Over 6 Million Steam Users Claim Indie Horror Content Warning During Free Promotion

Content Warning is the latest co-op horror indie sensation that has taken the Steam community by storm. 

Developed by Landfall Publishing, this thrilling title challenges you and your friends to become viral sensations on the fictional platform “SpookTube” by capturing terrifying footage and surviving harrowing experiences. 

In Content Warning, you have three in-game days to film as many scary encounters as possible while managing your oxygen and camera battery levels. 

If you can make it through the nightmarish scenarios and upload your spooky footage, you’ll watch your views and cash rewards skyrocket.

Its Meteoric Success on Steam

Content Warning’s success on Steam is nothing short of remarkable. 

Launched on April 1st with a strategic 24-hour “free to keep” promotion, the game quickly attracted a massive player base. 

Within the first day, Content Warning peaked at an astonishing 90,000 concurrent players and a staggering 6.2 million copies claimed. 

It swiftly climbed to the top 10 most-played titles on Steam, amassing over 200,000 active players for now and over 7,500 overwhelmingly positive reviews.

With this success on PC, it’s no surprise that the game will soon hit consoles (although the dev has not officially announced yet).

How Is It Different from Lethal Company

Content Warning’s gameplay bears similarities to the popular game Lethal Company, which was a surprise hit on Steam when it launched in 2023 and continues to thrive. 

Both games revolve around cooperative horror experiences, where players team up to explore scary environments within the select days, and (hopefully) make it back alive.

• Lethal Company begins when you and your teammates are hired by the Company to collect and sell as many pieces of scrap as you can within a set number of days. They must hit a target quota to keep their job, or else they are fired and thrown into space. As a result, players must work together to find as much scrap as possible to sell for the Company.
• While Lethal Company players are hard-focused on avoiding monsters and simply finding scrap to survive, Content Warning is a fresh take on the original idea of Lethal Company, with a focus on getting into as much trouble as you can. 
• Instead of working towards a cash quota, Content Warning focuses on getting views on the SpookTub videos they record over three days and become “Famous”.
• To get more views, players can do some crazy stuff in the open world like some real-life content creators do such as iShowSpeed and become SpookTub Star.
• Additionally, while Lethal Company costs $9.99, Content Warning is priced slightly lower at $7.99 for those who missed the free promotion.

How Many Players It Supports

In the base version of Content Warning, you can play with up to three other friends, making it a cooperative experience for up to four players. 

However, the game’s modding community has already stepped in to offer handy mods that allow you to bypass this restriction and accommodate a whopping 128 players in a single lobby.

It’s worth noting that playing with a large number of players can significantly alter the game’s experience, as the power of numbers may lessen the overall horror and scare factor.

How to Host a Content Warning Game

For anyone who wants to host the game, you need to be the first one to start it up and then send out invitations. 

Shortly after launching Content Warning, you have to select the “Play With Friends” option on the front page. 

Choose an empty save slot and send invitations to friends.

There are two ways you can invite friends to your hosted game. 

• Invite friends terminal to invite the people you know or friends you have on your Steam profile. 
• Directly go to your friends list on Steam and send invites. 

You can only have a team of four people joining you.

Once everyone has joined, head to the front door and start the game.

Can You Play Content Warning Solo?

While Content Warning primarily emphasizes cooperative gameplay, there are methods available for solo play. Players can follow specific steps upon launching the game to indulge in a solo gaming session: 

1. Go to the main menu, and choose “Play With Friends.“
2. Then, select “Save 1 Empty Slot” to host a Private Game.
3. After a brief loading, you’ll arrive at your Hideout, the House.
4. Next, you’ll discover “Invite Friends.” ignore it
5. Turn left to find stairs and to go to the living room.
6. In the living room, find the main door, open it to receive a notification showing solo without inviting friends.
7. Click on “Start Game”

Once your solo adventure begins, you’ll receive a Camera and a set of Flashlights. Your task is to document the spooky creatures you encounter.

How to Get More Views in Content Warning

To increase your chances of going viral on SpöökTube, focus on capturing the following content:

• Film scary monsters and explore deeper into the Old World buildings.
• Use voice chat and talk with your teammates while playing.
• Emote with monsters or film dead bodies (for a hospital bill).
• Improve video quality by purchasing items like the Boom Mic and Clapper.
• Save and share your best videos from each run.

Engaging with your teammates, capturing thrilling moments, and improving video production values will all contribute to earning more views on SpöökTube.

Can You Play It on Steam Deck?

Absolutely! Content Warning is an ideal game to play on the go with the Steam Deck. 

Thanks to its stylized graphics, low system requirements, and relatively small size only 4GB, the game runs smoothly at 60 FPS on the Steam Deck, although it hasn’t officially gone through Valve’s verification process.

Before starting a run, the game requires you to navigate the menu using the right trackpad, but once you enter the game, it switches to the Steam Deck’s gamepad controls.

Can We Play It Offline?

Unfortunately, Content Warning does not support an offline mode. 

As an online cooperative game, it requires a strong active internet connection to play with friends. 

This design choice ensures a seamless multiplayer experience and prevents potential issues with desynchronization or cheating.