Single indie game developer Retrofiction Games has just announced Dead of Darkness, a classic survival horror game in the vein of the original Resident Evil. The game features a complex and character-driven story with cosmic horror influences from the works of Clive Barker and John Carpenter’s Apocalypse Trilogy.
Dead of Darkness has all the classic survival horror beats that make the genre so much fun: limited resources, deadly enemies, inventory management, exploration, and puzzles. But there’s also a detective feature, which lets you gather clues and combine them with items or pieces of the environment, adding another layer of depth to the puzzle-solving.
Story:
England, 1985. Private investigator Miles Windham is asked to help the local police on a missing person investigation on Velvet Island. But once he arrives on the island, he soon realizes that the residents are behaving strangely. Nobody seems to be interested in clearing up the case.
In fact, there is growing hostility towards the investigator that feels as though it is becoming stronger by the minute. It doesn’t take long until the situation escalates and Miles finds himself in a struggle for his own survival.
- Complex, multi-layered narrative: Meet more than 15 characters over the course of the game – each with their own story that revolves around the terrible secrets of Velvet Island.
- Challenging survival horror: Resources are scarce, your inventory is limited, and danger lurks around every corner. Plan your routes carefully if you want to survive.
- Intense hallucinations: Each enemy encounter takes a toll on your mental state. The lower your mental state, the stronger the hallucinations you will experience – some even breaking the fourth wall.
- Relentless enemies: 13 different enemies are hungry for your flesh, and some of them will stalk you relentlessly. Fight them, run from them, or use your wits to outsmart them.
- Become a detective: Search your environment, inspect items and read documents in order to unlock clues. Use these clues to reveal hidden troves or unlock secret passageways.
Retrofiction Games is an indie game development company located in Germany that focuses on story-centric and horror-themed games using old-fashioned pixel art. It’s currently run by a single developer, Markus Neuert.
Dead of Darkness is set to launch sometime in 2023 for Windows and Mac. You can check out the game’s Steam page to add it to your wishlist and view the official website here.
You can also view the official teaser trailer below.
