A fictionalized version of the player sits at a computer terminal when a friend sends them a cracked copy of a leaked game called superhot.exe. Upon launching it, the player finds themselves thrust into disconnected combat scenarios viewed from different perspectives, each centered on eliminating hostile red figures. After the program crashes, an updated version arrives. But as the player and their friend continue playing, it becomes clear that someone, or something, is watching. A presence calling itself ""the system"" begins issuing warnings, demanding the player stop.

The system escalates its interference, manipulating messages and turning the player's friend against them, all while the player is drawn deeper into the game's violent corridors. What began as an innocent file share becomes something far more invasive, as the boundaries between the player, the character, and the system itself begin to dissolve.