9/10 Steam horror hit is Papers, Please meets Five Nights at Freddy's

A new game is 'screaming' its way up the Steam charts, with Bun Muen's Shift At Midnight debuting to rave reviews. Despite only releasing on July 22, 2026, it looks like we've already got a certified horror hit on our hands that could potentially spin out as the next Five Nights at Freddy's. Swapping mundane work as an underpaid grunt at a pizzeria for mundane work as an underpaid grunt at an isolated gas station, we can already see the Blumhouse movie from here.

Taking place at a rural locale, 'somewhere in America' in 1993, Shift At Midnight marries the two increasingly popular trends of simulation games and low-fi horror. While we wouldn't quite call this one a cosy horror, it should be able to scratch that infected itch on Steam.

Keeping things clean, managing stock levels, and selling enough items to reach your quota is just the start of your nightmare. Trust us, things are about to get a bit weird.

Clocking in for Shift At Midnight

Promising three-player co-op carnage, Shift At Midnight reminds us that the customer isn't always right...or human. Similar to Papers, Please but without the border control element, customers hand over their ID, and you'll have to determine if they're the real deal or some hideous monster wearing the skin of a human and waiting to tear your face off.

The ‘doppelgänger detection’ element is Shift At Midnight's big twist here, and although you can execute sus customers on sight, be warned that you and your teammates will have to clean up the mess afterward.

This is just part of the horror, and if you let a doppelgänger slip through the net, things evolve into a full-blown survival horror that's nothing like our promises of playing Papers, Please.

If you and your fellow players get it wrong, all hell breaks loose when these creatures return later in the shift and attempt to gut you like a fish.

Prepare your defenses, board up the windows, and lay down traps because it's about to go really Evil Dead out there.

As each of the 13 possible shifts is randomly generated, Shift At Midnight ensures no two playthroughs are the same. Added to this, proximity chat encourages teamwork and hilarity in equal measure.

Kwalee

READ MORE: Steam 94% rated ‘cozy horror’ brings nostalgic PS1 charm to modern gaming

How much is Shift At Midnight on Steam?

We've already covered how the viral retail phenomenon is coming to Xbox Game Pass, but Steam fans can grab a mop and head to the spillage on aisle three to play for just $8.99/£8.99 until July 29.

Bun Muen isn't offering the biggest discount in the world, but with Shift At Midnight continuing to rise up on the indie horror scene, you don't want to miss out on the big release all your pals are playing.

The Xbox version currently offers crossplay so PC Game Pass players can play with their console pals, but at least for now, the Steam version relies on public server browsers. Hopefully, the fandom remains ravenous enough to keep this one alive.

Shift at Midnight already has its own Twitch channel, with that sure to grow over the coming days. Several people are playing right now, so head on over to see all the kinds of madcap capers you're missing out on.

Steam players can't get enough of Shift At Midnight, with it currently having a 90% review rating.

One superfan cheered: "See a man? Pull the gun. See a woman? Pull the gun. See a 10ft guy? Pull the gun. Gamble gamble gamble. Save the cat. Quite literally the best co-op game there to exist."

Another joked: 10/10. Would sledgehammer a rat to throw its meat at someone drinking gas out of the pump to then 360 a doppleganger before restocking the ramen.”

A third concluded: "Bought this game with 0 expectations expecting it to be ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ because of the goofy looking creepypasta store page banner, ended up being worth every penny. Extremely fun with a group of 3, highly recommended."

So, punch in your time cards but make sure you don't punch out of this mortal realm.