System Shock 2 is a 1999 action role-playing survival horror video game designed by Ken Levine and co-developed by Irrational Games and Looking Glass Studios. Originally intended to be a standalone title, its story was changed during production into a sequel to the 1994 game System Shock. The alterations were made when Electronic Arts—who owned the System Shock franchise rights—signed on as publisher.
Within ghost hunting and parapsychology, electronic voice phenomena (EVP) are sounds found on electronic recordings that are interpreted as spirit voices. Parapsychologist Konstantīns Raudive, who popularized the idea in the 1970s, described EVP as typically brief, usually the length of a word or short phrase.
The Precursors is a 2009 first-person shooter game developed by Ukrainian game studio Deep Shadows. The game was released for Windows in Russia on 4 December 2009. It was then released worldwide through GamersGate on 21 December 2010 and through Steam on 4 February 2017. It is set in a futuristic sci-fi environment where many political factions are engaged in an intergalactic war. The player is able to explore a multitude of planets, travel through outer space to complete missions, obtain information, and buy weapons and supplies in an open world free-roaming environment. It received mixed reviews from critics.
Ghost hunting is the process of investigating locations that are purportedly haunted by ghosts. Typically, a ghost-hunting team will attempt to collect evidence supporting the existence of paranormal activity.
Amnesia: The Dark Descent is a survival horror adventure video game by Frictional Games, released in 2010 for Microsoft Windows, Mac OS X and Linux operating systems, in 2016 for the PlayStation 4 platform and in 2018 for the Xbox One. The game features a protagonist named Daniel exploring a dark and foreboding castle called Brennenburg, while trying to maintain his sanity by avoiding monsters and unsettling events. The game was critically well-received, earning two awards from the Independent Games Festival and numerous positive reviews.
Blendo Games is an American independent video game development company based in Culver City, California. It was founded by Brendon Chung in 2010 and is primarily a one-person effort. Blendo Games gained more widespread exposure with the short form stand alone title Gravity Bone; the following games Flotilla and Atom Zombie Smasher were met with critical praise. The studio has also released several other games in several genres.
Gravity Bone is a 2008 freeware adventure game developed and published by Blendo Games. The game employs a modified version of id Software's id Tech 2 engine—originally used for Quake 2—and incorporates music from films by director Wong Kar-wai, which were originally performed by Xavier Cugat. Four incarnations of the game were produced during its one-year development; the first featured more common first-person shooter elements than the released version. Subsequent versions shifted in a new direction, with the inclusion of more spy-oriented gameplay. The game was released for Microsoft Windows in August 2008.
Thirty Flights of Loving is a first-person adventure video game developed by Brendon Chung under the name Blendo Games. It was published in August 2012 for Microsoft Windows, in November 2012 for OS X, and in December 2021 for Linux. The game is a non-direct sequel to Gravity Bone (2008) with the same unnamed spy as the main character. It follows three people as they prepare for an alcohol heist and the aftermath of the operation.
Tråd is a Swedish electronic music duo from Stockholm, formed in 2011. The band consists of Niklas Swanberg and Frank Wagnerius, and their music uses compressed live drums, talk box vocals, analogue synthesizers and many layers of arpeggio loops.
Serena is a freeware horror adventure game developed by several video game development companies, including Senscape, CBE Software, Infamous Quests, Digital Media Workshop and Guys from Andromeda. It was released for Windows, Linux and OS X. The game previews the Dagon Engine that was supposed to be used in Asylum. The main characters are voiced by Josh Mandel and Sarah Wilson, as well as a cameo from Guys from Andromeda's Scott Murphy. Gameplay is first-person perspective, with fixed background screens and a point-and-click interface.
Whispering Willows is an indie adventure horror video game developed by independent developer Night Light Interactive for Ouya in May 2014.
Consortium is a first-person shooter role-playing video game developed by Interdimensional Games for Microsoft Windows. The game is set almost entirely on a futuristic aircraft called Zenlil, crewed by a complement with chess-themed ranks. The game was principally financed by the Canada Media Fund by awarding a grant for $500,000 CAD in 2010. After a first failed Kickstarter campaign in 2012, $70,435 USD was raised through Kickstarter on April 18, 2013. Consortium was released on January 8, 2014. A sequel, Consortium: The Tower, was released to Steam Early Access on September 21, 2017.
Darren Korb is an American songwriter, composer, and voice actor. Korb is best known for writing the music featured in Bastion, Transistor, Pyre and Hades, all of which were developed by indie developer Supergiant Games. Korb also voice-acted in the latter two games, including providing the voice for Zagreus, the protagonist of Hades.
The Static Speaks My Name is a video game released in 2015 by Jesse Barksdale under the name 'the whale husband' for Microsoft Windows, OS X and Linux. Described as a "dark, sad, weird and funny first-person exploration game (that) emphasizes mood and character over gameplay," the game is a horror-themed adventure game in which the player performs the last routines of a suicidal man obsessed with a painting. The Static Speaks My Name was praised by critics for its unique tone and unusual partnership of disturbing and absurd themes.
Stasis is a 2015 science fiction horror point-and-click adventure game developed by The Brotherhood. Viewed from an isometric perspective, the game requires interactions with computers, combining items and puzzle solving. The game was released on 31 August 2015 for Microsoft Windows and Mac OS X, with Linux and mobile devices planned for future release.
Grypt is a multimedia horror-themed dark pop band from Los Angeles, California, best known for their hybridization of music with indie video games and interactive fiction. Described as "sound designers" and "interactive storytellers", they have released a "persistently disturbing" online choose your own adventure text game, horror audio dramas and, in collaboration with Duende Games, a "death simulator" music videogame entitled Tonight You Die, which was featured in Rock Paper Shotgun, Kill Screen, and selected as a PC Gamer free game of the week. They have also released music on labels Deathbomb Arc, Cleopatra Records, and Tundra Dubs.
Kitty Horrorshow is the pseudonym of an independent video game developer. Releasing her games on the distribution platform itch.io, she specializes in the psychological horror genre, with her games focusing on surreal and atmospheric horror in the aesthetic style of early 3D videogames.
Paratopic is a 2018 first-person horror video game, released for Linux, macOS, Windows, Nintendo Switch, Xbox One and Xbox Series. The game uses a graphical style reminiscent of 32-bit era graphics. Later that year, a "Definitive Cut" edition added new locations and objects. Paratopic won the "Excellence in Audio" category at the 2019 Independent Games Festival Awards.
