Studio Ellipsis, the Lisbon-based studio led by Alexandre Amancio (Creative Director, Assassin’s Creed Revelations & Assassin’s Creed Unity), today launched its first gameplay trailer for their upcoming horror extraction title Nightholme.
Studio Ellipsis launches an all new gameplay trailer revealing what players can expect through matches in their upcoming multiplayer horror hunt game Nightholme. Players can experience the game firsthand by signing up now for the Closed Beta coming Summer 2026.
Key concepts of how a match will play out:
Entering Nightholme
Players can choose to be in groups or solo and enter the world as a monster hunter, known as a Grimrunner.
Every session begins in the Last Ground, a Brineheart camp on the edge of town. Here each player will drink Nocturn, determining the archetype they will transform into for that round, and their abilities.
Twelve players enter every session. Helping another player can secure short-term survival but betrayal is always an option.
Intent, Not Objectives
Reasons why a player starts a session can include any of the following:
Hunt the Gloomfiend (enemy boss) and claim a Terror Seed (High value object).
Pursue quests tied to factions or figures in the world.
Scavenge, stalk, disrupt, or grow stronger for a future run.
Interfere with others and take what they earned.
Power and Its Cost
Growth comes from action: defeating enemies, NPCs and players, interacting with Altars, and surviving long enough for those choices to compound.
Starting off as a Grimrunner, players accumulate power and can fully transform into a Grimspawn for immediate gains but at a cost of exposure to other players and enemies hiding in the Gloom.
Control vs Visibility
Nightholme is built around two forms with players choosing how to invest in each and when to shift from Grimrunner to Grimspawn.
As a Grimrunner, players’ goal is control. They track, hide, stalk, and plan. They can fight, but are weaker. Survival comes from positioning, timing, and deciding when to be seen.
As a Grimspawn, players seek power. Players dominate encounters, but they broadcast their presence and risk further exposure to other players and enemies.
The Terror Seed
The Terror Seed is the central high-value object in Nightholme.
It is the core of the game’s economy, escalation, and risk structure.
Players do not need one to leave but it’s the only way for a build to grow stronger for the next match.
Lesser Terror Seeds can be converted into currency and used in stores to reinforce builds.
Greater Seeds carry inherent abilities that change how transformation behaves and amplify specific strengths.
Leaving the Map and What Carries Forward
Players can exit the map for many reasons: after a skirmish, after a successful quest, after gathering resources, or after securing something worth fighting over.
In Nightholme, progression is not just gear but knowledge.
“We’re not the first ones to say this; making games is hard. By sharing more about Nightholme at pre-alpha, our goal is to break down some of the barriers between devs and community. Being ‘community first’ should mean that the community has a say when it matters most, and it’s a promise we’re committed to upholding,” shared Studio Ellipsis Head and Creator of Nightholme, Alex Amancio. “Some of us at Studio Ellipsis have built worlds for years. For some, Nightholme is their first. What unites us is simple: we believe games should feel unpredictable again. And that worlds are better when they’re discovered together. And yes…we want to scare the shit out of you. We hope you’ll enjoy discovering this first foray into Nightholme with us.”
