Bloober Team, the Polish studio behind several psychological horror gems, has returned with another spine-chilling experience: Cronos: The New Dawn. Just in time for Halloween, the team has released a free 30-minute demo for PC players, available on both Steam and the Epic Games Store. 
The timing couldn’t be better – this hands-on preview drops alongside a multi-platform sale that includes discounts across nearly every major digital storefront.
The demo isn’t just a throwaway teaser. Players who decide to buy the full game after trying it will find that their progress seamlessly carries over, making this one of those rare demos that actually respects your time. The first mission introduces players to Cronos’ unsettling world – a decaying research facility where time itself seems to warp. You’ll get a taste of the game’s intricate combat system, experiment with two of its bizarre hybrid weapons, and witness how the nightmarish creatures can fuse into larger, grotesque horrors in real time. It’s a terrifying yet elegant showcase of Bloober Team’s evolving design language.
While console gamers may feel left out of the demo fun for now, they haven’t been forgotten entirely. Cronos: The New Dawn is currently 15% off across all major platforms, including PlayStation, Xbox, Nintendo Switch, and GOG, with discounts rolling out through October 22. The PC version remains the primary testing ground for now, likely due to Bloober’s emphasis on fine-tuning the technical aspects that make Cronos’ eerie environments and merging system truly shine.
Critical reception has been promising. When Wccftech’s Francesco De Meo reviewed the title last month, he awarded it an 8 out of 10, commending its haunting world design, layered storytelling, and unique creature merge mechanic. He admitted that the early hours can feel sluggish – combat’s a bit stiff, enemies predictable – but after pushing past that initial wall, the experience blossoms into one of Bloober’s strongest games yet. It’s a sentiment many fans seem to share: Cronos starts as a traditional survival horror experience but slowly mutates into something far stranger and more captivating, reflecting its own gameplay theme of fusion and transformation.
For those in the Halloween spirit, Cronos isn’t the only terrifying delight on offer. The Epic Games Store’s Halloween sale features plenty of chilling titles, including Bloober’s acclaimed Silent Hill 2 Remake, which set the tone for their recent creative resurgence. But Cronos: The New Dawn stands as proof that Bloober Team is no longer just paying homage to horror classics – they’re actively redefining the genre, one unnerving experiment at a time.