Darkwood – Old-School Horror That Will Ruin Your Pants

It’s refreshing to see indie developers bringing true horror back to video games. With the release of experimental first-person-horror Slender: The Eight Pages last year, the gaming world was reminded that true, bladder-emptying fear does not require big budgets or massive marketing schemes, just a superbly designed atmosphere and an unrelenting feeling of dread. Created by one man, it is the simplest of concepts: armed with only a torch, collect the eight pages scattered around the forest, hoping the terrifying ‘slender man’ doesn’t get you and, presumably, eat your face or some such terror. The free downloadable game was so unbelievably popular, it is seeing a full sequel and has acted as inspiration for small-time developers trying to see a release in this big bad world.

Which brings us to Darkwood: A top-down, old-school, surreal horror game by a trio who like to call themselves Acid Wizard. Although still in pre-alpha stage, you cannot deny the fact that it looks as intriguing as it does terrifying, with some very impressive lighting and shadow effects and a brilliantly realised atmosphere:

The game isn’t holding out on the fear, as the developers promise ‘no hand holding, tooltips or linear paths,’ a permadeath system and a twisted atmosphere that will make you ‘question your own sanity.’ Combine this with RPG elements, a randomized open world, a crafting system and the ability to blockade windows and doors to stop the monsters coming in to, as with Slender, eat your face or some such terror, and you have what looks to be a spectacularly scary experience.

Check out the official site to learn more. Who needs sleep, anyway?