Squirrel Stapler (version 1.0) is a psychological horror hunting simulator developed by David Szymanski. A standout feature for Linux users is its excellent performance and compatibility via Proton (Wine-based), with players reporting it works "out of the box" with a Platinum rating on most distributions. Key Game Features
Absurdist Horror Premise: You play as a hunter who must skin squirrels to staple them onto his deceased wife to make her "beautiful" again.
Authentic Hunting Mechanics: Despite its weirdness, it features legitimate mechanics like crouching, hiding in bushes, and using a squirrel call to lure targets.
Educational Squirrel Facts: The large, nonlinear map is littered with actual (and increasingly unsettling) facts about squirrels.
Atmospheric Progression: The game spans five days, during which the environment becomes more surreal, culminating in the arrival of God on the final day.
Bonus Modes: The standalone release includes an unlockable Giant Squirrels mode and full controller support. Linux/Wine Performance SQUIRREL STAPLER | A 60 Second Review
Squirrel Stapler is an absurdist horror hunting simulator developed by David Szymanski (creator of DUSK). Originally a short entry in the Dread X Collection 2 (2020), it was released as a standalone title on Steam on September 11, 2023. Game Overview
The game follows a surreal, five-day mission where the player must hunt squirrels to staple them to a decaying corpse. It satirizes low-budget edutainment and hunting games from the 1990s with a mix of pitch-black humor and psychological horror. Genre: Action, FPS, Horror. Engine: Built using the Unity Engine.
Price: Regularly listed at $7.99, though it is frequently seen on sale for less.
Playtime: Very short, typically completed in about one hour. Squirrel Stapler on Steam
Squirrel Stapler is a satirical horror hunting simulator developed by David Szymanski (known for Iron Lung and DUSK). Originally a part of the Dread X Collection II (2020), it received a standalone release in September 2023 with graphical improvements and new features. Core Premise and Lore
The Narrative: You play as a hunter living in a remote cabin with the decaying, skinned corpse of your wife. Driven by the belief that she has become "ugly," you venture into the woods to hunt squirrels and staple their remains to her to restore her beauty.
The Five-Day Cycle: The game spans five days. Each day, you must meet a specific squirrel quota.
"God is Coming": An ominous countdown warns that "God is coming" on the fifth day. The game culminates in a meeting with a surreal, giant, mutilated squirrel deity. Gameplay Mechanics Squirrel Stapler
Squirrel Stapler (v1.0) is a surreal, psychological horror hunting simulator developed by David Szymanski, the creator of Iron Lung and Dusk. Originally a breakout title in the Dread X Collection 2 (2020), it received a standalone release on September 11, 2023.
The game follows a nameless protagonist in a remote cabin who attempts to "beautify" his rotting, skinned wife by hunting squirrels and stapling their pelts to her corpse. While officially released for Windows, it has become a cult favorite for GNU/Linux users who run the English (ENG) version through the Wine compatibility layer. Key Gameplay Features
Squirrel Stapler is a surreal, psychological horror hunting simulator created by David Szymanski, the developer behind DUSK. Originally released in 2020 as part of The Dread X Collection 2, it received a standalone expanded release on Steam in September 2023. Game Overview
The game satirizes low-budget edutainment and "shovelware" FPS games with pitch-black humor and an unsettling atmosphere. Squirrel Stapler - 1.0 - ENG - GNU Linux Wine -...
Squirrel Stapler: A Bizarre, Unsettling Hunt That Sticks With You
Squirrel Stapler is not your average hunting simulator. Released by David Szymanski (the creator of DUSK and Iron Lung), this lo-fi horror experience transforms a simple task into a surreal nightmare.
If you are running version 1.0 on GNU Linux via Wine, you are looking at one of the most efficient ways to experience this cult hit on an open-source platform. 🕹️ The Premise: Faith, Fur, and Finishes
The goal is deceptively simple: you need to hunt squirrels. But as you explore the grainy, pixelated woods, the "why" becomes increasingly disturbing. The Mission: Kill squirrels to collect their pelts.
The Purpose: You are "beautifying" your wife by stapling these pelts to her corpse.
The Atmosphere: The woods are silent, save for the crunch of leaves and the unsettling dialogue of your protagonist. 🐧 Running on Linux via Wine
Since Squirrel Stapler is a lightweight title, it runs exceptionally well on Linux through translation layers.
Performance: Expect near-native frame rates due to the low-poly aesthetic.
Compatibility: Wine (and Proton) handles the game’s simple executable without major tweaks.
Stability: Version 1.0 is highly stable, ensuring the "five-day" countdown isn't interrupted by crashes. 🛠️ Why It Works
Short & Sweet: You can finish the descent into madness in about an hour.
Visual Style: The "PS1-era" graphics lean into the uncanny valley, making every movement in the brush feel threatening.
Sound Design: The squelch of the stapler and the eerie ambient tracks build a sense of dread that modern AAA horror often misses. 🐿️ Quick Tips for New Hunters
Keep Moving: Don't let the squirrels stay out of sight for too long.
