Alawar Announces ‘Beholder IV’ to Celebrate Franchise’s 10th Anniversary Alongside New Digital Comic

Alawar has officially announced Beholder IV, the next mainline entry in its acclaimed dystopian surveillance strategy series, timed to commemorate the exact 10th anniversary of the original game’s debut on November 9, 2016. Currently in development for PC via Steam by the team behind the spin-off Beholder: Conductor, the sequel does not yet have a confirmed release window.

To mark the decade milestone, Alawar also launched Beholder: The Landlord’s Handbook, a standalone digital comic presented as an illustrated government field manual for state-appointed apartment managers. The comic is available now on Steam in English and Russian with a 10% introductory launch discount for its first two weeks, while the original 2016 Beholder is discounted by 90% on Steam through November 24.

For official product pages, developer updates, and anniversary promotions, visit the Alawar Beholder franchise website.

Living a Double Life Inside the Ministry

While earlier entries placed players in the shoes of state-installed landlords spying on apartment tenants through keyholes, Beholder IV shifts the perspective directly into the bureaucratic heart of the totalitarian regime. Players assume the role of a young, promising Ministry official who appears fiercely loyal to the State on the surface, while secretly operating as an undercover agent for the resistance—all while concealing a personal hidden agenda even from underground allies.

• Bureaucracy by Day, Espionage by Night: During working hours, players process citizens’ files, authorize orders, and climb the administrative ladder. Once off the clock, restricted Ministry corridors and offices open up for stealth exploration, allowing players to eavesdrop on colleagues, steal keys, crack safes, forge official documents, and plant listening devices.
• Conflicting Orders and Moral Gray Areas: Every colleague follows daily schedules and hides personal weaknesses. The Ministry may order players to expose a traitor on staff at the exact same moment the resistance demands help smuggling that person out. Accepting a promotion unlocks classified archives, yet requires signing arrest warrants against innocent citizens.
• Branching Endings: Without a clear moral compass, choices dynamically reshape relationships, underground operations, and the overarching story across multiple playthroughs. Players can emerge as a dedicated revolutionary leader, a ruthless state oligarch, or a self-serving double agent playing both factions.

Timed Police Raids and Faction Romance Paths

The tension of Beholder IV follows players home after their shifts end. Returning to their apartment with stolen classified files triggers sudden, high-stakes police inspections:

• Apartment Searches: Players have mere seconds when officers knock at the door to stash contraband inside ventilation ducts, under mattresses, or in secret compartments. Compromising documents can also be destroyed permanently, though doing so sacrifices valuable intelligence. If officers uncover suspicious items, players must rely on deception, excuses, or official rank to survive increasingly thorough raids.
• Dangerous Romances: Away from the office, players can meet, assist, and date four distinct women with conflicting ideologies. Some serve the totalitarian State while others fight for the underground, creating volatile personal dilemmas when a romantic partner’s loyalties clash with assigned missions.

Franchise Legacy Since 2016

First introduced in November 2016, the Beholder series earned widespread praise for blending dark Orwellian satire with tense resource management and moral choice mechanics. Over the past decade, Alawar has steadily expanded the universe across PC, consoles, and mobile platforms through Beholder 2 (2018), Beholder 3 (2022), and the railway-set spin-off Beholder: Conductor, cementing the franchise as a standout staple of narrative indie strategy.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

When does Beholder IV release?

Alawar has not yet announced an official release date for Beholder IV, though the game’s Steam store page is live now for wishlisting.

Which platforms is Beholder IV coming to?

Beholder IV is currently confirmed for PC via Steam, with no console versions announced at this time.

What is Beholder: The Landlord’s Handbook?

Beholder: The Landlord’s Handbook is a standalone illustrated digital comic book released on November 9, 2026, on Steam. Written as an in-universe government manual for apartment managers, it celebrates the franchise’s 10th anniversary.