Night Terrors – “I Can’t Escape”

After I did the live-stream of “The Devil’s Tuning Fork,” I took a short break and then returned to stream another little indie horror game called “I Can’t Escape.” Unlike the previous game, this one actually has the ability to be played right in the comfort of the browser of your choice – provided that browser can make use of the Unity Web Plug-in. Yet, this game is a rather different experience.

“I Can’t Escape” is an exploration-based horror experience that is presented as a dungeon-crawler with grid-like movement (think the old Might & Magic games) and 16-bit 3D graphics that might remind some folks of “Doom.” The story is pretty minimal – in fact, no real story is given. When the game begins, the player finds themselves standing in some sort of field, but a moment later the ground breaks beneath them and they fall into a stone-walled underground labyrinth, the door leading out of the pit right in front of them, tantalizing them with the prospect of freedom but…It’s locked.

The whole purpose of the game is to find a way to get back to the surface, yet the game manages to push your limits as to what you might be comfortable with. While the first floor of the dungeon seems alright enough, with light still emanating from holes in the ceiling, you will be forced to proceed into lower levels to search for the keys to your salvation. Instinctually, one might not wish to delve deep into the unknown, yet that’s exactly what is required here. To make matters worse, as you explore, sounds you’ll hear yield clues that you are not alone – footsteps can be heard that seem to get closer and closer the further down you go, and doors manage to close and lock themselves behind you periodically. The farther you go into the deep abyss of the labyrinth, the more faded the light your light-source provides and the stranger things you begin to witness.

The music fits perfectly with the feelings of anxiety, helplessness, and loneliness you may feel as your journey continues, but you won’t need to worry – it won’t be a long one. In the end, you’ll either find a way to escape from this wretched place or you’ll find yourself so deep in the Earth that you’ll never find your way out again.

ALLAHWEH’S SCORE:  B

SCARE FACTOR:  Anxiety and Loneliness-Producing