
Dandelion Void Release Date and Survival Horror Breakdown
Imagine being stuck on a spaceship where every corridor pulses with vines, roots, and teeth. Welcome to Dandelion Void, a game that throws you into the deep end of sci-fi horror and never lets you catch your breath. If you've been itching for a survival experience that goes beyond the typical zombie formula, this one's got claws—literally.
While there's no official release date yet, Dandelion Void already looks like a genre disruptor. With gameplay mechanics inspired by Project Zomboid and an atmosphere steeped in Alien-style dread, it’s not just another space game. It's a panic simulator in slow motion.
"You're trapped aboard a derelict generation ship that has...been completely overgrown by extraterrestrial rainforest." — Rick Lane, PC Gamer
What sets Dandelion Void apart from other survival games is its combination of survival horror, sci-fi decay, and natural horror. This isn't a haunted space station or a cold, clinical lab filled with androids. It's a lush, living ship where every green leaf wants to eat you.
The devs at Manzanita Interactive—some of whom come from the Project Zomboid modding community—are fusing the best of both worlds. You've got the hardcore survival loop of Zomboid: scavenging, crafting, and barricading, layered over a spaceship crawling with aggressive plant life and reanimated botanical abominations made from human corpses.
Here's the nightmare fuel kicker: those vines and roots aren’t just background scenery. They’re alive, invasive, and deeply hostile. The monsters? They’ve grown over the bones of the dead crew. It’s like the ship became one massive fungal horror terrarium. Every corridor is a gamble.

Survival Loop: Now With Airlocks
Instead of running from undead hordes, you’re managing oxygen, sealing off rooms, fixing radiation-damaged suits, and guessing which bulkhead door leads to safety—or the void.
There's a sharp tension between exploration and survival. The ship is a maze, and progression requires cutting through overgrowth and unlocking sealed zones. Some rooms contain precious resources. Others? A hole to the stars.
The game features unique survival mechanics specifically designed for the harsh environment of space. Players must manage spacesuit damage and perform repairs to stay alive, navigate hazardous radiation zones, and carefully traverse airless chambers where oxygen is scarce. On top of that, cascading hull breaches can occur, forcing quick thinking to avoid being sucked into the void. These challenges make every step a critical decision—whether to push forward into danger or retreat to safety, whether to risk looting resources or prioritise survival.
Dandelion Void vs Other Space Horror Titles:
Game | Setting | Threat Type | Gameplay Focus | Notable Features |
Dandelion Void | Derelict spaceship overrun by jungle | Botanical monsters, space exposure | Base-building, exploration, survival | Modular suits, biological infestation |
Dead Space | Abandoned mining ship | Necromorphs (reanimated corpses) | Action-horror | Zero-G combat, limb dismemberment |
System Shock | Rogue AI-controlled space station | Mutants, cyborgs | Immersive sim | Hacking, RPG systems |
Project Zomboid | Suburban zombie apocalypse | Zombies | Survival sandbox | Psychological breakdown, permadeath |
Returnal | Alien planet, time loops | Extraterrestrial lifeforms | Bullet hell action | Roguelike loops, mind-bending story |
Dandelion Void: A Timeline So Far
Manzanita Interactive hasn’t committed to a release date yet. But development has been underway for at least two years, according to their recent Steam post. The current wishlist trailer is packed with features that feel near-final. That implies it might drop in 2025 or early 2026, though nothing’s confirmed.
The devs are being quiet, but this feels like the calm before the storm. Given the attention the trailer’s getting, we might see a playable demo or early access announcement later this year.

Space Horror's Cinematic Roots and Their Influence
The terrifying flavor of Dandelion Void isn’t happening in a vacuum. This genre has a long, grimy history, and the developers are clearly drawing inspiration from some of sci-fi's most grotesque classics.
Iconic Moment | Type of Media | Description |
Chestburster Scene (Alien, 1979) | Movie | Pure terror and body horror that redefined sci-fi fear |
The Overgrown Derelict (Annihilation, 2018) | Movie | Surreal alien flora transforms environment and characters alike |
The Flood Infection (Halo, 2001) | Game | Space parasitism at scale, with horrific biological distortion |
The Thing’s Imitation Reveal (The Thing, 1982) | Movie | Unsettling body horror and trust paranoia in arctic isolation |
Rapture Gone Wild (BioShock, 2007) | Game | Decay, madness, and philosophical horror in a sealed environment |
Dandelion Void borrows not just the tension but the ecology of these horrors. It's not just about what’s lurking around the corner—it’s what’s growing into it.

Why Dandelion Void Could Hit Harder Than Zomboid
Zomboid is already brutal, but it keeps you grounded in the familiar. You know what a house looks like. You recognise a frying pan. In Dandelion Void, the rules are alien. Every room, every item, every piece of gear could be the difference between breathing or being torn apart by something floral and unfriendly.
The monsters here aren’t mindless. They’re part of a larger, invasive system—like if The Last of Us’ cordyceps got dropped in Dead Space. It’s survival in an ecosystem that absolutely doesn’t want you in it.
And the silence? That’s the worst part. You’re not running through music-swelled action sequences. You’re listening for twitches in the vines. For the soft hum of oxygen escaping a cracked seal.
Dandelion Void isn’t just another survival horror game. It’s carving out a niche that combines deep, systems-based survival with existential dread. The setting—a living spaceship—is unnerving in concept and terrifying in execution.
There’s no release date yet, but this is one you’ll want to wishlist early. Between its Zomboid-inspired design and its monstrous sci-fi setting, Dandelion Void could become the next cult survival hit if it sticks the landing.
Keep an eye on the Steam page and wishlist Dandelion Void now. When this thing drops, you’ll want to be ready—and indoors.
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