Analog horror games are once again becoming popular. Check out what’s going on and why you should give them a chance.
Introduction
Analog horror games are nothing new in the gaming world, but they seem to be getting more attention lately. They originate from classic horror movies such as The Blair Witch Project from 1999 – the core idea is to have VHS tape footage or old cameras involved in some way.
Today we’ll take a closer look at some interesting analog horror games, so you can make a conscious decision about what to play next.
What are Analog Horror Games?
It’s a rather broad term that can be applied to games where you’re looking for videotapes that may contain important story details or clues, as well as games where you’re looking at the game’s world through camera lenses.
Some games like to add extra filters to give the game a more distinctive, specific type of look; for example, they can make the game look like it’s a movie or amateur recording from the 80s, with all the noise, artifacts, a common camera UI with the iconic REC and battery level indicator flashing in the corner, and chromatic aberration on the screen – the possibilities are countless.
The analogous nature allows such games to build a specific type of atmosphere that somehow makes things feel more realistic and alive, which is more often than not exactly what you’d love to see and experience in a horror game.
With that being said, let’s take a look at some of the best analog horror games you can play right now.
The Closing Shift
| Release date: | 2022-03-18 |
| Genre: | Indie Horror |
| Developer: | Chilla's Art |
First on the list, is a Japanese game where your primary task is to serve clients at a coffee shop during the night shift.
It’s a known fact that Japanese horrors hit differently and it’s the same with The Closing Shift. The game doesn’t make extensive use of intrusive jump scares to give you a fright. Instead, it starts by letting you feel comfortable, and slowly starts to build the tension.
You must focus on your work and serve all kinds of interesting individuals by using the right equipment in the correct order, but don’t forget to stay vigilant – it seems like someone wants to stir up trouble.
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GROUP-864 TRAINING PROGRAM
| Release date: | - |
| Genre: | Interactive Fiction |
| Developer: | Joe Capo |
Ever wanted to join the ranks of the SCP unit as an investigator? Here’s a bunch of useful tips each recruit should familiarize themselves with.
Group-864 Training Program is connected to a popular fictional setting, where a secret organization known as SCP Foundation analyzes and researches all kinds of fictional supernatural phenomena and creatures, from completely harmless, to absolutely devastating.
The game is basically a test designed for newcomers to learn more about various SCP procedures and how the investigator should act in different situations. The game will present you a set of paranormal scenarios and you’ll have to figure out the correct answers to prove you can be a worthy addition to the organization.
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Cave Crawler
| Release date: | 2023-04-18 |
| Genre: | Indie |
| Developer: | Technomancy Studios |
Take control of a survey drone and explore the caves in search of a missing person – sounds easy enough, right?
In Cave Crawler you’ll be responsible for piloting a wheeled drone inside spacious caves, where a case of a missing person was reported. Your job is to explore the area in order to find clues that could lead to solving the mystery and finding that person that you’ve been talking about. hopefully, alive and healthy.
As you go deeper, you’ll slowly start to realize that perhaps the cave is not what it appears to be at first glance, and some evil presence could be involved in the case. Don’t let your guard down and proceed with caution. Scan the surroundings and detect motion to sense the source of danger and avoid it if possible.
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Anatomy
| Release date: | 2016-02-20 |
| Genre: | Adventure |
| Developer: | Kitty Horrorshow |
Learn about the haunted house as you’re being dragged deeper and deeper into the depths of madness.
Anatomy is a psychological horror where your primary objective is to explore an abandoned house and look for the tapes that serve as lore breadcrumbs. Anatomy is a pretty unique game and another one that puts emphasis on scaring the player through means other than jump scares.
As you play, it will gradually become obvious that the house you’re in is not a normal one – the structure of the house will change over time, which can be dreadful on its own, as there’s nothing worse than living with that false sense of security that’s being slowly shredded to pieces.
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The Complex: Found Footage
| Release date: | 2022-07-18 |
| Genre: | Adventure-Horror |
| Developer: | pgWave. |
Enter the imaginary world of backrooms and get a first-hand experience of noclipping out of reality.
The Complex is not as much of a game as it is a spooky experience told through VHS tape footage. It’s an interactive movie thriller where you will be exploring backrooms – a seemingly endless series of walls and corridors that resemble an underground parking lot but evolve into more complex structures as the game progresses.
The game aims to keep you in constant uncertainty, slowly driving you insane – you may even start seeing things that aren’t there. For the majority of the time, there is no music or sounds, except for your footsteps, and all of that combined induces some kind of primal fear of the unknown.
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Conclusion
Analog horror games can be a great source of dreadful, realistic horror experiences, especially if the game focuses on showing a believable, immersive world. Being able to play the game and look at it through the classic camera lenses makes all the difference in the world – this kind of aesthetic is hardly comparable to anything else you may have seen before, hence having the analog horror label to describe such games is a great convenience.
Whether the game is mostly about walking around with the camera on or investigating found footage from video tapes, it can probably fill a specific niche and will always find a way to steal the hearts of at least some of the players.
If you’ve never played analog horror games before, today’s a great day for a first try. Take a look at the list of the best analog games to play in the dark on our list above, and you will surely find something that will make you excited.