Hell is a mini game developed by indie dev ahintoflime made for the 2017 ‘A Game by It’s Cover’ game jam. The short horror game is a point-and-click walking simulator that, of course, takes you through the path of hell itself.
How It Feels To Be In Hell
Hell uses a faux Windows/Mac explorer as your inventory, and each image of your surroundings looks like it was printed from a dot matrix printer. This pre-millenial feel will take you back to the days of I Have No Mouth and I Must Scream, Clocktower, and Project Firestart.
Unlike with most games, you start this one off already dead. You’re a fish-out-of-water as soon as you begin your journey, which is unnerving as you have no idea where the game will lead you.
Though the game is called Hell, you do not walk through lakes of fire and lava on your way to see a demon. The settings are much more David Lynch in style, with bands playing in elevators, and industrial pipes clanking away. You pick up confusing items that don’t seem to have an obvious use for game-play, but it’s all part of the confusing and strange atmosphere that really makes a good horror game.
Despite the game being as short and minimalist as it is, it has real re-play value as many of the actions the player can take come with a choice. Pop the balloon or leave it be? Touch the creature or ignore it? Go up a floor? Or take the elevator down? Each play-through has the potential to be entirely different.
Halloween Hell
My only gripe is that I’d have liked multiple endings depending on the players actions. Though as a game jam project I appreciate that one of the goals was to keep the game as simple as possible, and focus on style over too much substance.
That being said, it’s such an original and atmospheric game that I highly recommend it. If you’re stuck for what games to play this Halloween, or if you don’t have time to do a full play-through of Silent Hill, then Hell will always be there waiting for you.
