If anyone is still out there… if anyone is listening… you need to hear this. Independent developer Barkbyte Interactive has officially revealed its debut title, Static Hour, an eerie narrative newsroom thriller that puts the fate of a panicked 1980s town directly into your hands.

If you’re a fan of retro aesthetics, atmospheric storytelling, and high-stakes decision-making, this is definitely one to keep on your radar.

What is Static Hour?

Set in the 1980s during a sudden and mysterious government lockdown, Static Hour places you in the shoes of the lone night-shift news editor at a local broadcast station. Outside, something deeply sinister is unfolding—families are turning on each other, emergency rooms are overflowing, and rumours are spreading like wildfire.

Confined entirely inside the newsroom, you can’t see what’s happening outside with your own eyes. Instead, you have to rely on period-accurate analogue technology to uncover the truth:

• Flipping through your rolodex and making calls on a rotary phone.
• Monitoring police scanners and listening for emergency alerts.
• Digging through colleagues’ desks to find hidden clues and leads.
• Sifting through static to pick out strange, hidden audio signals.

You Decide What Gets Broadcasted—and What Doesn’t

Gathering information is only half the battle. As the night wears on, you’ll be bombarded with incomplete, conflicting, and potentially false reports. Is a strange sighting an alien invasion, a chemical leak, or just a cruel prank? Should you dispatch a field reporter into danger to verify a lead?

More importantly, what do you air?

Every decision you make carries weight:

• Inform the Public or Cause Panic: Accurate, verified reporting can keep the town calm. Misleading or alarmist news could send citizens into chaos or violence.
• Follow Regulations or Break the Rules: You’ll have to balance FCC regulations and official directives against your own journalistic integrity.
• Shape the Narrative: What you choose to broadcast—or bury—will directly influence how the townspeople react, shaping the trajectory of the night.

Behind the Static

Created by Barkbyte Interactive founder and creative director Claire Sarmiento, Static Hour explores themes of isolation, misinformation, and the burden of absolute editorial control.

“I loved the idea of spooky things happening in a small town just out of sight, where the horrors are driven by audio and left to your imagination,” Sarmiento shared in the reveal announcement. “Having to sort through junk data, red herrings, and scattered facts to decipher truth from preemptive speculation seemed like a flavor of horror that remains as relevant today as ever.”

Wishlist on Steam Today

With its tactile 1980s aesthetic, tension-filled gameplay, and rich audio-driven mystery, Static Hour looks like a dream (or nightmare) for narrative game enthusiasts and retro tech lovers alike.

Static Hour is coming to PC via Steam. You can check out the official reveal trailer and add the game to your Steam Wishlist now!

Find out more here

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