Now that's what I call horror! (Part 1)
Demo Disc: Flipside Frights serves you an appetizers of the good stuff.
Demo Disc: Flipside Frights
What I’ve always appreciated about the indie game community is the fact that they will just think of an idea and work hard to make it work, driven by the art. Demo Disc: Flipside Frights is one of those examples that not only adds its weird and fun story twist outside of the demo but also collects a bunch of unique demos of upcoming horror gems, as well as gems you might’ve missed.
I haven’t finished the story, but it progresses as you complete more demos. And there are many. From the traditional fixed-camera survival horror and 8-bit adventures to shooters and intense flight sims, and everything in between and not mentioned, many of these upcoming and released games deserve your attention.
The Lacerator
Developer: Games From The Abyss
Publisher: DreadXP
Socials: Twitter (DreadXP) (Games From The Abyss) | BlueSky (DreadXP) | Discord (DreadXP) (Games From The Abyss)
In The Lacerator you become Max, a pornstar from the 80s that loves sex. But somehow, he and his co-worker were kidnapped by the brutal Lacerator, and now you must find a way to escape his hideout. Just try to stay in one piece.
The main gameplay mechanic of The Lacerator initially created anxiety in me. In this fixed-camera survival horror (which also gives you the option to switch to over the shoulder), you can lose a limb, or two, or all, actually, and it doesn’t mean it’s the end of the game, but the end of an option. For example, in the demo I lost my arm, so down the road, I wasn’t able to open a door because I needed two arms.
No Strings Attached
Developer/Publisher: Vladimere Lhore
Price: $17.99 (the collection)
No Strings Attached is an old-school survival horror that has the player exploring the house of their partner to solve puzzles to figure out what is happening. The game’s appearance is charming, and the gameplay is what someone would expect from what the game’s mimicking. There’s a lot of backtracking, and reading to figure out puzzles, and what feels modern is the hiding mechanic that works like a QTE.
What’s also important about this game it’s that it’s a collection by the developer, and features 14 short games they have developed for their 10 year anniversary. So if you are interested in this game, the great news is that there are 13 other games to enjoy. And if you aren’t interested in this game, then check the bundle for the other 13 games, as you’re bound to like more than just a few.
No Players Online
Developer/publisher: BeeswaxGames
Socials: Twitter (Beeswax Games) | Devs’ Twitter (Adam) (Viktor) (Tib)
There is that feeling of lonesome gloom that linger with each click, as there really aren’t any players online. Everything really is a remnant of something that was. That is, until you receive a message from a lonesome stranger.
No Players Online requires a critical eye and a love for wanting to figure it out. I loved how this game looked, from the browser to the games, and the humor in the forums and how people behave felt real. Going through files, playing songs found, and eventually, mixing games and such was fun but also took some time to figure out.
Sorrow
Developer: Kris Lee (Their BlueSky)
You are the pilgrim of sorrow, venturing lost and alone through a dark and unknown forest. You stumble upon a hurt animal, and you decide to take it out of its misery, and through the opening in the forest you find a town taken over by skeletons, flesh monsters, and ghosts. You hear a voice. It knows you, and it knows you’re here.
This first-person dark fantasy left me wishing for me. With a name like Sorrow, taking the role of “the pilgrim of sorrow,” skeletons, and dungeon crawling, I wish this demo just had a little bit more to catch my attention. The stamina recharge forces the player to pace themselves and walk around in circles like a Souls game, as hitting a monster without full stamina it the equivalent of hitting them with a pebble.
SPYRIT WALKER
Developer/publisher: Rexoto Games
In this survival horror, darkness has concealed the world, as the sun no longer rises, but evil lurks in every shadow. Rescue survivors who can offer their services to aid you in the battle against evil and restore the broken city.
I haven’t played many Wild West-themed games, let alone a Wild West horror-themed game. Except Evil West, and that was not what I expected. Spyrit Walker seems to be another wild west horror-themed game that I’ll be able to complete with my good friends. It felt surprisingly open, rewarding the player for looking around and going through caves. I see this game being a fun co-op game.
Subversive Memories
Developer/publisher: Southward Studio
Set in Brazil during the last brutal and oppressive dictatorship you play as Renata searching for [REDACTED] on an abandoned military research base. But something has gone wrong, as the base might have been abandoned, but creatures and secrets lurk in the shadows.
This is a beautiful game survival-horror game that will have you deciding whether to engage the enemies because of the limited resources, exploring the areas to solve puzzles, and most importantly, thinking (I got stuck finding the safe and what to do with the knife, which was all on me). I especially love the theme they’re going for in this game, and how they play with it with the in-game notes.
Did I forget to mention that there are 24 demos in this collection? That’s a lot I got left to go through. Had you heard of this collection, or any of the prior collections they’ve released? Interested in any of these games or checking the collection out? Let me know!
These look so interesting. I'm not that great with horror games but I think I could try some of these.
Love this post. I wanted to make a post like it but havent had the time so I appreciate the work put into this. Looking forward to part 2!