Catherine HuSummary: This guide explains how long ROUTINE takes to complete, covering estimated playtime ranges, the influence of puzzles and exploration, and how XMOD can enhance the sci-fi horror experience.
ROUTINE is a first-person sci-fi survival-horror game developed by Lunar Software and published by Raw Fury. Released on December 4, 2025 for PC and Xbox platforms, the game places you on a deserted lunar base where you must unravel the mystery of what happened while navigating environmental hazards, logic puzzles, and tension-filled encounters.
The game focuses on atmospheric exploration, immersive diegetic design, environmental storytelling, and survival mechanics using the Cosmonaut Assistance Tool (C.A.T.).
This guide breaks down expected completion times and explains how different playstyles affect session length.
You’ll also learn how XMOD can enhance your ROUTINE gameplay through performance and quality-of-life features.
Table of contents
- What is ROUTINE?
- How long is ROUTINE?
- ROUTINE Chapter Breakdown
- All Objectives in ROUTINE
- How Can You Enhance ROUTINE Gaming?
- Conclusion
What is ROUTINE?
ROUTINE is a survival horror game set on a derelict lunar facility where you play as an unnamed protagonist who awakens to find the base deserted and something ominous lurking within. The game emphasizes immersion with full body awareness, diegetic UI design (no traditional HUD), environmental clues, and puzzle-based progression.
Gameplay focuses on careful exploration, interpreting environmental cues, solving logic puzzles and codes, managing limited resources, and avoiding or surviving encounters with threats through stealth and strategy rather than combat.
The Cosmonaut Assistance Tool (C.A.T.) serves as your primary interface for interacting with terminals, accessing locked areas, saving progress, and occasionally defending yourself under duress.
How long is ROUTINE?
ROUTINE’s playtime varies based on player skill, puzzle proficiency, and how much attention you pay to lore and exploration:
- Main Story (typical first playthrough): ~6–8 hours – Most players complete the core narrative and major puzzles in about 6 to 8 hours.
- Puzzle Focused / Slow Pace: ~8–10+ hours – If you take time to solve every environmental puzzle thoughtfully and explore every corner, your runtime may stretch toward 10 hours or more.
- Fast Puzzle Solvers: ~4–6 hours – Experienced gamers adept at logic puzzles and environmental reading can significantly reduce run time.
- Extended Exploration & Replay: 10+ hours – Players who dive deep into hidden lore, experiment with alternative approaches, or replay segments for full comprehension may spend more time overall.
Playtime is influenced by your comfort with survival horror pacing, stealth encounters, and deciphering codes — particularly when C.A.T. functions are required to progress.
ROUTINE Chapter List
Arrival & Orientation
You begin the game waking up in isolation, learning movement, C.A.T. basics, and the deserted layout of Union Plaza. Discover your first environmental clues and establish objective direction.
Exploration & Environmental Puzzles
Roam derelict sectors of the lunar base, from residential modules to repurposed research labs. Solve codes, access terminals, and piece together audio logs or scattered notes to understand what happened to the crew.
Emerging Threats & Stealth Sequences
As you dig deeper, hostile robotic or AI-related threats emerge. Survival hinges on stealth, smart usage of limited C.A.T. defenses, and environmental cover.
Core Story Progression & Narrative Threads
Unpack the mystery behind the base’s decay — decipher fragmented recordings, uncover hidden areas, and chase narrative threads to their unsettling core.
Final Descents & Climax
Tie together the clues and confront the culmination of the lunar base catastrophe. This phase blends heightened tension with increasingly complex puzzles and atmospheric storytelling.
Optional Replays & Alternate Approaches
After completing the main run, players may revisit certain segments to catch missed details or enjoy the atmosphere with fresh context.
All Objectives in ROUTINE
Story Objectives
Unravel the narrative of Union Plaza through exploration, investigation of logs and recordings, and interpretation of environmental storytelling devices.
Exploration Objectives
Navigate various lunar base sectors, discover hidden corridors, and piece together what transpired before your arrival.
Puzzle & Logic Objectives
Decode encrypted terminals, solve environmental puzzles, and sequence logic ciphers to progress deeper into the base.
Survival Objectives
Evade or overcome threats through careful movement, smart use of C.A.T. capabilities, and strategic avoidance rather than direct confrontation.
Immersive Interaction Objectives
Engage with a diegetic interface — manipulating real in-game consoles and tools without standard HUD feedback to heighten immersion.
How Can You Enhance ROUTINE Gaming?
XMOD offers tools to optimize and personalize your ROUTINE experience:
- Performance Enhancements: Frame rate stabilization and optimized load handling for smoother exploration and consistent atmospheric tension.
- Puzzle Assistance: Optional logic hints or walkthrough aids to help navigate tougher puzzles without breaking immersion.
- Exploration Tools: Enhanced clue highlighting and navigational aids to reduce needless backtracking while still preserving the eerie feel.
- Quality-of-Life Features: Save-anywhere options, extended interaction timings, and visibility boosts in dark areas to tailor the experience to your preference.
XMOD will provide full trainer support upon the game’s official release, ensuring compatibility and stability from day one.
Conclusion
ROUTINE delivers a focused survival horror journey that rewards patience, environmental observation, and careful puzzle solving. A typical run clocks in around 6–8 hours, with variations based on playstyle, puzzle skill, and exploration depth.
Its strengths lie in immersive design, atmospheric tension, and narrative mystery rather than extensive length or replayability. If you enjoy slow-burn horror with rich moon base ambiance, ROUTINE offers a memorable experience that doesn’t overstay its welcome.
With added customization and quality-of-life options via XMOD, you can tailor the challenge and pacing to suit your preference — whether you want a tense uninterrupted run or a slightly more guided investigation through Union Plaza.
Whether you’re drawn by its long development story, eerie lunar setting, or survival horror mechanics, ROUTINE stands as one of 2025’s atmospheric standouts — compact, intense, and deeply immersive.
