“Operation Stutter”: A Cold War Horror Game You Need to See at Gamescom 2025

A Cold War–era psychological horror game from Kurdistan is set to make its global debut at Gamescom 2025, marking a milestone for the region’s growing game development scene. Operation Stutter, developed by Kevir Entertainment — the first indie game studio from Kurdistan — is in development for PC and consoles, with its official reveal trailer scheduled to premiere on August 20 during the event.

Built in Unity, the forthcoming first-person, single-player title unfolds inside a nuclear research bunker at the height of Cold War paranoia. Rather than relying on jump scares, it builds tension through atmospheric dread, isolation, disorientation, and a constant sense of being watched. Players are equipped only with a film camera to photograph anomalies, uncover hidden clues, and piece together a fractured history through notes, documents, and audio tapes. Themes of memory, identity, paranoia, and loss run throughout, with puzzles and environmental storytelling forming the core gameplay.

Kevir Entertainment will also appear at Devcom, hosting a session on representation in games and the importance of storytelling from underrepresented regions. The studio developed Operation Stutter without any public funding, formal development pipelines, or institutional support — a process Art Director Haron Younis describes as “a kind of resistance — a statement that we belong in this space too, not just as consumers, but as creators with something to say.” That act of creation against the odds is baked into the game’s DNA. Without access to traditional funding or infrastructure and limited opportunities for creative expression through games, the team relied on sheer commitment and collaboration to get this far.

Operation Stutter draws creative influences from horror titles like Outlast and Madison, as well as psychological thrillers such as Memento, The Platform, and 10 Cloverfield Lane. The aesthetic leans heavily into 1980s surveillance culture, using CRT monitors, analogue tech, propaganda imagery, and shadowy bunker corridors to create a cinematic, retro-futuristic atmosphere. Its immersive sound design layers ambient noise, distorted radio signals, and Cold War–era broadcasts to heighten psychological unease, promising an experience as emotionally unsettling as it is narratively ambitious.

While Operation Stutter does not yet have a release date, Kevir’s upcoming appearance at Gamescom represents a milestone for Kurdish game developers, offering both a global showcase for their debut title and a chance to spotlight the creative potential of regions often overlooked in the industry. For the team, Operation Stutter is more than a game — it’s a declaration of presence on an international stage.

More information on Operation Stutter can be found here, and players can wishlist the title on Steam now.

Words by Khushboo Malhotra

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