The 9 Best Things I saw at the 2024 Indie Horror Showcase (and a lot more)
The Thing Remastered by Nightdive Studios
I missed the live airing of the Indie Horror Showcase, but since this is exactly the sort of thing I want to cover, I figured it was better late than never to dive in and give some quick impressions.
Games within games seemed to be an underlying theme throughout this lineup and, strangely enough, typing. DreadXP and The MIX did a fantastic job curating what was shown because if any of these titles catches your eye, chances are you’ll be interested in everything else. I’d recommend watching in its entirety. It runs 90 minutes but my experience was severely bloated by Youtube’s insistence on selling me Chipotle Brisket (not an ad!). Probably unavoidable, but I wish all this talk of fresh ingredients and no refrigerators hadn’t dropped in the middle of some of these trailers.
Many of the games shown have demos or are available in the next couple weeks. I’ve also included a ton of rapid-fire honorable mentions at the bottom.
These are presented in no particular order.
Chris Darril’s Bye Sweet Carole
This is being marketed as a cross between Disney (the doe-eyed protagonist even gets help over a gap by calling on her woodland friends) and Clock Tower. It looks incredible so far and appears to have a lot in common with other cinematic puzzle platformers (think Heart of Darkness, Another World, etc). BUT like other cinematic platformers, I have concerns about how stiff the final version will play. Either way, it has atmosphere to burn and I look forward to checking it out next year.
Please Insert Disc
From the creators of Home Safety Hotline, Please Insert Disc draws from a horror that’ll give chills to anyone who grew up in the early 2000s–the PlayStation 2 user interface and disc read error messages. That era of gaming history hits just the right nostalgia spots for me, so I’m excited to find out how far the developers can push and twist this concept. I’m also hoping for tons of new, animated memory card icons.
The Thing Remastered
John Carpenter’s The Thing is one of my favorite movies, but I never got the chance to play the sequel game because I was a broke 13 year old when it was released on the Ps2. I plan to rectify that as a broke 36 year old. Nightdive Studios are the best in the business at this sort of thing and I’ll continue to support them as long as they keep giving us new ways to play old games.
Sorry We’re Closed
I’m enamored with the color palette that was chosen for this game (muted for the environments and an almost toxic neon for the characters). The first-person, “shoot the weak point” combat seems a bit sluggish, but it makes me wonder, does this have Killer 7 DNA?
Maybe that’s just wishful thinking.
The perspective changes, the gorgeous portraits–seriously, give this to me now (okay, I’ll wait until it releases on November 14th).
Among Ashes
One of the many titles in this event built around playing video games inside the video game you’re playing. This trailer gives us glimpses of a retro, Doom inspired shooter and a top-down action RPG. It’s out in December and I’m excited to see what other genres and play styles the developers might be keeping secret.
Vultures - Scavengers of Death
Classic survival horror with a twist: turn-based combat on a grid. I’m intrigued to see how the developers will keep the tension high as I leisurely plan my next move and cycle through undead targets.
I also like the designs of the characters displayed in the key art. The male protagonist has shades of Barry Burton while the woman looks a bit like Motoko Kusanagi.
There’s a demo available today.
Cold and Afraid
Cold and Afraid is a murder mystery that attempts to emulate the look of the original PlayStation (though the style is closer to Aconcagua than Resident Evil in this case). The tone seems bleak, somber, and is reminiscent of Quantic Dream’s best (I mean this as a compliment).
Escape from Mutation Station
I had a great time with Escape Academy last year, so I’m the prime target to solve puzzles, find combinations, pop locks, and repeat. I also tend to gravitate more towards the strange anyway and I welcome this collision between the two.
I also accept that this way of thinking will inevitably lead to me being a protagonist in a SAW film. Live or die? I’m choosing to live and I’m willing to do awful things to make that happen.
Crowded. Followed.
Seemingly taking inspiration from It Follows, this short clip shows the player fighting through a claustrophobic train station while something behind them continues to mutate and inch closer. It’s difficult to create a genuine sense of panic in a trailer but I think the developers managed to pull it off.
This is available to play NOW.
And here are some honorable mentions:
Slay the Princess – The Pristine Cut
The best version of last year’s critical hit is out now. The physical collector’s edition comes with a Tomie-esque statuette that I’d absolutely pick up if I had some form of steady income.
Deck of Haunts
A card/strategy game where you’re tasked with harassing the denizens of a haunted house. It appears you play as the house–and the house always wins.
Cabernet
A gorgeous, illustrated adventure about navigating European high society as a vampire aristocrat.
Tom the Postgirl
This got my attention when it was shown at a Day of the Devs event earlier this year. You play as a delivery girl who also peeps on her (sometimes perverse and psychotic) neighbors. It looks absolutely unhinged.
Clock Tower Rewind
With its digital release on October 29th, this will mark the first time the original Clock Tower is officially available in the US. A good team worked on this one and they’ve added new animation and quality of life features. I have my copy preordered.
Painted in Blood
An intense first-person shooter set against gorgeous level design–densely packed and so gothic I can practically smell the bats roosting in its various rafters and vaults.
The Mortuary Assistant
The Mortuary Assistant released a couple years ago and it’s absolutely terrifying. I felt like mentioning it here because if you want to grab a physical copy from Super Rare games, you have a narrow window starting on Halloween.
Paragnosia
A new entry in the searching for anomalies genre. Being able to move the camera along a track might seem superficial, but in practice feels like it has the potential to break new ground (and invent new, clever scares).
White Knuckle
White Knuckle is a first-person, momentum based platformer (?) and rock climbing simulator (?) that has you suspended over a rusted, industrial hellscape.
Coven
A first-person shooter that has you slinging spells with your left hand and lead with your right. It just released in early access with ten levels. This is going to be good.
Dead Letter Dept.
One of at least two typing games that were revealed during this event (I’m not kidding). Dead Letter Dept. puts the player in charge of transcribing unnerving (and perhaps haunted) messages. The game looks great, but this marked the point in the showcase that I realized I’m out on tracking shots down long hallways.
Mircea
I’m not exactly sure what this is, but it manages to somehow be cute, creepy, and have the graphical style of Animal Crossing and Chulip. I wishlisted it immediately.
Sniper Killer
The newest release from Puppet Combo puts you in the shoes of a serial killer armed with a long range rifle–and then immediately after as the detective responsible for cleaning up the mess.
silkbulb test
This was the winner of the “what did I just watch award.” I won’t spoil it. Load up the trailer and prepare to be confused and unnerved in equal measure.
darkwebSTREAMER
And this is the winner of the “I need to take a shower” award. The trailer doesn't give away much but finds a way to sprinkle in plenty of voyeurism, forbidden rituals, heavy breathing, and film grain.
Has anyone translated the binary at the end, yet?
Remember to follow the developers on your social media platforms of choice for updates. These aren’t AAA studios so leaving a review, wishlisting, or dropping a “hey your game looks cool” can make a big difference.
I hope you’re having a great weekend!