Pine Creek

About Pine Creek

Pine Creek is a sci-fi survival horror game from DREADMITH Games, released on PC in late 2026. Set in autumn 1986, it follows a man searching for his missing wife in a remote Appalachian town plagued by disappearances and alien activity. You explore forests, mines, and derelict buildings at night, solving randomized puzzles while avoiding gray aliens that stalk you. The story unfolds through environmental clues and cryptic encounters, blending personal mystery with cosmic horror. It’s a single-player adventure focused on stealth, exploration, and narrative discovery. The game leans heavy on atmosphere, with eerie sound design and a tense, methodical pace.

Gameplay

Pine Creek emphasizes slow, deliberate play. You move between locations using a map, then scout areas on foot, hiding in shadows or using limited tools like flashlights and motion sensors. Puzzles are randomized, often requiring you to manipulate objects or decode symbols to progress. Alien encounters force you to freeze or duck behind cover, as they sweep the area with harsh red light. Resource scarcity is a key tension, batteries for your flashlight are rare, and you can only carry so many items. Combat isn’t an option; survival hinges on avoiding detection. The game’s difficulty spikes when puzzles require precise timing or when multiple aliens patrol at once. Sessions typically last 2-4 hours, with a strong push toward replayability through shifting puzzle layouts.

What Players Think

Pine Creek holds a 78% critic score and a 6.9/10 user rating on Steam, with 62% of players completing it. Average playtime is 11.2 hours, though 18% abandon it before finishing. Community moods are split: 41% describe it as “creepy but tedious,” 32% praise its “atmospheric tension,” and 27% call it “overly punishing.” Review snippets highlight the “beautifully bleak environments” and “addictive puzzle mechanics,” but critics note “repetitive stealth segments” and “unforgiving difficulty spikes.” Achievements total 17, with the hardest (silent escape from three aliens) unlocked by just 9.3% of players.

PlayPile's Take

Pine Creek is best for fans of methodical horror and mystery-driven narratives. At $29.99, it offers solid value for its 15-hour story, but the punishing difficulty and lack of combat may alienate casual players. The randomized puzzles add replayability, though some find them gimmicky. If you enjoy stealth, environmental storytelling, and games like Amnesia or The Vanishing of Ethan Carter, this delivers a tense, atmospheric experience. Avoid it if you dislike resource scarcity or prefer fast-paced action.

Storyline

On an autumn afternoon in 1986, you and your wife Sarah travel to a secluded, rural area within the Appalachian region of Pennsylvania, home to the small town of Pine Creek, where Sarah grew up. As you approach your destination, a radio broadcast reports a series of mysterious disappearances spanning decades— hikers who vanished without a trace. Authorities blame the region’s dangerous cave systems and abandoned mines, as no evidence of foul play has ever been found. As night falls, strange things begin to happen. Suddenly, Sarah’s brother arrives, visibly shaken, urging you to go with him because something strange has happened on his farm. When you return to your cabin, Sarah is gone. Throughout the night, you search for your missing wife across the atmospheric outskirts of Pine Creek—from dark forests and abandoned facilities to forgotten mines beneath the mountains. Along the way, you encounter disturbing, inexplicable phenomena: strange lights in the sky and gray aliens who stalk and attempt to abduct you. As you delve deeper, you meet different characters who may help or hinder your search for your missing wife, and as their secrets start to unravel, the truth behind the strange events is finally revealed... or so it seems.