Blumhouse is known for its diverse horror film lineup and how different each film is from the next. Thus, now that they are dabbling in games, it’s only appropriate that they are partnering with a wide array of different horror games as well. We got to go hands on with their upcoming first published game Fear the Spotlight from the two person dev team Cozy Game Pals at Summer Games Fest today.
The game was described as a throw back to old school horror games like the early Resident Evil and Silent Hill games sans combat. However, what this game really reminded me of were the classic flash based escape games you’d find online in the early 2000s. The game features a very unique art style that may not be everyone’s cup of tea. However, the VHS style video effect gives it a certain vibe other games in the genre don’t have.
Onto the demo itself, the demo was a short 20 minutes with a very early section of the game. The game follows two high school girls, Vivian and Amy, who sneak into their school after dark to get a “Spirit Board” to conduct a seance. However, like any board based seance, things don’t go right and horror follows. After this happens, the game gets way more atmospheric and eerie than anything before. Unfortunately, this is where the demo ended as a fire breaks out after Amy gets pulled into a room by a mysterious force and a fire breaks out forcing Vivian to run away and try to escape the school again.
Gameplay isn’t the strongest as there is no combat, and your main interaction is solving puzzles around the school. There was a mechanic which seemed to involved Vivian’s inhaler and her lung capacity. However, the demo didn’t feature it at all. Fear the Spotlight is set to release later this year.