October 8, 2026 — Something is rotten at the South Pole.
Developer Dog Temaki, in partnership with publisher ACTSAN Games, has revealed UNTARCTICA, a fast-paced action horror metroidvania set inside a decaying Antarctic research station where grotesque biological experiments have taken over — and your gun is as important for movement as it is for survival.
For three months, the Magnus Coriolis Research Station has been completely silent.
No radio transmissions. No scientific reports. Only distorted signals filled with wet squeals and metallic clicking.
Destroying the facility is not an option. Too much classified research would be lost with it. Instead, someone must enter the station, discover what happened, and purge whatever is still alive inside.
That is where you come in.
Weaponize the Recoil
In UNTARCTICA, firing a weapon does more than kill enemies. Powerful recoil launches the player through the environment, turning every shot into a movement decision. Players can use gunfire to cross lethal gaps, escape environmental hazards and weave through dense bullet-hell attacks. Combat and traversal are built around the same mechanic, creating a fast and highly responsive movement system where momentum is generated with every pull of the trigger.
Enter the Magnus Coriolis Station
Players will explore the claustrophobic and interconnected halls of a research facility that should have remained buried in the Antarctic ice.
Along the way, they will uncover classified experiments, discover disturbing logs left behind by the station’s personnel and face increasingly grotesque biological mutations.
Every area combines combat, traversal and environmental challenges, culminating in demanding multi-phase boss battles designed to test both precision and reflexes.
A Frozen 1-Bit Nightmare
UNTARCTICA combines high-contrast 1-bit pixel art characters with distorted low-poly 3D backgrounds, creating a surreal visual identity somewhere between retro horror and a corrupted scientific simulation.
Its bleak Antarctic setting is paired with a grim sci-fi soundscape built around isolation, machinery and the increasingly unnatural things hiding beneath the station.
Key Features
- Recoil-Powered Traversal — Turn weapon recoil into movement, launching yourself over hazards, across chasms and through enemy fire.
- Fast Bullet-Hell Combat — Dodge dense projectile patterns while using positioning, momentum and precise shooting to survive.
- An Antarctic Sci-Fi Nightmare — Investigate the abandoned Magnus Coriolis Research Station and discover what happened to its scientists.
- Brutal Boss Encounters — Face grotesque biological horrors through demanding multi-stage battles.
- Grungy 1-Bit Surrealism — Experience a striking combination of monochrome pixel art characters and unsettling low-poly backgrounds.
- Interconnected Metroidvania Exploration — Navigate labyrinthine research corridors, discover hidden routes and gradually uncover the station’s secrets.
- Built for Repeated Attempts — Death is expected, but nearby checkpoints quickly throw players back into the action without destroying the game’s momentum.
- Additional Challenges — Beyond the main campaign, players can pursue full completion and take on a dedicated Boss Rush mode.
- Nintendo Switch and Nintendo Switch 2 — Releases are planned for both platforms.
Development
UNTARCTICA is currently in development by Dog Temaki using Godot.
The main campaign is almost complete, with development now focused on polishing, balancing, cutscenes and visual effects.
A first playthrough is expected to take approximately 8–10 hours, with additional playtime available through completion challenges and Boss Rush.
The game is currently planned for PC, Mac, Nintendo Switch, Nintendo Switch 2, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5.
About Dog Temaki
Dog Temaki is a new independent game development studio focused on creating games that are easy to understand but difficult to master.
While UNTARCTICA is the studio’s debut title, its developers bring previous professional game development and release experience to the project.
About ACTSAN Games
ACTSAN Games is a publisher focused on bringing distinctive games with strong creative identities to a global audience.
The company works with passionate developers to help games with memorable gameplay, worlds and stories reach players around the world.
Press Contact
Email: press@actsangames.com
Website: https://actsangames.com
Socials: https://linktr.ee/actsangames
UNTARCTICA
Steam: https://store.steampowered.com/app/4163950/Untarctica/