It took 13 years for this sci-fi survival-horror game to launch into Xbox Game Pass, and I think it was worth the wait

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It’s been a long wait for ROUTINE, this unusual survival-horror game! Even since its re-reveal at Summer Game Fest 2022, fans have been eager to play, and the game was originally announced over 13 years ago.

Lunar Software’s game, ROUTINE, had a long and troubled development. After restarting the project, it ended up launching ten years later than expected and looks quite different from the original announcement trailer, which you can still find on YouTube. Many of us thought it might never come out, but it finally did – and it’s become one of my favorite games this year!

While ROUTINE doesn’t have the big budget or sprawling world of horror giants like Resident Evil and Silent Hill, and its seven-hour length is relatively short, it still stands out as a fantastic survival-horror experience. Its incredibly unsettling atmosphere and unique, retro-futuristic setting are what truly make it special. Here’s why Windows Central recommends you play it.

I was able to write this review because I have an Xbox Game Pass subscription, which Zachary Boddy provided. Neither Raw Fury nor Lunar Software had any advance access to the review or influenced its content.

Some things should simply be left alone

The game starts with a disturbing dream and a strange prediction, and then you wake up. It’s time to finish your training and leave isolation, but you quickly realize something is wrong: where are you? And where is everyone else? You’re in Union Plaza, a high-tech base built inside the moon, and it seems you’re completely alone – or at least, you think you are.

Something terrible is happening at Union Plaza. Disturbing secrets are being revealed from beneath the surface of the moon, and they’re pulling you into a dangerous and overwhelming situation.

ROUTINE immediately draws you into its eerie world through beautiful visuals, disturbing lighting, and impactful sound. It’s a horror game, but instead of relying on sudden shocks or excessive gore, it creates tension in a more subtle and effective way.

I generally avoid revealing plot details in my game reviews, and I’m being particularly careful with ROUTINE. While it’s not a long game, it feels surprisingly rich with content. A lot unfolds in ROUTINE, and it’s guaranteed to be unsettling and keep you on edge.

ROUTINE is terrifying because it feels plausible — humans are bad at leaving things alone.

ROUTINE is visually striking, creating a strong atmosphere inspired by the dark side of the 1980s – think lots of beige plastic, cassette tapes, and old-fashioned computer screens. As I mentioned earlier, the game is consistently unsettling not because of sudden, loud noises, but because of how perfectly creepy the overall environment is. The few times it *did* try to startle me with jump scares, they were so unexpected that I almost quit playing!

The scariest part of ROUTINE is how believable it is. While the story bends reality, it’s rooted in a very human flaw: our inability to stop pushing things, even when we should.

Don’t expect to have your hand held

ROUTINE won’t hold your hand or tell you exactly what to do. You won’t find quest markers or constant explanations. To survive in Union Plaza, you’ll have to take your time, explore thoroughly, and use your wits.

ROUTINE is a straightforward game, so you won’t get hopelessly lost, but it doesn’t hold your hand. You’ll need to figure things out by paying attention to your surroundings, using logic, and piecing together information from the station’s previous inhabitants—though they definitely weren’t leaving instructions for someone to survive a disaster.

You’ll be depending a lot on your Cosmonaut Assistance Tool, or C.A.T. It can uncover hidden information, let you use computers and devices, save your game and any data you find, and even help protect you when things get dangerous.

ROUTINE refuses to hold your hand, but that can sometimes be annoying.

Hopefully, you won’t need to resort to that last option, because the dangers of Union Plaza can’t be solved with force. You’re not a super-powered fighter taking on monsters – you’re just as weak, and even more exposed, as the people who were there before.

I think ROUTINE is better than games like Cronos: The New Dawn. While Cronos uses difficult combat to create horror, ROUTINE builds dread more slowly and effectively. However, the gameplay in ROUTINE might be a turn-off for players who aren’t already familiar with this type of game.

The game’s controls and menus feel awkward, and ROUTINE doesn’t offer any hints to help you solve puzzles or finish tasks, which can be both challenging and irritating. How much you enjoy ROUTINE will depend on how much patience you have.

ROUTINE review: My final thoughts

✅You should play this if …

  • You want a new, unique, and genuinely creepy survival-horror game.
  • You’re looking for a spooky experience that won’t take too much time.
  • You like games that refuse to hold your hand throughout.

❌You should not play this if …

  • You prefer a more guided experience, or don’t love vague puzzles.
  • You enjoy survival-horror games where you actually fight back.

ID@Xbox has had a fantastic year, bringing a wealth of amazing indie games to Xbox. ROUTINE is the newest standout title, and I thoroughly enjoyed playing it.

While seven hours of gameplay for $25 might not feel worth the thirteen-year wait, I’ve played many survival-horror games, and ROUTINE is already shaping up to be one of my favorites.

While I occasionally found myself frustrated, I really enjoyed the world, atmosphere, and story of ROUTINE. What stood out was how genuinely frightening it was at times – something many horror games don’t achieve.

You can now play ROUTINE on Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, Xbox Ally, and other handheld devices, as well as on Windows PCs through the Microsoft Store and Steam. It’s also available via Xbox Cloud Gaming and with an Xbox Game Pass subscription. Plus, it’s an Xbox Play Anywhere game, meaning you can play it on both your console and PC with the same progress.

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2025-12-11 15:11