Don't Chicken Out

Don't Chicken Out is a physics-based endurance test that transforms the simple act of carrying an object into a high-stakes cooperative nightmare. Developed and published by Blackthornprod, the game tasks players with balancing an egg between two chickens across increasingly hostile environments. The release date for Don't Chicken Out is July 9, 2026, when it will launch on PC via Steam.

The central hook relies on the inherent friction of physics-based movement. Unlike traditional platformers where you control a single character's momentum, here the primary objective is detached from the players, existing as a fragile payload that reacts to every jitter and mistimed jump. It is a design built on the foundation of games like Getting Over It with Bennett Foddy, where the difficulty is not just in the hazards, but in the psychological toll of losing significant progress to a single slip. Whether the developer can keep the frustration loop feeling fair rather than arbitrary over seven distinct biomes is the hurdle this title must clear.

Navigating the Farm and the Galaxy on July 9, 2026

The game features local and online co-op, which fundamentally alters the mechanical challenge. In solo play, you manage the balance alone, but in multiplayer, the egg becomes a literal tether that requires perfect synchronization between two people. One player moving too fast or miscalculating a vertical ascent in the Cathedral or Himalayan stages will likely result in a failure for both. This creates a social pressure cooker where the technical difficulty of the game is amplified by the communication skills of the duo.

For those who thrive on optimization, the inclusion of a speedrun timer and global leaderboards suggests a high ceiling for mastery. While the developer has set a benchmark of just over six minutes, most players will likely spend hours ascending through the hand-crafted verticality of the world. Each of the seven biomes, ranging from the Farm to the literal depths of Hell, serves as a checkpoint in a journey that rewards mechanical precision and steady nerves. If you enjoy the specific brand of digital masochism found in physics-heavy climbers, this belongs on your radar. Everyone else should wait for launch-day footage to see if their patience can handle the inevitable falls. Add it to your wishlist if you have a reliable co-op partner and a high tolerance for repetitive failure.