The other day I was perusing YouTube and noticed Markiplier had uploaded a new playthrough for a game called Routine. I watched about 15 minutes of that playthrough and knew immediately it was a game I needed to play. Routine is one of those game styles I immensely enjoy and so as not spoil the experience of a game I knew I would be playing soon, I discontinued the playthrough.
Coincidentally, just this month I renewed my subscription to XBox Game Pass and on the front page of the XBox Game Pass client was Routine! The game was released December 4th of 2025 so it’s a relatively new release. The cost of the game is $19.99 however Routine is available to play on PC with valid XBox Game Pass subscription. I have the PC only subscription which runs $13.99/month.
From the start Routine held me in rapt fascination . It does this awesome thing that some games do so well. That thing being don’t baby the player. He’s/She’s played many other games we’re sure, so let the player figure things out. Being a first person PC game it’s going to assume you know what WASD and mouse look are. That’s about all you’re going to be able to take for granted. From the start you’re going to have to figure out what to do. In the “prelude” stage you’ll get some items and then be bombarded with seemingly a ton of information. In fact, and possibly by design, that initial stage/chapter bombarded me with so much information I was feeling a bit overwhelmed. I think that was by design. Routine is strong in atmosphere and the liminal.
ROUTINE is a First Person Sci-Fi Horror title set on an abandoned lunar base designed around an 80s vision of the future. Curious exploration turns into a need for survival when a lunar base goes completely quiet. Searching for answers puts you face to face with an enemy who is certain the main threat is you. Discoveries lead to deeper unknowns and the only way to go is forward. Note: ROUTINE offers no waypoint markers, finding your way is part of the experience. Slow down, observe your surroundings, explore carefully, and review data to uncover the path forward.
- EXPLORE: Roam through contrasting sectors of the lunar base, from deteriorating living quarters and tram stations to an abandoned mall.
- OBSERVE: Investigate your surroundings and uncover crucial information to progress and piece together the events that unfolded before your arrival.
- IMMERSE: Full body awareness, diegetic audio, and a minimal UI help create a gripping and atmospheric experience.
- OPERATE: Your Cosmonaut Assistance Tool (C.A.T.) is vital. Use it to access critical terminals, navigate the environment and identify clues.
- SURVIVE: Run, hide, or attempt to defend yourself against unknown threats using the C.A.T. as a last resort.
XBOX Game Pass Description
If you’ve ever played Alien: Isolation and/or SOMA, Routine has similar elements that made those games so fun to play. Normally I would complete a game before attempting to write a review but I’m about 35% way through the game so far and I’ve been enjoying every second and have a sneaking suspicion the remaining 65% of the game will just get better. (As of this reread however I have completed the game.) I’m a bit of an optimist but what Routine has showed me so far is everything I love about gaming and survival horror. I’ve only been jump scared once and it was perfection. When it happened I was struck with that instantaneous fear/surprise/confusion for a moment only to tip my hat at the game for such a high quality jump scare while afterwards enjoying a little session of laughing at myself. This is up there in the top 5 games I’ve ever played.
If you have an older computer and/or video card Routine will still run great for you here in 2026. You might have to adjust some graphics options. It fly’s on my 3rd Gen Intel i5 CPU and Nvidia 2Gb GT1030 GPU, so it should run great on just about anything, even my Potato Processing System.
Routine was released December 4th of 2025 and was developed by Lunar Software. Published by Raw Fury it takes up 9.93 gigabytes of disk space when installed. The game itself was in development hell for 13 years including major backtracking when the game engine was switched to Unreal.