Mickey Mouse's Public Domain Arrival Comes With 'Infestation 88' — A New Horror Game

Nightmare Forge Games has announced its latest project, a survival horror game titled Infestation 88. The game draws its inspiration from the now public domain character, Steamboat Willie, adding a dark twist to nostalgia.

What Happened: As reported by IGN on Monday, Nightmare Forge Games is developing Infestation 88, a 1-4 player survival horror co-op game for PC. It aims to blend elements of terror with childhood nostalgia. The game’s narrative is set in 1988 and revolves around a menacing rodent outbreak. Strategic thinking is vital in the gameplay, as players must choose whether to fight, run, or hide, depending on the situation.

The game also includes trap settings, CCTV camera usage, and randomized item layouts to keep the matches unique. Nightmare Forge has also promised private and public lobbies, character customization, scaling enemy behavior, and DLSS support for the game. Infestation 88 can now be added to your wishlist on Steam.

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Why It Matters: This development comes right after beloved characters such as Mickey Mouse and Minnie Mouse, originally creations of Walt Disney Co (NYSE:DIS), entered the public domain on the first day of 2024. This significant shift occurred when copyrights from 1928 expired, opening the door for various potential creative endeavors.

These characters can now be redesigned and reshaped without needing permission. The transition of Mickey Mouse into the public domain marks a historic shift, a century after the character’s debut, and was influenced by Disney’s lobbying efforts in the 1970s and 1990s to extend the copyright laws.

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