Steam's New 9/10 Free Horror Game Hailed As Absolutely Phenomenal By Players
James is a gaming writer from London who has spent thousands of hours exploring titles from every genre. Though he has a particular affinity for multiplayer titles like World of Warcraft, Destiny 2 and League of Legends, he has also put thousands of hours into single-player experiences, from deep RPGs to epic PC strategies. When he's not playing or writing, he can usually be found supporting his beloved Brentford FC.
Sign in to your ScreenRant account
Horror games have always been an important part of the overall video game ecosystem, but it really does feel like they have only increased their share of things over the years. On the PC in particular, they have really found a natural home, and the last decade has seen some of the most successful releases in the genre to date.
As we now all know, Steam has become the go-to storefront for the large majority of players on the platform, and it has a huge range of horror releases for us all to enjoy. With more being added every day, one in particular is starting to draw positive attention, only a day since debuting in the first place.
Over on Steam, you should be able to find the store page for Playable Archive, an indie horror adventure set in New England. The game is 30-60 minutes long, and it's designed to be played in one sitting (in fact it has to be), just as games like D demanded back in the mid-1990s on the 3DO and original PlayStation.
Armed with only a camera and few rituals to perform, the game takes players through the world of the demonic, in a game that really isn't like a lot less out there. In sharing a little about what players can expect from the game, developer DarkStone Digital included the following description:
"An archive from an anonymous whistleblower has surfaced containing unexplainable events. Viewing the contents of this material, as well as the exposure to and use of various symbols within have not been risk assessed.
-REVIEW WITH CAUTION-
"A New England couple stumbles upon a mysterious object during home renovations. The anonymous report claims no such object was retrieved alongside the obtained footage. However, the contact has communicated the following experiences within the archive:
- Perform demonic rituals
- Communicate with the dead
- Experience multiple timelines
"All information has been provided second-hand as none have been willing to review the archive personally. If, upon interacting with this material, you begin to experience unexplainable events around yourself or loved ones, please reach out to your local field office and report."
In even better news, the game is free to play, and it has already drawn plenty of praise from those who have taken the leap on it. "WOW!! With Mortuary Assistant being one of my favourite horror titles of all time, this was an incredibly exciting release; and it did not disappoint!! Any horror game that forces me to feel the need to look away always gets me," one review read.
While another added, "This was insanely good! A really creepy horror experience. A great atmosphere that keeps you on edge, with plenty of unsettling moments and a mystery that makes you want to keep exploring. The sound design and unexpected scares do a great job of building tension without making everything feel predictable."
Playable Archive is available to download right now, for free, from Steam, and it seems like the perfect experience for those who want to do a bit of gaming, but don't have as much time to dedicate to a full AAA experience right now.
KioskNews shows a cleaned-up reading view extracted from the publisher’s page — the original always lives on their site, not ours.