Iron Lung
store.steampowered.com
Short horror game about piloting a tiny submarine through an ocean of blood; adapted into a 2026 film.
DS
David Szymanski
American solo developer of Dusk and Iron Lung, now a feature film
David Szymanski at a glance
- Known for
- Iron Lung, Dusk and Gloomwood
- Based in
- United States
- Indie since
- 2014
- Active products
- Iron Lung, Dusk and Gloomwood
Facts checked 2026-10-22
About David Szymanski
David Szymanski is an American game developer known for the retro shooter Dusk and the submarine horror game Iron Lung. He started out in 2014 releasing small games under the name "jefequeso", including the freeware horror game Fingerbones and his first commercial game, The Moon Sliver.
Dusk (2018), published by New Blood Interactive, is credited with kick-starting the modern "boomer shooter" revival of 1990s-style first-person shooters. He followed it with Iron Lung (2022), a short horror game he developed, published and scored himself, in which the player pilots a tiny submarine through an ocean of blood on a distant moon. Iron Lung's sales spiked in 2023 after the Titan submersible implosion, and YouTuber Markiplier adapted it into a feature film released in January 2026, which grossed about $50 million on a $4 million budget; Szymanski helped with the screenplay and has a cameo.
He also co-developed the stealth horror game Gloomwood, and has released Squirrel Stapler (2023), The Pony Factory (2024) and Butcher's Creek (2025), and published his brothers' game Secret Agent Wizard Boy.
Products by David Szymanski
Dusk
store.steampowered.com
Retro-style first-person shooter inspired by Quake and Doom.
Gloomwood
store.steampowered.com
Stealth survival horror game co-developed with Dillon Rogers.
Butcher's Creek
store.steampowered.com
Game self-published on Steam in January 2025.
Squirrel Stapler
store.steampowered.com
Comedic hunting game.
Timeline
- 2014 — Released Fingerbones and The Moon Sliver.
- 2018 — Released Dusk with New Blood Interactive.
- 2022 — Released Iron Lung and Gloomwood in early access.
- 2023 — Markiplier announced an Iron Lung film adaptation.
- 2025 — Released Butcher's Creek.
- 2026 — The Iron Lung film was released, grossing about $50M worldwide.
How David builds
- Small, focused horror can be more effective than big budgets.
- Revive the feel of classic shooters without nostalgia-only design.
- Release many small projects quickly.
David Szymanski FAQ
Who is David Szymanski?
David Szymanski is an American game developer known for the retro shooter Dusk and the submarine horror game Iron Lung. He started out in 2014 releasing small games under the name "jefequeso", including the freeware horror game Fingerbones and his first commercial game, The Moon Sliver.
Who made Iron Lung?
Iron Lung was developed, published and scored by American solo developer David Szymanski and released on Steam on March 10, 2022.
Who made Dusk?
Dusk was made by David Szymanski and published by New Blood Interactive on December 10, 2018.
Did David Szymanski make the Iron Lung movie?
No. Markiplier directed and starred in the film adaptation; Szymanski helped with the screenplay and pre-production and has a cameo. It was released in January 2026.
How much did the Iron Lung movie make?
The Iron Lung film reportedly grossed about $50 million worldwide against a $4 million budget (as of 2026).
How many copies has Iron Lung sold?
Szymanski has not published an exact figure, though sales surged in June 2023 after the Titan submersible implosion.
Where is David Szymanski based?
David Szymanski is based in United States.
What is David Szymanski doing now?
As of October 2026, David Szymanski's active products include Iron Lung, Dusk, Gloomwood and Butcher's Creek.
How long has David Szymanski been an indie maker?
David Szymanski has been building independently since 2014, about 12 years.
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