Editorials
Our Most Anticipated Crowdfunded Horror Games
It’s hardly a universal truth that absence makes the heart grow fonder, though the rule does seem to apply nicely to the increasingly competitive world of crowdfunded video games, and specifically for those of the horror persuasion.
Platforms like Kickstarter and Indiegogo have had a profound impact on the rise of indie developers in a time when the financial risks associated with modern games development have made breaking into this industry an inordinately difficult task without the aid of a publisher. Crowdfunding hasn’t, and very likely won’t, solve that problem alone, but it has and will continue to be a precious resource for developers to use to overcome one of the more frustrating issues that plague this industry.
As for the idiom I threw out earlier, it’s rung true for a growing number of developers that have sought the tools to excavate the beloved skeletons of horror gaming’s past. The community is eager to see more from the series that publishers might’ve deemed too risky, including Clock Tower, Fatal Frame, Eternal Darkness, Pathologic, Friday the 13th and System Shock, among others. What these games have in common is they’ve all been backed by thousands of members of their respective communities who have spent millions of dollars to try and bring them back.
One fun fact about this week has to do with those last two games. Until very recently, Friday the 13th: The Game was the horror genre’s greatest crowdfunding success, having raised over $1.04M across two campaigns. That’s no longer the case, as Night Dive Studios’ hotly anticipated remake of the original System Shock has raised a little more than that with a week left in its enormously popular campaign.
Let’s celebrate that with a look at the horror games we have to look forward to over the next two years, thanks to crowdfunding.
Zombies | Science Fiction | Virtual Reality | Lovecraftian
What’s interesting about The Works of Mercy is how the indie thriller uses the player in such a genuinely unnerving way that you can’t help but be uncomfortable. It’s the video game equivalent of unsettling films like Funny Games and Would You Rather, only this time, the insidious puppeteer is sending his orders over the phone. With inspiration like Roman Polanski’s Repulsion and Stanley Kubrick’s The Shining, I suspect this game will find a way to get under our skin when it arrives later this year.
Crowdfunding Details: Pentacle raised $13,800 (approx.) on Kickstarter in March 2016.
Release Date: August 2016 (PC, followed by MAC/LNX, PS4, XBO)
In a few short months, we’ll finally have our long overdue reunion with one of the horror genre’s most iconic villains in the 7v1 asymmetrical multiplayer slasher game Friday the 13th: The Game. The story follows a tired Jason Voorhees as he picks up his machete one more time so he can rid Camp Crystal Lake of yet another infestation of ’80s teen stereotypes.
Crowdfunding Details: Gun Media raised $823,704 on Kickstarter in November 2015, $1,047,626 total.
Release Date: October 2016 (PC, PS4, XBO)
In addition to being the only dedicated mobile title on this list, Night Terrors may also be the most innovative. This supernaturally themed augmented reality game brings its horrors to life by populating your home with frightening scenarios and otherworldly creatures that appear real. It does this by processing the feed from your phone’s camera in real-time, which it uses to guide you through a uniquely harrowing experience.
Crowdfunding Details: Novum Analytics raised $46,732 on Indiegogo in June 2015, $49,747 total.
Release Date: October 2016 (iOS, Android)
At the heart of developer Antagonist’s upcoming third-person horror adventure game Through the Woods is a story about a mother and how far she’ll go to save her son. It’s sort of like The Park, if that game had been set inside a creepy forest on the western coast of Norway and inspired by Norse mythology. Its narrative comes with a clever twist, as your actions are dynamically reflected in the mother’s retelling of events that have already happened, as far as the game’s concerned.
Crowdfunding Details: Antagonist raised $43,833 on Kickstarter in June 2015.
Release Date: October 2016 (PC, PS4, XBO)
The slasher genre has finally returned to video games, its revival led by games like Until Dawn and Dead by Daylight, as well as the upcoming Friday the 13th: The Game and Last Year. With company like that, it’s refreshing to see a game like Camp Sunshine make an effort to stand out by slapping a delightful 16-bit art style on its familiar tale of secluded summer camps and the murderous maniacs that can’t seem to get enough of them.
Crowdfunding Details: Fossil Games raised $1,195 on Indiegogo in April 2016.
Release Date: October 31, 2016 (PC)
Remember what I said about the Friday the 13th game? Last Year is more of that, but with five ’80s teen stereotypes who must enlist the powers of teamwork and friendship if they’re going to have a chance at surviving a night with a stab-happy serial killer who’s very interested in seeing what their insides look like.
Crowdfunding Details: Elastic Games raised $88,600 (approx.) on Kickstarter in December 2014.
Release Date: November 2016 (PC)
Surreal is one word you could use to describe the gorgeous first-person shooter Inner Chains and its nightmarish biomechanical world that’s lousy with enemies, from the alien creatures that inhabit it to the deadly fauna that surrounds them. This game promises to be unlike anything else, and that goal extends to its arsenal, which features an assortment of creative weapons that use bones, lightning and hellfire for ammunition.
