The Bellows

The Bellows
Information
VR/AR	VR
Developer	Evan Davis, Bryce Davis, Gehrig Gosslin, BOT Jungle Productions
Publisher	BOT Jungle Productions
Platform	SteamVR
Device	HTC Vive
Operating System	Windows
Type	Full Game
Genre	Action, Adventure, Indie, Simulation, VR
Input Device	Tracked motion controllers
Play Area	Standing, Room-Scale
Game Mode	Single Player
Language	English
Review	Very Positive
Release Date	Sep 12, 2016
Price	Free
App Store	Steam
Website	http://castlestepsgames.com/
Infobox Updated	11/21/2016

The Bellows is a short, single-player horror experience for SteamVR headsets, created by the studio Castle Steps and credited on Steam to BOT Jungle Productions, Evan Davis, Bryce Davis and Gehrig Gosslin. It was released on Steam in September 2016, first for the HTC Vive, and is listed as Free to Play.^[1]^[2] A PlayStation VR version followed on 11 July 2017.^[2]

Reviewed 9 October 2026. Checked title, developer, publisher, release month, price, VR support and Steam review rating against the Steam page and API, plus the UploadVR, SelectButton and itch.io statements cited About review dates.

Overview

UploadVR describes it as a first-person game in which the player explores the dark corners of a man's home.^[2] SelectButton's review names two settings, an abandoned mansion and a hospital.^[3] The Steam page says it is designed to play like an interactive movie and that it is VR only, with tracked controller support.^[1]

UploadVR reported in July 2017 that Castle Steps had reworked the game in April 2017 into a shorter, more refined version of about 15 minutes, with the original longer version also included.^[2] A demo was distributed earlier through itch.io.^[4]

Reception

SelectButton reviewed the PlayStation VR version in August 2017 and scored it 6/10, criticized its brevity (about 15 to 20 minutes to finish) and said it felt more like an amusement park ride than an interactive horror game.^[3] Steam user reviews were rated Very Positive as of October 2026, with 86% of 245 reviews positive.^[5]

Features

Single-player

System Requirements

Windows

Minimum

OS: Windows 7 SP1
Processor: Intel i5-4590
Memory: 8 GB RAM
Graphics: NVIDIA GTX 970 / AMD 290 equivalent or greater
Storage: 1500 MB available space

Setup Instructions

Images and Videos

References

↑ ^1.0 ^1.1 "The Bellows on Steam". Steam. https://store.steampowered.com/app/529670/. Retrieved 2026-10-09.
↑ ^2.0 ^2.1 ^2.2 ^2.3 "Update: VR Horror App The Bellows Is Coming To PSVR, New Trailer Released". UploadVR. 2017-07-09. https://uploadvr.com/vr-horror-app-bellows-coming-psvr-new-trailer-released/. Retrieved 2026-10-09.
↑ ^3.0 ^3.1 "The Bellows Review". SelectButton. 2017-08-12. https://selectbutton.com/reviews/the-bellows-review. Retrieved 2026-10-09.
↑ "The Bellows". itch.io. https://castlesteps.itch.io/the-bellows. Retrieved 2026-10-09.
↑ "The Bellows user reviews". Steam. https://store.steampowered.com/appreviews/529670?json=1&language=all&purchase_type=all. Retrieved 2026-10-09.

[steam-1] 1.0 ^1.1 "The Bellows on Steam". Steam. https://store.steampowered.com/app/529670/. Retrieved 2026-10-09.

[uploadvr-2] 2.0 ^2.1 ^2.2 ^2.3 "Update: VR Horror App The Bellows Is Coming To PSVR, New Trailer Released". UploadVR. 2017-07-09. https://uploadvr.com/vr-horror-app-bellows-coming-psvr-new-trailer-released/. Retrieved 2026-10-09.

[selectbutton-3] 3.0 ^3.1 "The Bellows Review". SelectButton. 2017-08-12. https://selectbutton.com/reviews/the-bellows-review. Retrieved 2026-10-09.

[itch-4] "The Bellows". itch.io. https://castlesteps.itch.io/the-bellows. Retrieved 2026-10-09.

[steamreviews-5] "The Bellows user reviews". Steam. https://store.steampowered.com/appreviews/529670?json=1&language=all&purchase_type=all. Retrieved 2026-10-09.

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