The horror genre has seen its fair share of jump scares, eerie soundtracks, and stories that would make your skin crawl. Now, imagine a game whose challenge isn’t simply surviving the in-game horrors that await you but also controlling your reactions in the real world. Sounds bizarrely fun, right?
Welcome to the world of Don’t Scream, the latest indie horror that has fans of the genre rubbing their hands in frightful anticipation. Developed by indie devs Joure & Joe, the upcoming title takes place in the Pineview Forest, where the only thing players need to do is keep quiet (which obviously means you’ll need a mic for gameplay).
If you scream in real life, you’re sent right back to the beginning. A soft murmur – back to the beginning, a startled gasp – back to the beginning, a whispered curse – you get the gist.
Powered by Unreal Engine 5, Don’t Scream is designed to mimic the feel of found-footage horror films. So, if you’re one of those people who watched The Blair Witch Project through their fingers, then you’ll probably feel like you’re playing a Souslike game.
Don’t Scream has a runtime of just 18 minutes (cue the “games are too short nowadays” complainers), and all you need to do to get started is calibrate your mic for the optimal audio settings.
Though you can talk softly during gameplay, anything else will be considered a “scream”, forcing you to restart. Of course, you can bypass calibration to shout through the scares, but what would be the point of playing then?
Given its short playtime, players shouldn’t expect an elaborate storyline, but the developers have asserted that the game is rich in “lore.” Exploring the Pineview Forest, you will see everything around you through a camcorder, with the in-game timer ticking down when you move and pausing when you stop.
If you successfully complete the 18 minutes of horror without a whisper, you can earn yourself a Steam achievement and the bragging rights that go along with it. The developers have hinted at future updates, including more scares, expanded lore, and optional objectives. Maybe a VR title is in the future? We can only hope.
Don’t Scream is scheduled to be released on October 27 for PC via Steam.
