TECHMASH

Tag: #socialdeduction

  • Trust No One: Jackbox-Style Party Game ‘Forest of Deceit’ Drops Today on PC and Consoles

    Trust No One: Jackbox-Style Party Game ‘Forest of Deceit’ Drops Today on PC and Consoles

    If you’ve ever watched The Traitors, stayed up late playing Werewolf, or simply thought, “I could absolutely trick my friends into a swift and sudden demise,” indie developer Ghost Camp has some fantastic news for you.

    Today officially marks the launch of Forest of Deceit, a Jackbox-esque social deduction party game built for 4 to 8 players. Best of all? It’s dropping almost everywhere—hitting Steam, PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X|S right now.

    A Cursed Woods, A Looming Storm, and Total Betrayal

    The setup is brilliantly simple: you and your friends are lost in a dark, cursed forest with a massive storm brewing on the horizon. If you don’t gather resources and build a solid shelter in time, everyone perishes.

    The catch? The forest is actively driving some of your friends mad. A few players will secretly be designated as Traitors, tasked with sabotaging the shelter, stealing resources, and getting innocent players lost in the woods. Every round concludes with a tense, finger-pointing discussion where players vote to exile whoever they think is acting a bit too shady.

    No Extra Controllers? No Problem.

    Borrowing the best page out of the Jackbox Party Pack playbook, Forest of Deceit eliminates the hassle of passing around multiple controllers. Only the host needs to own a copy of the game. Everyone else can jump right into the lobby using their own smartphones, tablets, or web browsers to receive secret information, check their roles, and cast their underhanded votes.

    This makes it an incredibly accessible casual party game, accommodating everyone from hardcore strategy enthusiasts to non-gamer family members. It also features fully customizable house rules, giving it endless replay value for local couch co-op sessions or remote Discord game nights via screen-share.

    Oh, and there is a massive cherry on top for sci-fi and fantasy fans: the entire game is narrated by the legendary Sylvester McCoy (the Seventh Doctor in Doctor Who and Radagast the Brown in The Hobbit trilogy), adding a delightfully eccentric atmosphere to your impending doom.

    Launch Details, Pricing, and Nintendo Switch Status

    Forest of Deceit is available today with the following launch details:

    • Platforms Available Now: PC (Steam), PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X|S.
    • Steam Pricing: £8.99 / €9.99 (plus a 10% launch discount if you grab it early!).
    • Console Pricing: Expected to be essentially at parity with the Steam price, with minor regional adjustments.
    • What about Nintendo Switch? Ghost Camp has officially announced that the Switch version is on the way and is expected to release later this month.

    Gather your group, boot up your mobile browsers, and prepare to find out which of your friends is an absolute snake.

    Find out more here

    #ForestOfDeceit #GhostCamp #SocialDeduction #PartyGames #IndieGames #GamingNews #JackboxStyle #SteamGames #PlayStation #Xbox #NintendoSwitch

  • Trust No One: North Hunt Version 1.0 Drops Today Alongside Steam Social Deduction Fest!

    Trust No One: North Hunt Version 1.0 Drops Today Alongside Steam Social Deduction Fest!

    The ultimate game of deception just got a massive upgrade. Independent Tunisian developer NewGen Studio has officially announced that North Hunt is leaving Early Access and launching its highly anticipated Version 1.0 today, July 13.

    Even better? The full launch perfectly aligns with the kickoff of the Steam Social Deduction Fest, making today the absolute best time to grab your friends, sharpen your lying skills, and dive headfirst into a living Viking village full of paranoia.

    What is North Hunt?

    If you haven’t yet experienced the chaos, North Hunt takes the core foundation of social deduction and turns it into a high-stakes game of hide-and-seek. Set in a vibrant Viking settlement, players are split into two teams: Thieves and Chiefs.

    • The Thieves: Your job is to blend seamlessly into the environment. You’ll mimic NPC bot routines—chopping wood, fishing, praying, and playing music—all while secretly completing objectives. One wrong move, and your cover is blown.
    • The Chiefs: Armed with observation skills and sheer intuition, you must examine the village for any “un-NPC-like” behaviour and eliminate the impostors hiding in plain sight.

    What’s New in the Version 1.0 Launch?

    NewGen Studio has poured community feedback into this build, making Version 1.0 the game’s biggest milestone yet. Here is what you can expect when you log in today:

    Two Brand-New Roles

    • The Gnome (Thief): Shrink down to a tiny size to pull off sneaky deceptions and escape tight situations in ways the Chiefs won’t expect.
    • The Glider (Chief): Take to the skies! Patrol the Viking village from a bird’s-eye view to track down suspicious player movements from above.

    AI Bots for Both Teams

    No full lobby? No problem. Version 1.0 introduces smart bots for both sides, ensuring you can play complete, chaotic matches even if you’re flying solo or playing with a smaller group.

    Expanded Progression & Cosmetics

    Show off your status with 10 new player levels and 10 exclusive Chief skins to unlock. There are also Twitch Drops active starting today, giving players a chance to snag two exclusive cosmetic skins just by watching their favourite streamers play.

    Quality of Life & Polish

    The update brings vastly improved in-room communication, UI polish, better matchmaking algorithms, and an official community wiki accessible right from the main menu.

    “By launching during Steam Social Deduction Fest, NewGen Studio hopes to introduce more players to a different take on social deduction, one where success isn’t about hiding in the shadows, but convincing everyone you’re simply another villager.”

    Join the Hunt Today

    Whether you want to ruin lifelong friendships or build new ones through masterclass bluffing, North Hunt Version 1.0 is officially live on Steam. Don’t miss out on the launch day hype and the festive discounts running during Steam’s Social Deduction Fest!

