NightRunner: Train-based co-op survival game coming 2027

NightRunner is a 1–4 player cooperative horde survival game with PvE extraction mechanics, developed by 314 Arts for PC. The developer plans a 2027 release and will run a public playtest beginning in September.

Players act as NightRunners who use a wagon as a mobile base to scavenge, repair and fortify while travelling between scavenging zones and extraction points. Teams must reach an extraction point with the train to keep any recovered loot.

Mutant ambushes can occur while en route. Teams balance how far to push for better rewards against the rising risk of damage and loss, and must choose when to repair, reinforce defences and position themselves during attacks on the wagon.

314 Arts outlined four game modes. Train Jobs combine scavenging stops, combat encounters and train defence. Transition Jobs shift gameplay to a military-style ship convoy crossing hazardous waters with no scavenging stops. Dungeons are fixed, linear levels populated by tougher mutants and bosses that offer higher rewards. Endless mode tasks teams with surviving repeated enemy waves while competing for score.

Players select from four Runner Kits that focus on different roles such as frontline combat, resource gathering and team support. Kit choice influences how teams approach jobs and respond to sudden threats to the train.

NightRunner mixes rogue-lite elements with a permanent progression system: as players level up Runner-Tech they unlock lasting upgrades that apply to future runs and enable teams to take on harder assignments.

314 Arts plans the September playtest to gather player feedback and stress-test core systems ahead of the full PC launch in 2027.