Dreadcore: Locked Unit

About Dreadcore: Locked Unit

Dreadcore: Locked Unit is a first-person horror game mixing exploration and puzzle-solving set in a cyberpunk dystopia. Made by Vladislav Lukyantsev and released in 2026, it drops you into the role of a Directorate concierge trapped in a sealed, decaying basement called Unit 199. The game leans heavy on eerie environments and fragmented storytelling to figure out the protagonist’s fractured mind. It’s a slow-burn experience where you navigate glitchy virtual spaces and decaying machinery, piecing together a tragic tale of escapism and existential dread. The vibe is claustrophobic and unsettling, with no combat or action elements, just you and a labyrinth of cryptic clues.

Gameplay

You move through Unit 199’s warped corridors as a silent observer, interacting with objects to trigger memories and solve environmental puzzles. Controls are simple: point-and-click to examine items, with occasional QTEs for tense moments. The core loop involves shifting between the bleak real world and a glitching simulation, where broken machinery and distorted audio cues hint at the protagonist’s figuring out psyche. Puzzles require rearranging corrupted data or aligning fragmented memories to progress. Sessions often feel like wandering a haunted house, most of the time you’re just looking at walls, listening to distorted voice logs, or fumbling with abstract mechanics that don’t always click. It’s methodical, but the lack of clear direction can frustrate.

What Players Think

On PlayPile, Locked Unit holds a 4.3/5 rating with 78% of players finishing it. The average playtime is 5.8 hours, though 22% abandon it before the second act. Community moods are split: 65% report feeling "haunted" or "uneasy," while 30% call it "tedious." Achievement completion sits at 82%, with 35 unlocks tied to hidden files and puzzle-solving. Reviewers praise the oppressive atmosphere but criticize the obtuse puzzles, one user wrote, "The glitches feel intentional, but the game forgets to explain what’s broken." Critic scores are polarized: PC Gamer gave it 8/10 for originality, while IGN panned the "boring pacing."

PlayPile's Take

Locked Unit is a $29.99 deep cut for fans of abstract horror who don’t mind slow progress. It’s not a showcase for puzzle fans, it’s more about sitting with discomfort and piecing together a fractured narrative. The $30 price tag feels fair if you value eerie sound design and cryptic storytelling over gameplay polish. With 35 achievements, it rewards persistence, but don’t expect a smooth ride. Stick with it if you enjoy figuring out psychological mysteries, but skip if you prefer clear objectives and action. It’s a niche title that works best as a haunted house experience, brief but unsettling.

Storyline

In Locked Unit, players step into the shoes of a concierge working for the Directorate, the authoritarian government of a decaying cyberpunk world. What begins as routine duties spirals into a nightmare when he is sent into Unit 199, a sealed basement where corrupted machinery lures him into a virtual reality promising escape. Inside, he is torn between his bleak, monotonous real life and a simulated paradise that slowly unravels into existential horror.