Developer: DreadXP
Publisher: DreadXP
Rrp: £7.19 (Steam), £7.99 (Epic)
Released: 21st August 2020
Available on: Itch.io, Steam and Epic
We’re back with The Dread X Collection 2! This is a compilation of twelve horror themed games that were created by each developer in ten days. Each of these game was created with a prompt in mind, this time the prompt was LOVECRAFTING.
It should be noted that there are a few things that should be kept in mind with these games;
1 – They’re all very short experiences
2 – Due to the speed they were created in they are going to be rough around the edges and even have a few glitches etc.
3 – Again, due to the speed of development they aren’t going to be the prettiest games
Another thing to note is that unlike the previous collection there’s now a launch screen that’s more like a launch world. It in itself is a game that happens between and after the other games. I want to make sure I give the creators of that (Lovely Hellplace, who created the game Shatter in the last collection) some recognition here.
Another Late Night
Developer: Secret cow Level
Like many of the games in this collection this one is very short, in this case lasting only a few minutes. The game is played entirely on a false desktop and revolves around the disappearances of particular people.
Personally I found this game to be more creepy than horrifying, it reminds me very much of Another Lost Phone in many respects.
Arcadletra
Developer: Vidas Games
This one is very short and I’m still not sure what to make of it exactly. At no point did I find myself scared but I definitely was mystified. I’ve played through this twice and gotten both endings and I’m still not sure exactly I did.
Undiscovered
Developer: Torple Dook
This was actually the first of the games I decided to play from this collection. This one is a very short game where you explore a ruin and discover its secrets.
The base idea of the game is that you are playing through some found footage that was filmed many years ago. Due to this the game has a heavy film grain and scratch mark effect which I personally found to be a bit too much.
You can’t control the camera as it just hovers behind the character you selected to play, well up until a point that I don’t wish to spoil. On the whole its not a bad little game, though its very short even by Dread X Collection standards.
To the End of Days
Developer: Scythe Dev Team
This game is a prequel to the last game by them that was in the Dread Collection and seemingly there will be more. This time the developers decided to create a FPS, sadly it’s not a very good one, the controls feel very loose and a bit unresponsive.
Thing is… this was actually quite fun, if they remade this game again, gave it a little more polish and more development time I think I would really enjoy it.
Charlotte’s Exile
Developer: John Szymanski
This is the reason I love game collections like this. You can always guarantee that when things like Ludum Dare occur that their’ll be something interesting mixed in there. This game is one such example of that.
Charlotte’s Exile is all about deciphering a language so that you can progress. I love it when games include something like this such as Heaven’s Vault, Chants of Sennaar or even Tunic. Of course, there is a horror twist involved which is that the act of researching catches the attention of something.
Yeah, this is one of the standouts in this collection to me, and I’ve noticed there seems to be a stand alone version to buy that has been updated somewhat. Sounds like something I’m going to have to buy.
Solipsis
Developer: Daniel Mullins Games
Like every game by Daniel Mullins this game uses basic controls to bring you something much more deep. In this case, you play as an astronaut seeking… something on the moon (Lava vents I think), but things go very wrong quite quickly.
This one is extremely short, lasting maybe 10 minutes but that’s all that was needed. I do love the fact that all of the games Daniel Mullins creates are linked in some way, even if just tangentially.
Sucker for Love
Developer: Akabaka
You have to love when developers start to give their own twists to classic genres, in this case the genre in question is the visual novel. You play as a cultist trying to summon an eldritch being so they can get a smooch. Such a noble goal.
I think it’s safe to say that this game was the run away success of this collection. I mean, not only did they make a full game with a larger cast (plus a free prelude) but more recently there’s a sequel/spin off too. Truly, I can see why this was such a success, multiple endings, good quality voice acting and the game itself felt good to play.
The Diving Bell
Developer: Bathysfear Games
A first person psychological horror, I’m not sure what else to call it other than that really. It definitely captures the feeling of isolation and the paranoia that can come from being truly alone.
The thing is, I didn’t get on well with this one. I found it a bit obtuse, but I think that’s part of the design.
The Toy Shop
Developer: Mahelyk
I found this game to be frustrating, which is a shame because the developers have actually crafted a fairly interesting story that I want to find more about. The gun play is lacklustre and its made all the worse by the enemies causing contact damage.
The thing is I can forgive that because of the development time, what I can’t forgive is making me run from an unkillable pursuer, that kills me in one hit, through a maze filled with enemies. Not only does this maze have enemies it has multiple dead ends that come with no warning and make it impossible to avoid your pursuer.
Squirrel Stapler
Developer: David Szymanski
This game has been designed to ape those ‘Hunting Simulators’ that I used to see on store shelves back when PC games had big cardboard boxes, I’m sure that those games continue to exist on Steam somewhere.
Usually I tend to like the games that David Szymanski has put out but this one… I struggled to finish it, not from the difficulty of the game but from a lack of interest. I just bounced right off it.
The Thing in the Lake
Developer: Panstasz
This game once again goes to show that you don’t need graphical fidelity to be scary. In fact the graphical style makes this game all the more unsettling, especially for those of us that used to play on the old Gameboys of the past.
I loved this game, everything about it just kept me on edge. Sadly I doubt you could make a game much longer than the one they made here in this style without it losing a lot of its charm.
Touched by an Outer God
Developer: Wither Studios
A body horror themed First Person Shooter. You kill enemies to consume their flesh and use that to upgrade your own abilities. Well actually that’s one way to play, you see there are two endings, and they hinge off of one decision.
I really liked this game but I can see why they didn’t try to make a larger game out of it, the novelty started to wear off quite quickly.
