If your gaming memories are packed with colourful collectathons, slightly creepy worlds and far too many hidden items, Bobo and the Chest of Nightmares may be worth a look.
Solo developer Polycast Labs has released a free Steam demo for Bobo and the Chest of Nightmares, a character-driven 3D platformer inspired by the late-’90s era of the genre.
The full game will launch on PC, Nintendo Switch, Xbox Series X|S and Xbox One on 30 October 2026.
A spooky love letter to classic 3D platformers
Bobo and the Chest of Nightmares stars Bobo, a clumsy but good-hearted circus jester who manages to make a fairly major mistake during a high-stakes performance.
Bobo accidentally opens the legendary Chest of Nightmares, unleashing an ancient entity known as the DreamMaster. Naturally, things go downhill pretty quickly.
The DreamMaster traps the kingdom in an eternal twilight and transforms pleasant dreams into living, ghoulish nightmares. Guided by a mysterious floating companion called the DreamMask, Bobo must set things right.
Players will explore vertical, non-linear environments while searching for lost EchoMares and attempting to restore laughter to the kingdom.
Rather than relying on brute strength, Bobo gets by with movement, agility and a healthy amount of jester-themed mischief.
What’s included in the Bobo and the Chest of Nightmares demo?
The free Steam demo gives players an early taste of Bobo’s platforming abilities.
You’ll be able to chain together double-jumps, wall-slides and an umbrella glide while navigating vertical gothic environments.
There are plenty of collectathon staples to hunt down too. Players can search for EchoMares, solve environmental puzzles and track down rare Voodoo Dolls hidden throughout the world.
Combat also focuses on movement. Bobo must dodge and outmanoeuvre corrupted spirits created by the DreamMaster rather than simply battering everything into submission.
As per the press release, Polycast Labs describes the game’s visual and tonal mash-up as “Circus meets Halloween”, which feels like a pretty efficient way to explain what you’re getting into.
Polycast Labs founder and solo developer David Ho said the goal was to recapture the feeling of classic games from 1999, with Spyro and MediEvil named as key inspirations.
The Steam demo is available now, while Bobo and the Chest of Nightmares launches on PC, Nintendo Switch, Xbox Series X|S and Xbox One on 30 October 2026.
Players can also wishlist the game on Steam and Xbox ahead of launch.