Low-poly, highly scary
If you’re into low-poly, PS1-style games like I am, today’s Puppet Combo Direct stream was a dream. It’s a smorgasbord of games coming our way, both from the Godfather of lo-fi horror, Ben Cocuzza, and by way of his publishing label, Torture Star Video. All the titles look fantastic, but let’s go from the tip to the top.
Stay Out of the House this July
It’s been listed on Steam for a hog’s age, but Stay Out of the House will finally be in the wider public’s hands in July. Part survival horror and part “stealth immersive sim,” Stay Out of the House places you in the clutches of a deranged serial killer. You’ll need to keep out of sight and find a way to escape his house.
Rather than a straight slasher game, Stay Out of the House has you avoid traps and “The Butcher’s” family as you try to escape. Sounds like classic Puppet Combo, but fortunately, we only have a month to wait to find out what tricks he can throw at us.
Night at the Gates of Hell comes to us from the creator of Bloodwash
For something completely different, Jordan King, the creator of Bloodwash, is bringing us the survival horror, Night at the Gates of Hell. With this gory little game, Jordan is challenging himself to present a classic Resident Evil experience in the first person with slow and menacing zombies. You play as David, who is attempting to escape the zombie infestation going on in his city and to find out the truth behind them.
Featuring lo-fi visuals, lots of gruesome imagery, and a ‘70s disco soundtrack, Nights at the Gates of Hell is a love letter to Italian zombie flicks. There’s no solid release date for this one, but we can start looking for it around third quarter, 2022.
A completed Power Drill Massacre is coming to Steam
Power Drill Massacre is something of a legendary title among Puppet Combo fans. It was originally released in 2015 in an incomplete state, but while it has sat like that all this time, what was presented captured the attention of fans. It’s actually the first title by him that I played myself, and it definitely is a great representation of his style of slasher horror.
You play as a hapless car crash victim who goes looking for help in exactly the wrong place. She finds herself hunted by the Driller Killer who… I probably don’t need to explain his M.O.
The finished game has been expanded with new areas, expanded gameplay, and quality of life improvements. There are also new playable characters, multiple endings, and new camera styles. Exciting stuff for anyone who experienced the original version. It’ll also be launching on Steam for the first time. We’ll be waiting until Q4 2022 to see the rest of the Driller Killer’s tale.
Sleazy survival horror Deadly Night is coming in August
Billed as “the sleaziest low-poly slasher ever created,” Deadly Night comes to us from Cubite Games, developers of NIGHT GUARD and La Compana. Deadly Night has hitchhiker Carol check into a motel that she may never check out of. Hopefully, the ice machine works.
A trailer shows off some gruesome scenes and images of the killer that will be tracking you down. I am absolutely a sucker for gloomy parking lot aesthetic for some reason. That’s all it needed to show me and I am down. Looks like I’ll be down this August when it releases on Steam through Torture Star Video.
Horror favorite Bloodwash is coming to consoles
Speaking of gloomy parking lot aesthetic, one of my favorite horror titles from last year is coming to console. Bloodwash is the story of Sara, who absolutely has to get laundry done, and the only 24-hour laundromat is on the outskirts of town. Girl, we’ve all been there. Unfortunately for her, the terrifyingly named Womb Ripper has been on the prowl, and she’s looking awfully pregnant.
It’s a pretty unique title that has you build the tension yourself by wasting time in a strip mall, learning of the horrible things that have gone on there. Bloodwash is a terrific example of the inventiveness found in the lo-fi horror sub-genre, so if you’re console-bound, definitely consider taking a look this summer.
It’s a nice slate of games to look forward to throughout the year. Unfortunately, I want them now. If my ceaseless gushing hasn’t tipped you off, I’m a big fan of the sub-genre and of Puppet Combo in particular. I’m feeling deficient in lo-fi, cheap scares, so I’ll be keeping an eye on all these upcoming titles.
