Your voice is key to survival in this dark horror game
With a release date set for December, Stifled might be the perfect game for a terrifying Christmas season.
VR may be reinvigorating horror gaming, but a new game from Singapore is bringing the scares with the help of another utility -- the humble microphone.
Stifled, by developers Gattai Games, puts you in a pitch-black world, where the only way to generate light is through sound. You'll have to navigate through it without succumbing to the monsters that are out for your blood. It'll be playable on PC and Mac following its 13 December release on Steam.
When asked about what type of horror players can expect from the game, Justin Ng, one of the developers of Stifled, said "we stay away from jumpscares, and focus a lot of keeping players on the edge because that's how we think horror should be done."
You as the player can't use sound indiscriminately though, as it can also serve as a location signal to your enemies. If you find yourself trapped, you can, however, use thrown objects to distract the blood-thirsty monsters.
Not everything will be shrouded in darkness, as the developer has stated that the narrative-driven game will be "bouncing in and out of 'light' and 'echolocation'," leaving some scenes illuminated to tell aspects of the story.
To add to the experience, Stifled is expected to be released with Oculus support. Developers are also considering adding viewer-generated sound in order to hinder streamers as they play.
Stifled is the spiritual successor to Lurking, which Gattai Games, then a team of students, developed over six months. The game involved creating sound, which was both your ally and your enemy, as you blindly fumbled your way through a darkened medical facility with unseen enemies following every footstep and grasping at you in the dark.
Both Lurking and Stifled have received awards for their innovative use of sound, and next month, we'll see if the new game lives up to its tremendous potential.