Look Up: Sometimes the most important things aren't on the forest floor.
Check the Shack: Your "wife" will have things to say as the days progress.
Squirrel Stapler is a surreal, retro-style horror hunting simulator developed by David Szymanski, the creator of Squirrel Stapler (version 1
. While it is natively built for Windows, Linux users can run version 1.0 effectively through compatibility layers like The Game: A Macabre Hunt
The game satirizes low-budget "edutainment" hunting titles from the late 90s, featuring a low-poly aesthetic and a disturbingly dark premise.
: A man living in a remote cabin attempts to make his "beloved" (a decaying corpse) beautiful again by hunting squirrels and stapling their skins to her.
: Players explore a nonlinear forest, tracking squirrels using a "call" and a bolt-action rifle while avoiding eerie predators like squirrel bears and ghost squirrels.
: It is a short, atmospheric experience that typically takes less than an hour to complete, culminating in a meeting with "God". Running on GNU/Linux with Wine Squirrel Stapler uses the Unity engine and requires DirectX 10 , it is highly compatible with modern Linux setups. Squirrel Stapler - The Elite Institute
this is more of a hunting game the goal is to track and kill squirrels with your limited amount of ammunition. The Elite Institute Squirrel Stapler on Steam
This guide outlines how to run the surreal horror game Squirrel Stapler on GNU/Linux using Wine
. Developed by David Szymanski, the game involves hunting squirrels to "beautify" a corpse and find God. 1. System Requirements & Software Operating System: Any 64-bit GNU/Linux distribution. Compatibility Layer:
(version 9.6 or newer recommended for optimal playback of FMV sequences). The game’s FMVs require the WMV9 codec
, which can typically be installed via the game's included installer or through winetricks 2. Installation Guide (Using Wine)
To run the Windows executable (.exe) on Linux, follow these steps: Step 1: Install Wine
Ensure Wine is installed on your system. For Debian/Ubuntu-based systems, use: sudo apt update && sudo apt install wine64 wine32 Step 2: Prepare a Wine Prefix (Recommended)
It is best practice to install games in separate "prefixes" (virtual Windows environments) to avoid software conflicts. WINEPREFIX=~/.squirrel_stapler winecfg Step 3: Install Required Dependencies winetricks
to install essential components if the game fails to launch or play videos:
WINEPREFIX=~/.squirrel_stapler winetricks wmp9 quartz vcrun2015 Step 4: Run the Game Navigate to the game folder and execute: WINEPREFIX=~/.squirrel_stapler wine SquirrelStapler.exe 3. Optimization & Troubleshooting Video Playback:
If cutscenes are choppy or black, ensure you are using a runner based on and have the codec installed. Custom Resolutions:
You can manually modify the game's resolution and settings by editing the MINIGUN.ini file located in the game directory. Controller Support: Performance Benchmarks: What to Expect Testing on a
While the game has full controller support, running it through
as a "Non-Steam Game" is the easiest way to ensure your gamepad is recognized via Proton. 4. User Recommendations Use a Graphical Frontend: For a "no-fuss" experience, use tools like to manage the installation and dependencies automatically. Steam Version: If you own the game on Steam, simply enable Steam Play (Proton)
in settings to run it natively without manual Wine configuration. Are you planning to install this on a specific Linux distribution like Ubuntu, Mint, or Arch?
sudo pacman -S winetricks
Testing on a mid-range 2020 laptop (Intel i5-1035G1, Intel UHD Graphics, 8GB RAM, Ubuntu 22.04) yielded:
On older hardware (ThinkPad X230, Intel HD 4000), lowering the resolution to 800x600 via Wine's graphics settings produced a fully playable 40-50 FPS.
To avoid conflicts, create a dedicated 32‑bit Wine prefix:
export WINEPREFIX="$HOME/Games/SquirrelStapler/prefix"
export WINEARCH="win32"
winecfg
In the winecfg window:
d3d9 is set to “native, builtin” (usually automatic).Close winecfg.
On an Intel i5-8250U with integrated UHD 620 graphics (no dedicated GPU):
The game runs flawlessly on modest hardware. Even a Raspberry Pi 4 with Box86 + Wine (though not recommended) can manage ~25–30 FPS with settings reduced.
Solution: Squirrel Stapler uses CPU-based physics. On Wine, this can be throttled. Run:
wine SquirrelStapler.exe -window-mode exclusive
Exclusive fullscreen reduces input lag.
Squirrel Stapler is not a game you “play for fun.” It’s an experience—a piece of interactive folk horror. The act of running it on Linux, through a compatibility layer, somehow adds to the weirdness. You are bending the will of your operating system to perform an unnatural act: stapling digital squirrels to digital trees in a simulated forest.
And it works. Gloriously.
Solution: Squirrel Stapler may default to DirectX 11, which Wine sometimes struggles with. Force OpenGL mode.
In the terminal, run:
wine SquirrelStapler.exe -force-opengl
Alternatively, install dxvk (DirectX to Vulkan translation) for better performance:
winetricks dxvk