Christian Cawley is a writer and editor who covers consumer electronics, IT, and entertainment media. He has written for publications such as Computer Weekly, Linux Format, MakeUseOf.com, and Tech Radar.
He also produces podcasts, has a cigar box guitar, and of course, loves retro gaming.
Just dropped is the brand-new trailer for Heavy Metal Death Can, from Swedish indie dev studio Krufs Productions.
This is a retro-inspired survival horror game, with a heavy 1990s vibe — meanwhile, it has a 1970s setting, aboard a submarine off Sweden.
Obviously.
The synopsis reads:
Set on a military submarine deep in the ocean in an alternate universe based on 1970s Sweden, you must fight against the terrible Sludge, an all-encompassing filth which has turned your crew into horrific, oil-spewing zombies. As you sneak through the dark, echoing passageways haunted by the sound of your own footsteps, you must seek out survivors and uncover clues to discover how and why your serene ocean workplace is now, quite literally, a death can.
With fixed camera angles, tank controls, and choice-driven gameplay, Heavy Metal Death Can channels the tense, cinematic style of late ’90s horror, with fresh and modern visuals adding to the foreboding atmosphere. Players must hone their skills to balance ammo, health, and risk in a world where cosy Swedish cultural staples clash with cold industrial brutality and deep sea horror.
A look at the Heavy Metal Death Can trailer
Game features include:
• Old-school terror meets Swedish submarine surrealism in this survival horror in the style of early console classics
• Fixed camera angles and tank controls (with modern options) lend a haunting atmosphere to the game
• Uncover a twisting narrative through uneasy alliances and strange encounters
• A nostalgic visual style inspired by ’90s horror games, enhanced with modern rendering technologies to create a fresh yet familiar horror experience
• Unique Late 1970s Swedish Naval setting gives you a creepy sense of fauxstalgia for a place in time that never quite was
In the Navy
I’m quite intrigued by this game. Clearly it has the boomer shooter vibe (while strictly speaking not actually being one), but most significantly, my dad was in the navy in the 1970s. He was on ships, but what if he was in a submarine.
What if he was the last man standing in an oil-based Zombie apocalypse, trapped in a tin can on the Baltic Sea floor? As for the game’s heavy metal soundtrack by Argos Eye (here’s a look at their track Ourobouros) — a side project of Krufs Productions member Toby — I’m already sold. Interestingly (for me at least), the chilling underwater sounds of the metal seafaring tube were made by tapping a guitar with metal objects.
I’m certain this game will keep me up at night, both as a gamer and as someone who has horror game nightmares, but it just looks too good to miss.
You can wishlist Heavy Metal Death Can on Steam now ahead of its 2026 release.
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Christian Cawley is a writer and editor who covers consumer electronics, IT, and entertainment media. He has written for publications such as Computer Weekly, Linux Format, MakeUseOf.com, and Tech Radar.
He also produces podcasts, has a cigar box guitar, and of course, loves retro gaming.
