Independent developer Cat Dev Games announces the demo launch of The Main Menu on Steam today, offering a first look at the psychological horror puzzle sim where the familiar conventions of a game menu behave in ways they were never meant to. Watch the official Demo trailer here
In The Main Menu, you awaken chained to a chair in a dark room, with nothing but a computer in front of them. But the main menu is deceptive with its mundane interface as its 2D buttons, settings, and hidden systems can influence the 3D world beyond the screen. Familiar UI becomes something to experiment with and ultimately exploit as a means to escape. As you uncover ways to bend the rules of the menu, a mysterious entity watches from somewhere behind the monitor.
Speaking about the inspiration behind the game’s unusual design, Cat Dev Games, creator of The Main Menu, said: “What interested me about The Main Menu was taking something players usually don’t give a second thought to, the game menu itself, and turning it into something they have to figure out and eventually exploit. I also wanted things to keep escalating as you progress. You start chained to a chair, and at first, you think escaping is the goal. But then the room itself becomes the problem, and just when you think you’ve figured out what’s going on, well…. Let’s just say the rabbit hole goes pretty deep.”
Inspired in part by playful meta-puzzle games such as There Is No Game, The Main Menu takes a darker turn, transforming familiar UI conventions into puzzles, mystery, and psychological damage. Following the demo launch, The Main Menu will participate in Steam Scream V, Steam’s celebration of horror games, running from October 26 through November 2, 2026.
KEY FEATURES:
- A surreal horror game built around interacting with the main menu itself
- Point-and-click puzzle mechanics where UI actions affect a real 3D room
- An escape room mystery with an entity watching, reacting, and interfering
- Strange menu systems, hidden areas, corrupted buttons, files, materials, and machines
- A horror experience designed around discovery, tension, and “wait… can I click that?”
Download the demo and wishlist the game on the STEAM STORE PAGE
ABOUT CAT DEV GAMES
Cat Dev Games is a solo indie game studio creating games built around familiar ideas taken in strange and unexpected directions. The studio focuses on unusual mechanics that you want to experience, alongside an atmosphere that encourages players to question how games are normally supposed to work.
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