There is a moment in every round of MIMESIS where the laughter stops. It happens when you turn around to see your best friend standing behind you, holding a flashlight. Then, you hear your actual friend call out from the next room. That split second of realization—that you are standing next to an imposter wearing your friend’s face—is the beating heart of ReLU Games’ new co-op survival horror.
Released into Early Access in October 2025, MIMESIS has quickly garnered a reputation as the next big thing in the “proximity chat horror” genre, sitting comfortably alongside giants like Lethal Company and Content Warning. But where those games rely on monsters that look like monsters, MIMESIS introduces a terrifying twist: the monsters look like you.
The Art of Imitation
The premise is simple: you and up to three friends are tasked with repairing an old tram while scavenging for scraps in procedurally generated environments. But as you work, the “cursed rain” falls, and with it come the Mimesis.
These creatures don’t just attack; they learn. They copy your appearance, your movements, and most terrifyingly, your voice. Using your microphone input, the game records snippets of your team’s conversation and feeds them to the monsters. A Mimesis might run up to you shouting, “He’s got a bomb!” in your friend’s exact voice, or just repeat random phrases it heard three games ago.
“Played as a group of 4 and came up with a system where you dab if you’re friendly. Until there were 5 people in the room dabbing.” — Steam User Review
This mechanic creates a unique brand of paranoia. Unlike other games where you can instantly identify a threat, here you have to constantly verify your teammates. “Jump check.” “Flash your light twice.” “Say the password.” It turns every interaction into a tense interrogation.
Gameplay Loop: Scraps, Repairs, and Chaos
The core loop is familiar to fans of the genre. You land, you loot, you survive, you extract. The goal is to collect scraps to repair the tram, which serves as your mobile base. The more you repair, the more complex the game gets.
What sets MIMESIS apart is the sheer chaos of the social deduction element. The AI isn’t perfect—sometimes the Mimics are painfully obvious, running into walls or repeating nonsense—but when it works, it’s brilliant. The Mimics can mimic emotes, hold items, and even try to separate the group. One user noted, “The mimics are smart and know exactly what to say and hold to trick you.”
However, the game is still very much in Early Access. The economy can feel punishing, with scarce sellable items and expensive upgrades. The maps, while reshuffled every run, can start to feel repetitive after a few hours. And for solo players? Forget it. This game is virtually unplayable without a squad of friends to create that essential audio data for the AI to harvest.
The Early Access Experience
Currently, the game is priced at a modest $7.99 (often on sale), which feels fair for the content available. The developers at ReLU Games have a 10-month roadmap for Early Access, planning to add new maps, monsters, and gadgets before the full release.
Performance is solid, with Steam Deck verification making it an excellent portable horror experience. However, there are some bugs. Hitboxes can be wonky, with players getting grabbed by Mimics from outside visible range. And as with any online game, the public lobby experience varies wildly depending on who you get matched with.
Pros & Cons
| Pros | Cons |
| ✅ Unique Horror Concept: The voice and behavior mimicry adds a psychological layer that is genuinely terrifying. | ❌ Repetitive Maps: The current selection of environments can get stale after a few hours of play. |
| ✅ Hilarious with Friends: The mix of terror and comedy when a Mimic says something stupid is top-tier. | ❌ AI Jank: Sometimes the Mimics are too dumb to be scary, breaking immersion. |
| ✅ Great Price: At under $10, it offers fantastic value for a multiplayer party game. | ❌ Requires Friends: The game falls flat without a full squad of communicative players. |
| ✅ Steam Deck Verified: Runs perfectly on handhelds for portable scares. | ❌ Punishing Economy: Scrap gathering can feel like a grind with little reward. |
MIMESIS: It’s Lethal Company meets The Thing. It’s a game that will make you doubt your own friends and laugh until you cry when an imposter tries to join your dance party. While it needs more content and polish to keep players hooked for the long haul, the core concept is strong enough to warrant a purchase right now. Just remember: if your friend starts repeating the same sentence over and over… start running. – Obsidian