Winnie's Hole: a uniquely unsettling horror experience where you play as a virus inside a famous bear

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If you are looking for something completely different from conventional games, Winnie's Hole might be exactly what you need. Recently released on Steam in Early Access, the game takes players on a bizarre and haunting journey inside the body of a familiar character, reimagined through a dark horror lens.

Winnie's Hole (Image source: Trailer)
Winnie's Hole (Image source: Trailer)

Become a virus and evolve the host

In Winnie's Hole, you are not the hero. Instead, you play as a virus spreading inside the body of Winnie. Your goal is to take over cells to unlock new mutations and learn special abilities. By reshaping the host’s original form, you gain powerful passive effects that help you adapt and survive in an increasingly hostile environment.

Strategic building and exploration gameplay

The game replaces traditional roguelite maps with a unique strategic building system. Players explore procedurally generated worlds by placing virus blocks, similar to tetromino shapes, to spread throughout the host’s body. Along the way, you must make critical decisions to gather resources, unlock new abilities, and create the most effective virus combinations possible.

You are a virus spreading inside Winnie's body (Image source: Steam)
You are a virus spreading inside Winnie's body (Image source: Steam)

Dynamic turn-based combat system

The game’s standout feature is its combat system, which takes place inside the host’s brain. In each turn, actions appear randomly on the brain board. Players must place blocks strategically to trigger multiple actions at once, creating powerful combo chains that push the host’s physical limits to the extreme.

A blend of horror and dark humor

Winnie's Hole features a distinctive art style inspired by early Nickelodeon cartoons and the fairy tales of the Brothers' Grimm. The game tells a twisted story of dark science, where you engage in a grotesque form of "bodybuilding" to transform the host into a fully mutated creature.

  • Platform: PC (Steam)
  • Release date: January 26, 2026
  • Genre: Roguelite, Body horror, Strategy
  • Key features: Deep evolution system, turn-based block-driven combat, procedurally generated worlds.

With its unconventional gameplay and unsettling yet captivating atmosphere, Winnie's Hole is shaping up to be a fresh addition to the indie game scene. Are you ready to evolve alongside your host?