can adjust match parameters prior to starting, including the required gem count (commonly set between 3 and 9 gems), starting bullet allowances (typically 3 to 4 rounds per player), and whether compass tracking tools are enabled.
Heister Equipment and Resource Management
Surviving as a Heister requires navigating dark, labyrinthine hallways while managing tight equipment limitations. Weapons and utility items do not have infinite use, making teamwork critical.
| Equipment / Tool | Primary Function | Limitations and Mechanics |
|---|---|---|
| Handgun | Primary defensive firearm | Starts with 3 to 4 bullets; ammo drops must be found in the mansion |
| Grenade Launcher | Heavy explosive ordnance | Rare pickup; massive blast radius with active friendly fire |
| Flashlight | Hallway illumination | Drains a shared energy/battery meter |
| Defibrillator | Reviving downed teammates | Requires collecting a teammate's soul and consumes battery power |
| Flares | Area illumination and marking | Thrown light source to mark pathways or rooms |
| Gem Compass | Objective navigation | Points directly toward the nearest uncollected gem |
| Safe Room Compass | Extraction navigation | Points toward the home safe room; can be toggled off in lobby settings |
Heister survival heavily depends on battery management. The flashlight and defibrillator draw from the same recharging energy gauge. If a player burns their energy keeping corridors lit, they cannot immediately revive fallen allies when encountering a Trickster ambush.
Downed players drop their souls at the spot where they were eliminated. Surviving Heisters must interact with the corpse to grab the soul, carry it to safety, and spend sufficient battery juice with a defibrillator to bring their teammate back into the round.
Trickster Powers and Psychological Warfare
Tricksters are cryptid-like entities designed to sow discord and exploit gaps in Heister coordination. Instead of relying solely on brute force, Tricksters use an array of abilities regulated by individual cooldown timers:
- Invisibility and Shadow Stalking: Tricksters can turn invisible or cling to ceilings and walls, dropping directly onto unsuspecting Heisters.
- Voice Mimicry and Spatial Sabotage: Tricksters can trigger voice modulation, swap player voices, or project audio straight into a specific Heister's head to induce panic and false callouts.
- Player Muting: A targeted snap mechanic temporarily silences a Heister, preventing them from alerting teammates over proximity voice chat.
- The "Yoink" / Grab: Tricksters can physically seize a Heister and sprint away at elevated speeds. While grabbed, the victim is immobilized with their camera locked onto the captor until a teammate shoots the Trickster to interrupt the carry.
- Disguises: Tricksters can disguise their physical appearance as specific Heister teammates, blending into roaming squads to lure players away from the group.
- Night Vision: Tricksters do not need flashlights, allowing them to navigate pitch-black corridors unimpeded.
Communication and Environmental Hazards
Proximity voice chat forms the operational core of Haunted Heist gameplay. Because communications fade with physical distance, separated Heisters cannot easily coordinate or call for rescue.
Key environmental and gameplay factors include:
- Procedural Mansions: Room layouts, staircases, and hallway paths randomize each round, preventing Heisters from memorizing extraction routes.
- Doorways and Colored Keys: Certain interior sections, such as "The Passage" and secure vault rooms, require finding color-coded key fragments before opening.
- Trapdoors and Fall Hazards: Corridors feature deceptive rugs and collapsible floor traps that drop players into lower levels, separating them from the main squad.
- Friendly Fire: Bullets and explosives harm teammates. When Tricksters disguise themselves as Heisters or create chaos in tight hallways, panic-firing often leads to accidental team wipes.
Frequently Asked Questions
What engine is Haunted Heist developed in?
Haunted Heist is built using the open-source Godot engine, featuring custom 3D asset pipelines developed in Blender under art direction from Micah Holland (former lead artist on Sable).
What is the maximum player count?
The official Steam store page lists multiplayer support for 3 to 8 players in online PvP and co-op modes, with developer playtests supporting custom lobbies up to 10 players.
What platforms is Haunted Heist launching on?
According to official developer updates and Steam data, the game is targeting Windows and macOS, with full controller support and confirmed optimization for Steam Deck and Linux environments.
What is the official release date?
Official store data lists the release date as October 12, 2026. Prior to full launch, autotroph games hosts periodic closed beta playtests through their official community Discord.
