The Darkest Woods
Platform: Mac, Windows, Linux
These days we have some prime choices for horror games with great style, from the realistic graphics of games like Alien: Isolation and Slender: The Arrival to the beautiful retro look of The Last Door and Ib, we were pulled right into the atmosphere by the aesthetics alone. But remember the days where we didn't need such high quality and flashy graphics to scare the pants off ourselves? Beloved games like Scare Dare- The House and the adored point-and-click, The House? Well The Darkest Woods is a throwback to these games. It has the kind of graphics that have you thinking "Wait, really? These cheesy pictures are supposed to sc--OHMYGUACAMOLY!" and then has you turning on the lights in your house for the rest of the game play. Vasily Laschuk's and Martadello's free indie point-and-click horror game is filled with jump scares, unsettling noises, the threat of death at any moment, and a cryptic story that is slowly revealed. Is there anything else you could want?
Your mouse is your trusty companion on this one. While most options are set out in text for you to choose, there are things you need to interact with on screen. There are objects to pick up, and a few other things you can look at more closely, but almost all of these are easy to spot. There are also times where you need to be quick with your mouse and your items in your inventory. You have an option to keep your bag closed, which hides your items on the screen, but you'll feel safer knowing you have all your supplies less than one click away. Also on screen is the narration and description of what is going on around you. Sometimes you have to read quickly, as it can be interrupted with new information and sudden intrusions. But it's never in such a way you miss out on anything important, and the vital information is always repeated. Another thing to be aware of is the lack of any autosave. Deaths can come at any time and one simple act can leave you doomed, so make sure to keep track of your own saves. All of this keeps the tension running high and have you watching your back just in case something else is watching it.
The Darkest Woods is a fun little adventure where you're one moment terrified, and the next laughing at yourself for jumping at such a thing. Despite that, it really does a good job at keeping you unsettled, from the movement just out the corner of your eye, to how the camera scans across the scenes. You never want to be in one spot for too long as the threat of something happening is always looming. Even though you know you're in a safe spot, that feeling still carries with you, and that's what makes The Darkest Woods refreshing rather than just another quickly done horror cliche. You can tell the developers really wanted to make something great, and you'll be shocked to learn that this is their first game. Also, don't be deterred by some of the comments on the download page about a major glitch. It's all been fixed up, so you can enjoy your fear fest with no interruptions. With how much the developers care about this game, as well as making sure the players are enjoying it to their fullest, we can only hope this duo continues to make new gems for us to play. If you're a fan of the old classic horror games, or want to see what they were once like, then turn your sound up, the lights low, and get ready for a good old fashioned wandering in the darkest woods around.
Windows:
Get the free full version
Windows:
Get the free full version
Linux:
Get the free full version
In what is currently what I can only describe as one of the most incredible glitches I've ever experienced, the game thinks my mouse cursor is always a couple centimeters higher than it is, rendering the game absolutely unplayable beyond the two actual game screens reachable for those who didn't accidentally change their language to Russian.
@Akarroa
I didn't have any such problem with this game. Nor have I heard about anyone else struggling with this issue. What system are you using?
I have the exact same thing as Akarroa. I measured it and it's exactly 3 inches off. The screen does have a couple inch thick black margin/boarder around only the left, right and bottom edges. That maybe tells me something about a resolution issue? I loaded windows 64-bit (using windows 8.1-don't know what else you may need to know) I'll try to look into it more but I'm no programmer.
I have figured it out (for me at least). It is a resolution issue, when the game starts there is a window that lets you change the resolution and a couple other things, I don't know too much about resolution but I have a 10.5" x 18.5" monitor (msr'd in inches) and the game originally had 1280x800 selected for me. That's when the cursor was 3" off, I changed it to 1600x900 and it was 1 inch off. Once I selected 1920x1080 it was spot on and has played fine! Hope this helps.
I forgot to say nice creepy game so far! I like the atmosphere in these types of games, rustic graphics and all!
Update