DreadXP and Dark Machine Games bring festive fear to their highly-acclaimed speed-climbing horror game, White Knuckle, with the new holiday-themed Chimney update. White Knuckle has enjoyed an outstanding first few months of Early Access time, with glowing reviews and award nominations, and the three-person team behind the climber wants to celebrate accordingly. Check out the latest trailer for your first look at the dizzying heights inside The Chimney.



The Chimney update brings a new holiday-themed Endless Mode to White Knuckle, along with new hazards, including blizzards, freezing, and icy & heated surfaces. Stuck and unable to proceed? Use the new cryo-gun to help create icy handholds to keep climbing.

There are also new cosmetics to let you customize each hand with different skins and colors, featuring artwork from the development team and collaboration with the artist Balabanodo. There are updates to how rebar is used along with new animations and poses for running, crouching, and, of course, falling.

Trapped in the crumbling depths of Sub-structure 17, you play as a lone climber fighting to ascend a nightmarish underground compound. Navigate collapsing walls, leap over deadly gaps, and dodge brutal traps, all while evading the monstrous presence lurking and creeping from down below. Precision, speed, and smart resource management are essential.

Tools can aid your climb, but overpacking will slow you down, and accessing your gear mid-ascent means having to let go of a hand. One wrong move, just one fumbled grab, and it's a long way down.

White Knuckle is available now in Steam Early Access for $14.99 USD / €14.79 / £12.79. As White Knuckle's content develops throughout the Early Access period, pricing will be adjusted accordingly. The Chimney update joins previous updates, including The Abyss and Parasite, and is a holiday-themed event running from December 16th to January 8th, 2026.

A highly praised demo is currently available for free on Steam for aspiring climbers to test their mettle before taking on the full force of Substructure 7.