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‘SpookWare’ Offers Horror Micro-Game Madness in the Spirit of ‘WarioWare’
We’ve covered a bunch of horror games that have come up through indie site itch.io in recent years, and pretty much every time we do, it’s something refreshingly different to the usual horror offerings in modern gaming. It might be something experimental, it might be an ingenious take on a beloved genre icon, or it might just bring back the look and mechanics of one.
A particular game caught my eye when it released on itch.io this week. SpookWare, by papercookies (Adam Pype), the developer of the creepy cult hit No Players Online and one of the many participants in the PS1 Horror Showcase. It features a selection of 10 micro-games, all horror-based, that all last for ten seconds each. If that premise sounds familiar, then that’s because it’s inspired by Nintendo’s joyously silly WarioWare series.
As with WarioWare, the execution is simple, easy to understand, but harder to master. Using the directional buttons on your keyboard, you must press them in a certain order and/or at a certain speed. What transpires onscreen when you do this is what makes it a hoot for horror fans.
The micro-games are based on all manner of horror things, such as playful send-ups of certain horror cliches and tropes. Among the highlights are getting a car engine to start before the killer arrives, closing a shutter before a zombie crawls underneath it, spelling out words on an Ouija board, and finding Nosferatu by torchlight. It’s all done in a deliberately goofy manner, and given its influences, it works. If you can beat 20 rounds, you unlock the final level, but that’s easier said than done.
I went into SpookWare expecting to just quickly try it out, but spent a full hour having ‘one more go’. I wouldn’t mind an expanded version of this at some point, but for now, I’m just glad it exists at all.
Oh, and the soundtrack by Viktor Kraus is delightful.
You can download SpookWare here. There’s no set amount to buy the game for, rather it is ‘Name Your Own Price’.
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‘Hellraiser: Resurrections’ – BOOM! Studios Event Unleashes Five Brand New One-Shot Comics [Exclusive]
BOOM! Studios recently announced that three classic Clive Barker Hellraiser comic books are coming back to shelves, and we’ve got another exciting exclusive for you today.
Bloody Disgusting can exclusively report that BOOM! Studios will return to the labyrinthine horrors of Clive Barker’s legendary Hellraiser universe with five all-new one-shots this Fall!
A brand new generation of creators will explore the untold corners of Clive Barker’s infernal mythology, revisiting iconic Cenobites while introducing terrifying new stories that expand the boundaries of the Hellscape itself with Hellraiser: Resurrections.
Each week through the month of September, a new chapter of damnation arrives, revealing the forces gathering in the shadows. The descent begins with HELLRAISER: RESURRECTIONS – NEW WOUNDS #1 from writer Mike Costa and artist Paco Camallonga as they draw readers into the hedonistic world of Hellraiser.
When an investigation into the mysterious Puzzle Box goes sideways, the gateways to Hell open anew.
Then, hear the unmistakable chattering of death itself in HELLRAISER: RESURRECTIONS – THE ONANISTIC RITUAL #1 from writer Zac Thompson and artist Gavin Mitchell.
The Chatterer bares his teeth for a brand-new mission. His goal? To reclaim his rightful place as the right hand of the Hell Priest himself!
Next, venture deeper into the hierarchy of Hell with HELLRAISER: RESURRECTIONS – THE DEEP GOSPEL #1 from writer Tini Howard and artist Jenna Cha.
The Female Cenobite was dead. Or close to it…until the Engineer found her. But when she rejects the Engineer’s plans for her remaking, she’s cast down into the harrowing Nidus: the place where the larval stage of Cenobites fight to survive. She’s been here before and made it out alive—and she’ll do it again.
The horrors continue in HELLRAISER: RESURRECTIONS – HELL’S COUNCIL #1 from writer Nero Villagallos O’Reilly and artist Francesca Ciregia.
We saw the fall of Butterball at the end of Hellbound: Hellraiser II. Now we’ll witness his rise as the wounded Cenobite is taken in by a mysterious do-gooder who slowly nurses him back to health, all while worming her way into his brain…and maybe even his heart?
Finally, the event culminates with HELLRAISER: RESURRECTIONS – THE RETURN OF THE PRIEST #1 from writer Sarah Gailey and artist Alessio Avallone.
Caught in the sensory deprivation of Middle Hell, Elliot Spencer suffers the worst fate: no feeling at all. When the glory of Leviathan’s light finally sears through him, granting him the gift of pain—it’s revelatory. The Hell Priest must journey to remake himself and gather his Gash once more to bring the cherished blessing of pain to all that deserve it.
From fresh visions of beloved Cenobites to horrifying new revelations hidden within the depths of Hell, Hellraiser: Resurrections serves as both a celebration of Clive Barker’s enduring mythology and the first chapter of an exciting new era for the franchise. The series kicks off a new publishing initiative that will bring a new Hellraiser ongoing series and miniseries to life through 2027.
Hellraiser: Resurrections begins this September with five weekly one-shots from BOOM! and distributed by Penguin Random House. You can preorder the series at your local comic shops and digitally through major content providers, including Kindle, iBooks, and Google Play.
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