Helen Jarden
Copy Editor
Independent horror video games are reaching a peak in popularity for gamers and developers alike. With Halloween just around the corner, here is a list of three free horror games to enjoy during the holiday.
Starting the list at number three is “Mad Father,” a refreshing gothic horror game with many twists and turns in the plot.
You play as Aya Drevis, the young daughter of a workaholic scientist. The game begins on the night of the anniversary of Aya’s mother’s death. As Aya is falling asleep, a loud crash wakes and she soon finds out that her house is filled with vengeful spirits, including her mother.
When Aya finds out her father was kidnapped by the spirits, she sets out on a quest to save him, and in the process unearths strange and dark secrets.
Taking second place in the list is the puzzle indie horror game, “Ib.” The story begins with a girl visiting an art museum with her parents, who are very excited by the new gallery of the famous artist Guertena.
As “Ib” explores the strange yet creepy artwork, the museum suddenly becomes empty. She quickly discovers all is not what it seems, as the artwork comes to life and stalks her throughout the museum.
Centered on puzzles and character relationships, “Ib” has many endings that all rely on the player’s gaming style. Unlike other games, which claim to have multiple endings but don’t actually change much, “Ib” drastically changes every decision the player makes.
No playthrough is exactly the same, as the museum changes with each playthrough. Players can replay the game after completing it and find that new hallways, obstacles, and artwork have formed.
“Dreaming Mary,” a deceptively cute game, makes number one due to its horrific plot and unique gameplay. While incredibly short, the game relies on the player to play the game multiple times in order to uncover more of the story.
Mary, a short girl with bright pink hair and an incredibly pink outfit, wakes up in the pinkest bedroom possible. The radio in the room explains that Mary has finally entered the dream world, where everything is safe and nothing can hurt her.
Yet, everything is not as it seems in the incredibly cute paradise Mary resides in. As she talks to the characters in the world, there seems to be tension and fear despite their constantly smiling faces.
As mentioned earlier, the game relies on the player playing multiple times. Doing something as simple as failing one puzzle will change the ending. Fail two puzzles and you’ll get, yet again, a different ending.
To learn more about these free games, or to download and play them, check out their links here: www.vgperson.com/games/madfather.htm, www.vgperson.com/games/ib.htm, www.rpgmaker.net/games/6232/.
