Video Games
‘Minecraft’ in Real Life is Pretty Terrifying
It’s no secret that both Adam and myself are fans of the sandbox game Minecraft. It’s adorable visage belies some truly frightening and eerie moments (that Enderman scream…) and playing on anything but “Peaceful” ensures that you’re going to harbor an unending paranoia that a creeper is coming up to you at any moment.
As I mentioned before, the game has a rather playful and charming atmosphere. The blocky appearance gives everything a childish feel, as though the player is actually living inside of a LEGO universe, one where their own imagination is all it takes to create the world they’ve always wanted. But what if that world met with our own? How would it look?
If Nukazooka‘s below video has anything to say about it, it’d say that world would be beautiful but terrifying as the enemies, which were rather simple before now take on a far more sinister and deadly appearance. Just watch the video and tell me that the creeper isn’t something out of a nightmare!
After watching that video, be sure to read Adam’s hilarious review!
Video Games
Immerse Yourself in Mystery with Narrative-Driven Folk Horror Title ‘The Polar Darkness’ [Trailer]
Independent developer Horsefly Games has announced their own brand of folk horror with The Polar Darkness, a narrative-driven mystery inspired by Finnish folklore, classic investigative adventures, and cosmic horror. Accompanying the announcement is the first trailer, which offers the first look at the game’s visual style, mystery-driven gameplay, and isolated northern Finnish setting.
Coming to Steam next year, the game is set during the polar night (Kaamos) of 1980s northern Finland. Players take on the role of journalist Emma Järvelä as she travels to the isolated village of Sysiluoma to investigate a controversial revival movement led by a charismatic cult leader and her child preacher. When the child mysteriously disappears during a sermon, and a blizzard cuts off all contact with the outside world, Emma becomes trapped in a community where every resident seems to be hiding a different version of the truth.
The Polar Darkness emphasizes investigation, dialogue, observation, and deduction. Players will question villagers, gather clues, solve environmental puzzles, and piece together a mystery rooted in local history, folklore, and something ancient buried somewhere deep.
“Classic mystery adventures such as Gabriel Knight were a major inspiration,” said Juho Kuorikoski, creator of The Polar Darkness. “I wanted to create a story that captures that sense of investigation, folklore, and slow-burning dread, but through a distinctly Finnish lens.”
The story unfolds across three days using a time-based structure mechanic. Complete tasks and objectives to advance the game’s internal clock. Characters move and events change as time passes, and choices determine what you see and what you miss. Each playthrough reveals a different perspective on the truth.
The game features a distinct visual presentation that combines photographic 2D characters based on real actors to atmospheric 3D environments. Complementing the visuals is a soundtrack heavily inspired by Finnish folk music, composed and performed by Finnish folk artists.