Game

Amnesia: The Dark Descent

Platforms: Linux, macOS, PC

Developer: Frictional Games · Publisher: Frictional Games

Carefully constructed horror game relies on positioning, camera work, and shocking content. But Amnesia: The Dark Descent adds psychological elements to it. Players control the young man named Daniel, who wakes up in a seemingly empty castle, alone and with a massive memory loss. Through environmental storytelling, notes, audio logs and even visions, players are invited to uncover the deep-rooted secrets of the castle. Throughout the game players will be introduced to the mechanics of Sanity, representing the mental state of Daniel which can be affected by lack of light, visions and even unpleasant encounters with the monsters. When decreased, Sanity will distort the vision of the player to a different and seemingly random effect, in order to depict actual effects of severe anxiety. Most of the game challenges are completed through the item search and physics puzzles, forcing players to be resourceful and courageous. The game supports modding, and allows user-created content alongside the free DLC Justine, telling a story of a female prisoner. Given how short the DLC story is - several possible endings are available.