With Alone, Greenwood Games presents an interesting new approach to the horror game genre – top American media such as GameInformer, Gamasutra, and Destructoid are sure of it. The twist is the clever connection of a game within the game, which blurs the boundaries between reality and fiction, thanks to the Oculus Rift 3D goggles, making even horror fans shudder. The title’s official release is planned for the 1st quarter of 2014.
Alone puts players into a lonely house at night. Next to an open window, you sit on the couch and play the horror game The Witching Hour, while outside the wind rustles through the woods. But after the first few minutes of the game, strange things start to happen in the house. Stranger and stranger noises, which are actually coming from the game on the television, are suddenly in the player’s living room, creating a spooky atmosphere. Doomed to motionlessness on the sofa and unable to investigate the dragging noises in the attic or the whispering voices, players are at the mercy of their imagination and growing paranoia.
Greenwood Games is now looking for supporters on Kickstarter to transform the prototype into a finished game. The basic financing will already be secured with US-$ 25,000; stretch goals include the localization and further development. The idea for Alone came from the fascination of founders Bryan Cohen and Dan Wallace with horror games, the Oculus Rift VR goggles, and the decision to take part in the Oculus Rift VR game jam in August, 2013. The fact that neither of them owned an Oculus Rift at that point was no obstacle. Rather, the inability to test on the Rift with the appropriate hardware resulted in an essential element of the game, the forced motionlessness of the player – but Alone manages to turn this adversity into a virtue, thanks to the skilled use of 3D goggles and sound, strengthening the game experience even more and leaving behind a lasting impression.
The 10 minute demo is available for free on the official website at www.greenwoodgames.com. Requires the Oculus Rift, Headphones, and an Xbox Gamepad.