This new survival horror game had me at 'Grand Theft Cthulhu,' and it swerves onto Game Pass and Steam today

As a journalist writing about the game industry, I don't often repeat marketing phrases verbatim. I get hundreds of emails a month claiming to be a "grimdark Soulslike," "Binding of Isaac meets Balatro," or "Pokémon for ants." Sometimes I form similar opinions myself by playing games and working out how to best explain to readers exactly what's going on in a catchy headline that pleases both Google's algorithm and real life people. But when I read the words "Grand Theft Cthulhu" on Dead Static Drive's Steam page, I was instantly hooked. Luckily, the game looks as good as its copywriting, and you can play it today on Steam or Xbox Game Pass.

Imagine one of the best horror games you've ever played, except it's penned by HP Lovecraft himself and it's oozing 1980s Americana. You've imagined Dead Static Drive. With a title that sounds like it was taken from a lyric on Post Malone's country album and art direction that practically jumps off the screen at you, it's instantly engaging. It didn't even need the 'Grand Theft Cthulu' tagline, but it certainly helped.

While trailers and screenshots have teased some of the chthonic monstrosities that plague the game's highways, I suspect many secrets are being held close to the developer's chest. As you escape their clutches, try to find your missing parents, and evade the police, there's a growing sense of dread. That's the Lovecraft influence.

As you pass through towns you don't know, seeing mysterious faces that seem strangely suspicious, you can put the theft into Grand Theft Cthulhu. While you'll mostly use your stolen vehicle as a means of escape and aim your assault rifles at incomprehensible horrors, it seems like you will be able to turn them on the human NPCs, too.

With trust a valuable resource in short supply, a mystery to solve, and a pavement that moves beneath your feet, Dead Static Drive could be one of this year's sleeper hits.

Dead Static Drive is available now. You can buy it on Steam here. It is also available on Xbox Game Pass.

If you've already exhausted our list of the best survival games and want to pit your mettle against some fearsome foes, this could be the game for you. Whether or not it makes it into the most exclusive of clubs (our best indie games guide) is another matter, but the gameplay snippets I've seen suggest something great could be lurking beneath the tagline here. Let's just hope it's not an eldritch being.