    Have you played North Hunt yet? Are you going to be gliding through the skies or shrinking down as a gnome today? Let us know in the comments below!

    Find out more here

    #GamingNews #NorthHunt #SocialDeduction #IndieGames #SteamFest #NewGenStudio #VikingGaming #PCGaming #TechMash

  • Trust No One: Jackbox-Style Party Game ‘Forest of Deceit’ Brings Cursed Traitor Mayhem This July

    Trust No One: Jackbox-Style Party Game ‘Forest of Deceit’ Brings Cursed Traitor Mayhem This July

    If you’ve ever watched The Traitors or stayed up late playing Werewolf and thought, “I could definitely trick my friends into a swift and sudden demise,” indie developer Ghost Camp has some fantastic news for you.

    Today, the studio officially announced that Forest of Deceit, a Jackbox-esque social deduction party game built for 4 to 8 players, is officially launching on July 13th. Best of all? It’s dropping everywhere—hitting Steam, PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and Nintendo Switch.

    Survival of the Fittest (and the Fakest)

    The premise of Forest of Deceit is brilliantly simple, yet custom-made for maximum friendship friction. You and your friends find yourselves stranded in a vast, sprawling forest. A lethal storm is brewing on the horizon, and if you can’t band together to construct a safe shelter in a matter of days, the entire group will perish.

    To survive, you’ll need to venture deep into the woods to gather crucial building resources. The catch? The forest itself is heavily cursed, and it has already driven some of your companions completely mad.

    If the Traitors successfully stall construction until the storm rolls in, they win. However, it wouldn’t be a true social deduction game without some heated finger-pointing. Every few days, the group will gather to discuss the recent chaos and vote out who they suspect is actively sabotaging the camp.

    No Controllers? No Problem.

    Borrowing the best page out of the Jackbox Party Pack playbook, Forest of Deceit eliminates the hassle of passing around multiple controllers. Only the host needs to own a copy of the game. Everyone else can jump right into the lobby using their own smartphones, tablets, or web browsers.

    This makes it an incredibly accessible casual party game, accommodating everyone from hardcore strategy enthusiasts to non-gamer family members. It also features fully customizable house rules, giving it endless replay value for local couch co-op sessions or remote Discord game nights via screen-share.

    Oh, and there’s a massive cherry on top for sci-fi and fantasy fans: the entire game is narrated by the legendary Sylvester McCoy (the Seventh Doctor in Doctor Who and Radagast the Brown in The Hobbit trilogy).

    Mark Your Calendars: Forest of Deceit releases on July 13th across PC and major consoles. Gather your group, boot up your browsers, and prepare to find out which of your friends is an absolute snake.

    What do you think?

    Are you ready to test your lying skills, or are you usually the first one voted out? Let us know down in the comments!

    Find out more here

    #ForestOfDeceit #GhostCamp #SocialDeduction #IndieGames #GamingNews #TheTraitors #PartyGames #JackboxStyle

  • Trust No One: Ghost Camp and Thomas Mackinnon Reveal ‘Forest of Deceit’

    Trust No One: Ghost Camp and Thomas Mackinnon Reveal ‘Forest of Deceit’

    If you’ve ever wanted to strand your friends in a cursed wilderness just to see who snaps first, your time is coming. Independent developer Ghost Camp and acclaimed creator Thomas Mackinnon—the mind behind experimental hits like THE CORRIDOR—have officially pulled back the curtain on their latest project: Forest of Deceit.

    Billed as a social deduction party game with a “Jackbox-esque” twist, Forest of Deceit is slated to haunt Steam in early Q3 2026.

    Survival or Sabotage?

    The premise is simple but high-stakes. You and a group of 4–8 players find yourselves lost in a dark, seemingly infinite forest. A massive storm is looming on the horizon, and your only hope for survival is to gather resources and build a sturdy shelter before the clouds break.

    There’s just one problem: the forest is cursed. As the days pass, the woods begin to warp the minds of your companions, turning some of them into Traitors.

    • The Innocents: Must work together to gather wood and supplies to finish the shelter.
    • The Traitors: Tasked with subtly sabotaging efforts, leading teammates into danger, and ensuring the storm claims everyone.

    A Jackbox-Style Experience

    What sets Forest of Deceit apart from traditional social deduction games is its accessibility. Following the “bring your own controller” model, players can join the game using their phones, tablets, or laptops via a web browser. This makes it a perfect pick for local parties or remote sessions over Discord.

    The game also features a striking hand-drawn art style that balances “cosy” with “creepy,” making the inevitable backstabbing feel just a little bit more personal.

    Key Features to Watch For:

    • Deep Customisation: Create your own “house rules” with fully adjustable game options to keep every round feeling fresh.
    • Social-First Gameplay: The focus is on discussion and psychology. Each day ends with a reveal of gathered resources, followed by a tense voting phase to expel suspected traitors.
    • Inclusive Play: Designed to be accessible for everyone, from hardcore gamers to your non-gaming family members.
    • Cross-Platform Connectivity: Because it uses browser-based controls, the barrier to entry is practically zero.

    Coming Soon to Steam

    With Thomas Mackinnon’s track record for subverting player expectations and Ghost Camp’s atmospheric design, Forest of Deceit is shaping up to be the next big “friendship-ender” of 2026.

    Keep your eyes peeled for more updates as we head toward the early Q3 2026 launch. In the meantime, you might want to start practising your “I was just gathering wood” excuse—you’re going to need it.

    Find out more here – https://s.team/a/2388580

    #GhostCamp #ThomasMackinnon #ForestofDeceit #socialdeduction #Jackboxesquegame #Steam #videogames #gamers #gaming #gametrailer #demogames