The Skin Stapler
In the codexActionIndie

The Skin Stapler

The Skin Stapler is a retro-styled PSX grindhouse horror adventure set in the rotting, crime-soaked sprawl of Carrion City. Players follow jaded detective Dick Slater and his eager rookie partner Robbie Knox as they hunt a mysterious serial killer known only as The Skin Stapler.

DEV: Tainted PactPUB: Assemble EntertainmentAppID 4310610

Is The Skin Stapler still being updated? — the short answer, with the evidence.

91.8
Excellent

Elixir Rating

90.1% of 605 Steam reviews are positive, which after adjusting for sample size gives a reception score of 87.4. The developers have shipped 1 substantial update in the past six months, adding 4.4.

reception 87.4·support +4.4·Excellent

Computed from Steam’s own review tally and observable developer activity — never from anyone’s opinion of the game. How this is calculated

Should you look into this?

From Steam's own record

Current price

$9.74$14.99−35%

Development

Insufficient evidence

Last heard from developers

2 months ago

Historical posting rhythm

not yet established

Substantial updates (6 mo)

1

Current silence

cannot be judged

We do not yet hold enough of this game's announcement history to describe its rhythm. 1 substantial update recorded in the past six months, 1 classified as major. It is currently 35% below its usual price.

Last successful news check: Oct 3, 2026, 2:05 PM UTC. This is when we checked Steam, separate from when the developer last posted.

We hold a thin slice of this game's announcement history, so its normal rhythm can't be established. That is a limit of our record, not evidence about the game.

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Distilled by the oracle

Our coverage

1 dispatch written from this game’s announcements

releaseAug 22, 2026

The Skin Stapler Launches on Steam, Bringing Detective Dick Slater's Full Case to Players

The Skin Stapler is now available on Steam, according to a launch announcement posted by developer Michael of Assemble_Made on August 6, 2026.

The game is set in a location called Carrion City and follows a character named Detective Dick Slater. The developer describes the world as "twisted," populated by "strange characters" and featuring "gruesome murders" alongside what the announcement calls "ridiculous one-liners" and hidden details throughout.

What the launch includes

  • The full story, following a demo that was previously available to players
  • An official launch trailer released alongside the announcement
  • A selection of bundles assembled with other indie horror developers, offering a discount for players looking to purchase multiple titles together

The announcement was written by Michael personally, framing the release as a solo indie effort and expressing gratitude to players who engaged with the demo and shared feedback during development.

For those who played the demo, the full release represents the complete version of the case teased there — Carrion City's secrets, it seems, are now fully open to investigation.

Two years of development

■ substantial ■ routine

Nov2025FebMayAugNov2026FebMayAug

4 announcements · 1 substantial · 20 months with nothing

Recent Transmissions

4 entries in codex

Community AnnouncementsAug 6, 2026
The Skin Stapler is Out Now!

Hey everyone,I honestly can't believe the day is finally here. The Skin Stapler is out now on Steam!Making this game has been an incredible journey. I had so much fun creating the twisted world of Carrion City, its strange characters, ridic…

Read our dispatch on this

Read this patch for

Community AnnouncementsJul 22, 2026
The Skin Stapler Releases on August 6

Hey everyone, it's Michael here.The wait is almost over. I'm incredibly excited to finally share that The Skin Stapler launches on Steam on August 6!For the past few years I've been pouring everything into making the kind of horror game I a…

Community AnnouncementsJun 2, 2026
NEW TRAILER DROPPED 🔥

Hey everyone, it's Michael here.Today I finally got to show a brand-new trailer for THE SKIN STAPLER during the Horror Game Awards Showcase: Midsummer Night's Scream.🔥 Watch the new Trailer here 🔥🔥Watch the complete showcase here 🔥This …

Community AnnouncementsApr 22, 2026
MY NEW GAME: THE SKIN STAPLER + WHAT'S NEXT

Hey everyone, it's Michael here.Here we go again.In case you missed it, I announced my new game THE SKIN STAPLER along with a DEMO: Currently sitting on 92% positive steam reviews 📈 Thank you so much 🙏The Skin Stapler is a short, story-dr…