Ontos Puts 60 Rats at the Center of Its Psychological Experiments
Coming to PS5 in 2027, the game asks players to research strange setups, test theories, and make choices without a clear view of the consequences.
Ontos centers one of its early experiments on Crombie, a man who claims he has been trapped inside a computer server made from 60 rats. Whether his story is true is only the beginning of the mystery, since the strange setup quickly raises questions about consciousness, identity, and what can be considered a person.
In a PlayStation Blog feature published September 2, the developers explained how more than a decade of work on Ontos has shaped its slower approach to psychological gameplay. The game is a spiritual successor to Soma, but it does not revolve around a tight moment-to-moment gameplay loop. Instead, players spend time researching locations, testing theories, and eventually making a few critical decisions.
The 10-minute gameplay video gives that structure room to breathe. Players begin by examining nearby areas, gathering information about the people and problems connected to each experiment before stepping into the main test.
Research sets up each experiment
Early investigations can include smaller tests, such as a rat strapped into place. These scenes let players try ideas, make mistakes, and learn how the game’s experiments work before the stakes rise. Information found during this early research is not just background lore. It can change how players approach the people they meet and the decisions that follow.
Crombie’s situation becomes clearer once the player reaches the lab and sees the Rat Server for the first time. Ontos treats the image as more than a shocking piece of science fiction. A person simulated by a computer may be easier to accept, but a consciousness formed through 60 rats connected to a server rack is much harder to process. The developers want that discomfort to lead to questions about whether the rats are conscious too, and whether two conscious beings can inhabit the same physical substrate.
Player choices depend on reading the characters
Interacting with Crombie means carefully manipulating probes attached to his head. Players can follow the instructions they receive, or try something else based on details discovered earlier. Unclear directions, competing goals, and the possibility of ruining the experiment turn each action into a risk rather than a simple checklist task.
Other characters bring their own mysteries into the process. Zike, who speaks briefly over an intercom, appears obsessed with finding the soul. Understanding what drives him can help players decide which questions to ask, which ones to avoid, and when an answer that goes against their own feelings may produce the desired result.
Experiments can end in different ways, and the game does not always make every option obvious at first. As players learn more about each situation and the people involved, previously unclear approaches should become easier to recognize, giving Ontos room for repeat playthroughs.
Ontos is coming to PS5 in 2027, and players can wishlist it through the official Ontos game page.
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