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Press release:
Hidden Chest Studios and Rising Tide Publishing just set the date. Midwest 90: Rapid City opens in Early Access on Steam on November 10, 2026, and there’s a brand new Early Access release trailer to go with it.

Run a highway diner in a monster apocalypse, cook what crawls out of the dark, and keep the lights on as long as you can in Endless Mode. The story gets served one chapter at a time until the full release in March 2027.

How Early Access works

Midwest 90 Early Access roadmap

November 10: Early Access drops with a deep, complex, and complete Endless Mode, where players can dive deep into the complex simulation, tower defense, and diner management gameplay elements. Players also get the opening Prologue and Chapter 1 of the story.
December 31: Tons of new content. Customized Endless Mode options and scenarios. A new monster (maybe 2), and a few surprises.
January 28: Chapter 2 drops in full, which is a huge amount of narrative content and where most of the twists and turns in the story happen. Anyone who bought Early Access gets it as a free update.
March 2027: full release with the final chapter, including branching outcomes based on the decisions you make from a gameplay perspective. At this point 1.0 drops as well, and all Early Access players get all updates free.

About the game

Rapid City, South Dakota, in the year 2034 yet strangely reminiscent of the 1990s. Some places never do change, eh? The New Great Depression already gutted the town, and now there are monsters. You run a small roadside diner where the monsters are both the threat and the supply chain.

Between shifts, a consequence-driven story with a cast of strange regulars asks how much of the city you’re willing to spend to stay in business. Those who fight monsters risk becoming one.

Features:

A restaurant sim with real steaks… err, stakes: menus, staff, research and upgrades in the middle of an apocalypse
Trap it, harvest it, cook it: every monster is an ingredient, every ingredient is a recipe
(Tower) defend your diner against monster waves
Endless Mode: a deep, replayable management sandbox with difficulty options and progression
A story told chapter by chapter, where your choices shape the fate of Rapid City
A 90s isometric look inspired by early Fallout, in an eerie orange-and-red glow

“I’m a big fan, I’ve enjoyed the absolute heck of this game. This has been really really good. I’ve had an absolute whale of a time.”
– Orbital Potato, YouTube (Next Fest Demo)

“This is a weird, weird game – But you know what? Good Stuff!”
– Nookrium (Demo)

About Hidden Chest Studios

Hidden Chest Studios is a Malaysian game developer dedicated to crafting thoughtful, system-driven experiences that balance creativity and technical design. The team is driven by a mission to build meaningful games while championing ethical employment practices and helping elevate the Malaysian games industry on a global stage.

Learn more about Hidden Chest Studios by following them on LinkedIn and YouTube, and by visiting their website at hiddenchest.studio.

About Rising Tide Publishing

We champion games with sincerity. Developers with a peculiar and singular vision. risingtidepublishing.com