Become a Vampire in Sucks to Be In the Sticks
The small team at CoAction has announced its debut title, Sucks To Be In The Sticks. It is a deep and dark narrative game about vampires working night shift jobs. It will be coming out sometime in Q1 2026 on Steam, with a demo already available on the platform.
The game follows the story of Ilo, a 19-year-old whose world shifts dramatically after becoming a vampire. Rather than leaning only on the familiar tropes of the genre, the game explores the quiet, unspoken struggles of small-town lives. Every time Ilo feeds on human blood or energy, emotional mini-games draw the player in and reveal hidden memories, dreams, and fears, offering a haunting window into the souls of others.
Life as a vampire, however, is not only about hunger and power. The game asks players to preserve what remains of their humanity through simple yet moving moments: late-night talks with Ilo’s mother while helping her at the flower shop, mending a fragile childhood friendship strained by secrets, or spending hard-earned wages on stray cats.
The town itself is alive with voices rarely centered in such settings, queer communities, migrants, and ethnic minorities, whose experiences reflect both realism and metaphor. Through these encounters, the narrative delves into wider social and political themes, exposing how systems suppress empathy and punish those who resist. Players will see grassroots activism, quiet struggles behind closed doors, and the resilience that emerges from hardship.
Visually, the art captures the fading beauty of a town in decline, at once bleak and strangely familiar. Sucks To Be In The Sticks promises not only a story of vampires, but a reflection on love, grief, laughter, and survival in a world that demands both surrender and hope.