Crowdfunding Details: Telepaths Tree raised $18,708 on Kickstarter in April 2016.
Release Date: Fall 2016 (PC/LNX)
The horror genre is no stranger to apocalyptic scenarios, and neither is Ashen Rift or the two characters it revolves around. When a man sees visions of his own demise, he and his trusty canine companion set out in search of answers and for a way to fight the Rift — a monster-spewing portal that’s spent a decade spreading demons and devastation — before it completely wipes out what’s left of the world.
Crowdfunding Details: Pyroclastic Games raised $13,500 (approx.) on Kickstarter in November 2015.
Release Date: Fall 2016 (PC/MAC/LNX, PS4)
Perception is a story-driven horror game from some of the former developers of Dead Space and BioShock, but that’s not even the best part. That honor belongs to its lead character, a blind woman who’s able to “see” using echolocation, like Daredevil, but with less fancy karate. This gives the game an immediately recognizable art style that’s eerie all on its own, as pale apparitions are briefly illuminated by sounds in the environment.
Crowdfunding Details: The Deep End Games raised $168,041 on Kickstarter
Release Date: Fall 2016 (PC, PS4, XBO)
I’ve had the opportunity to play two demo versions of Broken Window Studios’ surreal open-world horror game Grave, and both times felt comparable to experiencing a lucid dream. The world shifts and moves as if it were alive, obscuring or revealing things that weren’t there before, and when the sun goes down, the game transforms into a nightmare as light-sensitive creatures wander about in search of prey. It’s when the night comes that this mind-bending experience goes full survival horror, as you fight for survival using every source of illumination you can find (flashlights, flares, fire, and the environment).
Crowdfunding Details: Broken Window Studios raised $37,622 on Kickstarter in April 2014.
Release Date: Fall 2016 (PC/MAC/LNX, PS4, XBO)
Senscape’s Asylum is a H.P. Lovecraft-inspired psychological horror game from Agustín Cordes, the creator of Scratches. It was successfully funded on Kickstarter more than three years ago, so it’s understandable that some fans would’ve come to the conclusion that it may never release. I might’ve thought the same thing, had it not recently been stirred from its slumber with some new footage and a “100% guarantee” from its developer back in January that Asylum will release this year. The sooner the better. I’m eager to get to work exploring the 100+ rooms — no joke — that comprise the Hanwell Mental Institute.
Crowdfunding Details: Senscape raised $119,426 on Kickstarter in February 2013.
Release Date: Fall 2016 (PC/MAC/LNX)
Of the handful of like-minded indie developers that have gathered to salvage something from the smoldering crater left by P.T., it’s in Visage that I can see the most potential. It’s also one of the more literal successors to Kojima’s game, with a blend of near-photogenic visuals and a creepy house that’s very clearly haunted by the vengeful apparitions of its former occupants, many of whom met brutal and premature ends inside its immaculate halls.
Crowdfunding Details: SadSquare Studio raised $92,800 (approx.) on Kickstarter in March 2016.
Release Date: Spring 2017 (PC, PS4, XBO)
Rides With Strangers is a game that exploits one of a great many (mostly) unnecessary fears that continue to inspire so many horror films by simulating the anxiety and desperation that follow the realization that you’ve just picked up the wrong hitchhiker. Like The Works of Mercy, it’s a genuine practice in psychological horror that actively aims to drag you, the player, out of your comfort zone and into the blinding headlights of an oncoming car, from which there’s no escape.
Crowdfunding Details: Reflect Studios raised $32,524 on Kickstarter in February 2016.
Release Date: Summer 2017 (PC/MAC, PS4, XBO)
It’s bizarre that we could go so long without a “serious” horror game about paranormal research and not realize how wrong that is. Fortunately, it’s no longer a problem as we await the arrival of Ghost Theory from Dex developer Dreadlocks. The concept is as simple as an episode of “Ghost Hunters: International”, as you’re tasked with exploring real-world locales that are believed to be haunted and investigate those claims using actual ghost-hunting gadgets and your character’s clairvoyant abilities.
Crowdfunding Details: Dreadlocks raised $76,400 (approx.) on Kickstarter in May 2016.
Release Date: Fall 2017 (PC/MAC/LNX, PS4, XBO)
Night Dive Studios is bringing SHODAN back with a comprehensive remake of the 22 year-old cyberpunk horror game System Shock. For those of you who never played the original, let me fill you in. The general goal is to wander about the space-dwelling Citadel Station looking for cybernetic abominations to bludgeon with a wrench, which the game makes more challenging with the introduction of a megalomaniacal jerk of an AI who wants nothing more than to squash your self-esteem.
Crowdfunding Details: Night Dive Studios raised $1,350,700 on Kickstarter in July 2016.
