IMSCARED

IMSCARED leans on tension, not on polish, and that is what makes it stand out among indie horror games. By our assessment, it is remembered for its trickery with interface, its broken-looking presentation, and the way it keeps the player uncertain about what is part of the game and what is part of the scare. The downside is plain: this kind of horror depends on surprise, so once the shape of the joke is known, some of the sting goes with it. In practice it is short, nervous, and built around opening doors, reading signals, and second-guessing the screen. It sits closer to a glitch-horror experiment than to a long survival game, and the rough look is part of the point. IMSCARED is best for players who want an odd, clever scare rather than a polished parade of monsters.