If you’re itching for a brutal, white-knuckle extraction shooter that’s equal parts Escape from Tarkov, Hunt: Showdown, and classic zombie-bashing survival, the new indie gem The Midnight Walkers has your number. Developer Oneway Ticket just unleashed its latest free Steam playtest—and with over 4,000 concurrent players already clawing their way through its harrowing corridors, it’s making waves.
Set in the sprawling, luxurious, and completely doomed Liberty Grand Center—a 15-story behemoth combining a casino, apartments, and mall—The Midnight Walkers blends intense melee combat, resource scavenging, and high-stakes extraction gameplay. Picture this: you’re desperately hunting for food, makeshift armor, and weapons while evading gas clouds and rival teams. Unlike Tarkov’s more open maps or Hunt: Showdown’s rural bayous, every square inch of Liberty Grand feels oppressive, tight, and overflowing with shambling undead. It gives off strong Left 4 Dead vibes too, with the kind of frantic, claustrophobic tension where one wrong step means disaster.
Combat is visceral and unforgiving. Each swing of your improvised melee weapon delivers brutal satisfaction reminiscent of Condemned: Criminal Origins, but linger too long and you’ll quickly find yourself overwhelmed and outmatched by an endless wave of zombies or ambushing players. That said, some early testers have flagged that while the melee combat is clearly the focus, it currently feels a little shallow, with limited defensive options beyond parrying—something to keep in mind if you’re hoping for deeper combat finesse.
The Midnight Walkers clearly aims for hardcore gamers who thrive on cooperative chaos, but solos brave enough to go it alone aren’t entirely left in the dust. Unlike Marauders or Dark and Darker, which lean into firearm-based combat, this game doubles down on up-close, melee brutality, making survival intensely personal and panic-inducing.
If you’re looking for an excuse to skip the cookouts and fireworks this Fourth of July weekend, The Midnight Walkers has you covered. Joining the free playtest is as easy as heading to the game’s Steam page, clicking “Request Access,” and bracing for impact. The playtest runs from July 3 at 8:00 PM ET through July 7 at 7:59 PM ET—plenty of time to swap the backyard BBQ for survival horror extraction at its grimmest. Early players are already lighting up the game’s Discord with feedback, so if you’ve ever wanted to help shape what could be the next indie extraction hit, this is your chance. Will The Midnight Walkers hold its own against heavyweights like Escape from Tarkov, Hunt: Showdown, or Dark and Darker? That’s up to the community—and a little bit of luck once you drop in. Load up, squad up, and see if you can make it through the night.
