Tunnels is an immersive, claustrophobia-inducing VR experience

This VR horror game traps players underground in an abandoned mine with shambling monsters.

Nick Tan

March 20, 2025 8:00 AM

Mastiff

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I don’t consider myself a claustrophobic person, but Tunnels made me question that. Developed by Nomad Monkey and published by Mastiff, this virtual-reality horror game has players crawl through a cave system while terrifying monsters attempt to find and kill them. Some VR fans might recognize Tunnels for its thrilling free-to-play multiplayer demo, which was released on the Meta Quest store back in September 2023. I had the chance to try a different demo of the game behind closed doors during GDC 2025 and ask the developer about its progress on the game’s full release, including its promised single-player campaign.

Dungeon crawling

Upon securing a Meta Quest 3 headset around my glasses, I was unceremoniously dropped into a dimly lit underground cave. A list of instructions explaining the controls appeared directly above the entrance of a tunnel I was supposed to squeeze through. Crawling deeper into the tunnel required that I use the dual controllers like my hands, reaching forward by extending each arm and pulling myself closer. I started off trying to move both of my arms like I was rowing a boat, but I quickly switched to alternating them like climbing a ladder to make the movement easier. As part of the accessibility controls, I was also able to go forward by moving the left stick in case my arms got tired.

Instead of turning my head or swiveling in my chair to rotate the camera, tapping the right stick moved the perspective in 45-degree increments. Fortunately, I didn’t need to do that often, as that gave me a bit of motion sickness, and I could crawl at an angle to move slightly sideways if necessary.

The majority of the tunnel was almost pitch-dark apart from several green crystals that barely lit the path. I tried to take out my flashlight, which was strapped over my right shoulder, but its battery had no charge. Since its beam of light is the only defense I had against the monsters, I decided to crawl as fast as I could, especially after I heard suspicious skittering to my left. It didn’t work. A multi-legged abomination with a hand for a face grabbed me and immediately ended my run. The developer on site tried to tell me it was called a “Crawler,” but I decided to (not so lovingly) dub it the “You Better Not Touch Me” monster.

Getting shafted

Over the coming months before the game’s full release, Nomad Monkey will be working on expanding both the multiplayer and single-player modes. The solo adventure, which will be sold separately as premium DLC, will last roughly two hours and follow the story of a worker named Max, who has been sent to decommission a mine after word has spread that people have been exploring the caves and disappearing. However, Max gets trapped himself and has to make his way out with the assistance of Jason, his partner on the radio. Apart from crawling through mineshafts, he will also need to swim underwater, zipline over chasms, and scale cliffs to flee from the monsters.

As for the multiplayer, which will remain free after release, Nomad Monkey has received a lot of feedback from a closed beta that concluded earlier in March. The co-operative mode tests up to four players to press various buttons spread throughout the cave system before they are captured. The developer said they were still thinking about adding new limitations, like restricting the amount of flashlights, and bringing over the ziplining and climbing mechanics from the single-player campaign.

Tunnels is expected to drop in Spring 2025 for Meta Quest 2 and 3. Nomad Monkey is looking into adapting the game for PICO, Steam VR, and PlayStation VR as well. A multiplayer demo for Tunnels is available in the Meta Quest store. 

This preview is based on an interview and a demo provided by the publisher at a private appointment during GDC 2025.

Nick Tan

Contributing Editor

Once upon a time, Nick's parents confiscated his Super Nintendo because he was "playing it too much." He has secretly sworn revenge ever since. Nick is now a freelance writer for various video game sites. Powered by iced green tea, he typically plays RPGs of all kinds like Shin Megami Tensei, Elder Scrolls, and Fallout. In his spare time, he follows the latest season of Critical Role.