Screenshots
Screenshots
Press Kit
GATHER WITH FRIENDS · TALK TO STRANGERS · EMBRACE THE DARK
A proximity chat dark social horror experience for 3–13 players. No combat. No timer. No hand-holding. Just the very dark woods... a campfire that appears to burn forever... and the feeling that something is watching... and waiting.
↓ Press Information Below ↓
Factsheet
Developer
grimbrim
Based In
San Diego, California
Release Date
July 1, 2026
Platform
Fortnite Creative (UEFN)
Players
3–13
Genre
Social Horror / Mystery
Island Code
7008-1718-4516
Price
Free
Press Contact
Website
Description
DIREWOOD is a proximity chat dark social horror experience built in UEFN for Fortnite Creative. Players enter a dark forest together with no objectives, no combat, and no hand-holding. A campfire burns at the heart of the woods. They are not alone.
What happens next is up to them.
"I was looking for an open-ended social experience on the platform, something with a spookier vibe than the other proximity chat islands. I couldn't find it, so I created DIREWOOD as a place for folks who like mysteries and ghost stories to gather in the dark together. It's up to them to unravel what's happening, and they'll have to talk to each other to figure it out." — Bill Trost, grimbrim
History
grimbrim is the indie development identity of Bill Trost, a 30-year game industry veteran best known as co-creator of EverQuest. After decades working on large-scale MMOs and multiplayer experiences at major studios, Bill began exploring UEFN as a platform for rapidly conceiving, developing, and shipping original ideas independently. grimbrim is where those ideas live.
DIREWOOD began in February 2026 as a question: what would an evocative and dark environment for proximity chat look like? Something where players talking to each other in the dark could create their own horror. The woods took on a life of their own as the concept evolved. Mysteries emerged. The design was intentionally built to support seasonal updates and rotating content, allowing a solo developer to conceive, build, and launch a full multiplayer experience within a reasonable timeline. What has emerged has exceeded expectations. UEFN continues to surprise with what is possible. I believe the stories players will create within DIREWOOD will be more compelling than anything I could have scripted.
Screenshots
Video
Credits
Third-Party Attributions
Third-party assets used under CC BY 4.0 or CC0 license. Assets have been scaled, retextured, and/or modified to fit project needs. Sound files have been edited and mixed. These adaptations would not exist without the work of the original artists, who have not endorsed this project.
3D Assets — Sketchfab (CC BY 4.0)
Environment & Audio — Fab.com (CC BY 4.0)
Sound Effects — Freesound.org (CC0)
Contact
Bill Trost
press@billtrost.com
billtrost.com