Eerie Mickey Mouse-inspired co-op horror revealed less than a day after the Mouse entered public domain

Less than 24 hours after the version of Mickey Mouse from the Disney classic Steamboat Willie entered public domain, Nightmare Forge Games has revealed an eerie co-op horror trailer for its new title, Infestation 88, featuring a nightmare-inducing version of the Mouse.

Mickey Mouse is a cartoon character loved by Disney fans since 1928 when he debuted in one of the earliest cartoons, Steamboat Willie. However, as the copyright for this version of Mickey Mouse has expired, it has entered the public domain—which means copyright law no longer protects it and this version of the popular Disney character can now be freely used. As such, game developers Nightmare Forge Games wasted no time in revealing Infestation 88, a sinister co-op horror game featuring the Mouse. They’ve even prepped and released a trailer for it.

In Infestation 88, you are sent to find the source of an infestation, treat it, and survive. Sounds simple, right? But there’s more to this infestation than meets the eye. You have to use the cameras and take note of activity, unlock new areas, and maintain power so specific systems work. At the same time, certain classic characters and urban legends—Mickey Mouse among them—will try to kill you. 

Unfortunately, not much else is known about Infestation 88. We know from its official Steam page that it will launch sometime in 2024. It will also have proximity and global voice chat, public and private lobbies, and NVIDIA DLSS Support, and due to the randomized item spawns and AI, it should be highly replayable.

If you’re excited to dive into this horror game with your friends, you aren’t alone and you’ll be excited to know that it will be available in Early Access for at least six months. However, the developers have yet to reveal when exactly when Early Access will begin. The dev’s comments also suggest Infestation 88 will be “fully playable” and will be priced similarly both before and after the game has launched on the store.

Infestation 88 may be the game for you if you enjoy horror co-op survival games and dark twists on pop culture characters. But if you’re like me and avoid horror games like the plague, we may have to wait for another Mickey-inspired game, like an MMORPG or a farming sim.