Release Date: Fall 2017 (PC/MAC/LNX, PS4, XBO)
Zombies | Science Fiction | Virtual Reality | Lovecraftian
It’s been 75 years since The Thing From Another World first warned us to “watch the skies”, and filmgoers have done just that by showing up to multiple instances of extraterrestrial contact on the big screen. This makes sense, as a recent CBS news poll estimated that 63% of Americans believe in intelligent life on other planets, and the ongoing disclosure movement aims to raise that number with each passing day.
With Steven Spielberg’s Disclosure Day leaving many genre fans hungry for more alien footage (preferably of the spooky variety), today I’d like to share a list recommending six underrated alien invasion thrillers for your viewing pleasure. After all, regardless of whether or not you believe that we’re alone in the universe, it can be fun to dream about the worst-case scenario if our cosmic neighbors ever decide to visit.
For the purposes of this list, we’ll be focusing on lesser-known invasion stories rather than the popular extraterrestrials of franchises like Alien and Close Encounters of the Third (or even Fourth) Kind. That being said, don’t forget to comment below with your own alien favorites if you think we missed a particularly thrilling movie.
While it won’t be featured in this article, I’d highly recommend checking out Dean Alioto’s UFO Abduction/The McPherson Tape if you’re up for some ufology-inspired found footage thrills.
With that out of the way, onto the list!
6. The Arrival (1996)
Not to be confused with Denis Villeneuve’s Academy Award-winning Amy Adams vehicle about learning to communicate peacefully with extraterrestrial life, David Twohy’s The Arrival is a much more straightforward (but no less entertaining) genre romp where Charlie Sheen faces a global conspiracy involving hostile alien invaders.
It’s not exactly up there with Close Encounters or even Independence Day, but Twohy’s conspiratorial thriller plays out like an exceptionally fun episode of The X-Files that I’d recommend to sci-fi/horror fans who don’t mind a little bit of wonky CGI and 90s excess alongside their alien thrills.
5. Extraterrestrial (2014)
The Vicious Brothers made a name for themselves with the success of 2011’s Grave Encounters, but that was far from the Canadian duo’s only collaboration. And while it’s not exactly a fan favorite, I always point out 2014’s Extraterrestrial as one of their most underrated projects simply because I agree with the filmmakers’ opinion that there aren’t enough ‘cool alien abduction movies’ out there.
Admittedly, the majority of the picture functions like a run-of-the-mill creature feature with paper-thin characters and familiar horror tropes, but I’d argue that the cosmically-terrifying final act elevates the experience to new and memorable heights. The movie also boasts great performances by both Michael Ironside and Emily Perkins – a combination that more than makes up for the occasionally janky CGI.
4. Alien Raiders (2008)
Director Ben Rock has gone on record lamenting how his John-Carpenter-inspired creature feature was forcefully renamed from Supermarket to the painfully obvious Alien Raiders (a change which likely resulted in many potential viewers skipping out on the experience), but the new title doesn’t change the fact that this single-location thriller is something of a hidden gem.
Taking place entirely within a supermarket, Alien Raiders tells the story of an ensemble of customers and employees who are taken hostage by a group of armed men looking for something far more dangerous than an easy payout. I won’t get into details in order to avoid spoiling the experience, but I’d highly recommend this criminally underseen flick to fans of John Carpenter and the Resident Evil games.
3. Phoenix Forgotten (2017)
You’d think that a Ridley-Scott-produced retelling of one of the most infamous real-life UFO sightings of all time would have a bigger following, but I rarely see Justin Barber’s Found Footage period piece brought up during discussions about extraterrestrial-focused horror movies.
This is a huge shame, as Phoenix Forgotten is just as spooky as it is convincing, with this well-researched dive into the Phoenix Lights incident benefiting from surprisingly believable special effects as well as an appropriately horrific finale.
2. Communion (1989)
I wouldn’t blame you for disregarding Whitley Strieber’s controversial book about his alleged close encounter as sensationalist slop, but I’d argue that Phillipe Mora’s 1989 adaptation of these events is much better than the source material. After all, the movie works as a standalone piece of speculative fiction while also benefiting from an incredible performance by the one and only Christopher Walken!
Mora’s take on Communion may not be particularly scary, but the film is still an unforgettable character study regardless of whether or not the abduction really happened. Not only that, but the flick also paved the way for plenty of future sci-fi stories where the extraterrestrial invaders aren’t as evil as they initially appear.
1. Altered (2006)
Originally envisioned as a Sam Raimi-style horror-comedy titled Probed, Eduardo Sánchez (of The Blair Witch Project fame) eventually realized that it would be much more interesting to turn the film into a serious exploration of the emotional aftermath of a traumatic abduction incident.
That’s how we got Altered, a clever inversion of the standard abduction narrative that follows a group of troubled friends as they capture and experiment on an alien in order to enact revenge for their own abduction years prior.
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