10 Surprisingly Good Indie Horror Video Games Of 2016
2. Hello Neighbor
LRD: Dec 22
It started as a funny, childlike, even sympathetic concept: to sneak into your neighbour’s house out of curiosity. Colourful, charming Pixar-like graphics and a gentle-looking man with a petit handlebar living in front of you, what could possibly go wrong? Well, like most Disney-administered things, it rapidly laid bare an alarming side: nosiness turned out unhealthy, mischievous break-ins turned out paranoiac battles and the otherwise friendly neighbor became a relentless threat. Or not.
The development team has released a Pre-Alpha, an Alpha 1 and Alpha 2 and 3 builds with some new mechanics, and the game has already caused a huge sensation on the Internet. New fan theories arise with each step taken inside the obsessive secrets of the growing house and its tenacious owner. But what has become the most intriguing crux of the matter, along with what is that man hiding somewhere, is “who’s the real villain here?”, or even better, “is he really hiding something?”. The game just makes players doubt themselves as they continue to be the active annoyance and collect more and more questions with each visit. But, thanks to advanced AI that learns from your moves and unending dynamics, it is also a quirky, nerve-wracking, inspired piece of stealth horror.
Will its full version live up to expectations? We’ll have to wait until next summer to find out.