Digging a huge hole has never been as exciting (or terrifying) as it is in Mole

Of all the games I expected to capture my attention in 2026, I didn't expect one to simply be called Mole. But then, it's the games that come out of nowhere that always get you best, isn't it? Mole, which I keep accidentally calling Hole, is a game that's basically about piloting a large, post-war drilling machine. But if you liked the creepy horror of Mouthwashing, you'll know there's far more than meets the eye to this game.

Mole is fundamentally a horror game, but the gameplay has simulation elements. It's not trying to be realistic, mind you - it's going for that whole PS2-era graphics thing, as pioneered by Crow Country and Critical Reflex's entire catalog. Nonetheless, the menial tasks you do aboard your Big Drill are crucial to keeping it functioning. This is the point in the demo - which is live now, but continues into Steam Next Fest next week - where I fell in love with the oversized boring machine.

Every control in your drill is incredibly tactile. Each gives just the right sound effect to really feel like you're pushing a button or cranking a lever. The controls themselves are grotty, the environment you're surrounded by is thick with the stories of every pilot who's come before. You'll get to know the specters of those pilots quite well over the course of the game, but for now, you settle into your role with the satisfaction of someone who knows what they're doing… but doesn't dare ask why they do it.

Mole gets weird quickly. The first voice you hear is in a foreign language, one that sounds like it's been created by an LLM run through a modem (no generative AI content has been declared in Mole, this is purely a complimentary analogy on my part). You can read the subtitles, but it's quickly unsettling. Multiple layers of sound overrun each other, but it's unclear if they're echoing, or shouting to be heard. This is the machine you must interface with throughout the demo. But before you get to the task at hand, you've got to dig a very different kind of hole.

Grave sufficiently dug and subsequently jumped in, you're back in the machine. And, before you complain of spoilers, this all occurs within the first two minutes of the demo, which is but a small slice of the full game. From what I can make of the cryptic trailers, we've got all manner of angelic visions and reality-bending mechanics in store later on.

Mole will be released in Q2 2026. You can wishlist it and play the demo on Steam here.

Mole never explains itself, but it makes you question what you're doing. Why are you digging this hole? What is the purpose? What's going on with this machine? What happened to the pilots who preceded you? Why are you playing this game? These are the questions that'll drag you deeper. Mechanically satisfying and narratively mouth-watering, this demo is a perfect teaser, and fans of Mouthwashing, Threshold, or Arctic Eggs will be intrigued. And if you've read this article but not heard of any of those games, I've got great news for your backlog.