DESCEND

A very short walking simulator, DESCEND is very atmospheric and engaging. It certainly left me wanting a LOT more!

DREAMDISC

Out of all the games on this list, let alone I’ve ever played, DREAMDISC is one of the most surreal. It’s appropriately named, as many of the super-short areas do feel straight out of a dream. The graphics and sound design really work well, and though the overall game is short, it absolutely leaves an impression and encourages re-playing just to continue enjoying the immersion.

Fear the Spotlight

If there’s a game that really hearkens back to the graphics, atmosphere, and mood of classic horror-survivor games, it’s Fear the Spotlight. Thankfully the controls and inventory management are far more refined than those older games. The enemy, while a bit goofy and not scary per-se, were fun to hide and sneak around. The full game is in development, and I look forward to seeing how it turns out.

InfraRED

A bit different from the other lidar games I’ve tried so far, InfraRED uses “flashes” of invisible beams rather than requiring the player to hold down the mouse button to constantly scan. It can be a little more jarring and quite a surprise what might suddenly be revealed. Like the other lidar games there’s an enemy roaming around, and the level itself is a bit smaller than I liked. Regardless, the graphics and immersion were great and left me wanting more.

The Keeper

Oof. Among the normal horror games in these lists, The Keeper is more of an emotional jab. Crashing into the shore (of an island?), you must make your way to the home and lighthouse. The graphics, fog, and atmosphere are amazing. The only thing that was a bit jarring was the player’s voice; too much of an accent for my taste.

LIDAR.EXE

Of the few lidar games I’ve discovered and played so far, LIDAR.EXE is my favorite. I enjoy its graphics and atmosphere so much I’ve re-played it countless times. The second level is a bit small and the sudden ending isn’t great, but I enjoy just walking around, whether I’ve hardly used the scanner or blasted every corner to a bright white. I was actually pretty scared when I first encountered the enemy, as I played it several times without encountering it at all!

Lost Lab

A fun lidar game utilizing colored dots, Lost Lab is a much larger area to explore compared to LIDAR.EXE, and the enemy chasing you can kill you and end the game if you’re not careful. Ultimately that’s what happened to me before I could find all 3 artifacts, but I had fun roaming around and seeking every corner.

A Mall Near You

A game that deftly mixes horror, comedy, liminal spaces, and more, A Mall Near You is a great fun short experience. Starting with your mom dropping you off and then hauling off, you wander the mall looking to return items, gain money, and purchase gifts before the mall closes. When it does all of a sudden, you begin to wonder what’s going on and if you’ll actually make it out…

Missing Hiker

After mostly enjoying Gemezl’s previous game Driving Home in last month’s post, I was happy to see the next release, Missing Hiker. While this is also a fairly short game, it also had a great atmosphere and a scary ending. I didn’t mention in the previous review but one thing lacking in both is sound design and ambient noises. In this game for example you supposedly hear a scream after falling asleep in your tent, but I didn’t hear anything. Also, while walking in the woods there should be rustling of leaves and trees, occasional footsteps that could be an animal or a stalking killer, etc. Things like that go a long way to make a complete and immersive experience.

Night Of

Like Fear the Spotlight, Night Of really reminded me of classic survival-horror games. While a short abandoned game/demo, I had a lot of fun playing this, and the graphics and atmosphere rivaled anything I’ve played in quite awhile.

Northwood Legacy

Out of all the games I’ve tried from itch.io so far, Northwood Legacy might actually be my favorite. I’m a sucker for mysteries and adventure games, especially those that have little or no combat or other time-dependent stressful features. I was immediately taken in by the graphics, sound design, interface, and of course the story. I had fun exploring the house and finding different clues, notes, and keys. While short like most other games/demos I’ve tried, it certainly didn’t feel as short, and I would really like to play more games like this!

Stick to the Plan

Discovered through itch.io’s front page, Stick to the Plan is a wonderful little puzzle game. It has simple but ingenious controls, and each stage is a nice progression in difficulty. I’m glad to hear new levels and other items are forthcoming, I look forward to them!

Anthology of Fear

A demo for the upcoming full game on Steam, Anthology of Fear is probably the most polished of the demos on this list. It took me awhile to progress at the beginning, and there is quite a bit of backtracking in the apartment, but I really like this game. The full version is slated to come out in March, and I’ll be keeping an eye out for hopefully good reviews.

Bleakshore

Out of all the simple games on this list, Bleakshore might be the simplest of them. Without spoilering anything, I’m not sure you could even categorize this as a horror game. Up until the ending, however, you wouldn’t know that, and the Silent Hill-like fog and the very unsettling sound design is top-notch. While it can be very easy to get lost walking around, and wishing for a faster walking speed, it’s still a fun game to try out.

Driving Home

A very short game that also features the creepiest atmosphere and graphics for a seemingly-abandoned house, Driving Home has a lot of potential. Walking up to the house certainly instilled a sense of unease in me, especially seeing the open door around back and immediately noticing no-one around. The ending was quite disappointing, but for such a short demo it still works. I do hope more games from Gemezl are fleshed out a little bit more.

Fears to Fathom – Home Alone

The first game in Rayll’s Fears to Fathom series/anthology, Home Alone is a great first taste of what these games will entail. Thanks to both polished game design and popularity on YouTube, these games are likely much more well-known than others on the list. I like the graphics and music a lot. I’m curious what the final entries in the series will be, and if Rayll will continue with another series or try something different.

Forest Dungeon

A very short game, Forest Dungeon excels in retro graphics and quality sound design. I really liked the level design and atmosphere of this game. I hope to see more from bliK!

The Hall

A short and simple concept game, The Hall impressed me with its graphics and atmosphere. I’m not big on (nor very good at) maze puzzles, but I’d certainly would like to see more from Softeismann!

The House

My favorite of the three games currently available from Spring Rabbit, The House is a great game in the style of Puppet Combo.

The House in the Woods

While it has quite a few more jump-scares than the others on this list, there’s no doubt The House in the Woods excels at atmosphere and fear. The graphics and audio are top-notch, and I’ll admit the jump-scares got me every time.

Our Lady of Sorrow

While a little heavy-handed on the VHS effects, ToothandClaw’s Our Lady of Sorrow is a great example of the atmosphere and hints of story these games can offer. There’s not much gameplay besides fetching a couple of items and a bit of backtracking, but it definitely left me wanting more.

Within

A short horror game doesn’t usually include much of a story, however Within manages to quickly introduce and immerse the player in a tale of finding a lost sibling and discovering something quite sinister instead. The sequences within the computer were very immersive.

In addition to Within, their latest, Crux Game Studios has released several other games, including my personal favorite The Babysitter. It’s a visual novel rather than 3d/walking simulator, but the story and atmosphere are great.