One of the latest indie games to take Steam’s Top Sellers page by storm is Content Warning, which launched for the grand price of absolutely nothing on 1 April. Being completely free to install (and keep!) during its first 24 hours of being available, it’s no wonder that so many players have flocked to Content Warning to see what this bizarre title really entails. But is Content Warning worth buying now that the free Steam giveaway is over?
Yes, and no. At just £6.69, this charming – and slightly creepy – content creator sim is arguably worth giving a whirl. As of right now, the game has been claimed by over 6.2 million players, and in my experience, it’s easy to see why this game has instantly taken off despite its initial zero dollar price-tag. That said, you do also have to bear in mind that this is a multiplayer game that can easily become repetitive, much like Lethal Company. So, you may want to give this one a miss or wait for some additional updates before purchasing.
On top of that, Content Warning is developed by Landfall Games, who is also responsible for the likes of Stick Fight: The Game and Totally Accurate Battle Simulator. So, if you’re a fan of Landfall’s goofy physics and distinct visuals, I’d again encourage you to splash your spare cash on Content Warning. As minimal as it can be, it’s definitely a real treat with the right group of friends, and it definitely feels unique – even with its very overt similarities to Lethal Company.
That’s right! Content Warning follows a very similar format to previous Steam hit, Lethal Company. In groups of up to four and clad in strange spacesuits with ASCII art faces, you’ll be sent to a different planet to explore each day. This time around, instead of scavenging for scrap and avoiding monsters, you want to seek out any terrifying creatures and film them. The spookier the footage you manage to capture, the more views you’ll later be able to rake in when uploading it to SpookTube. More views means a better chance of going viral, which means more money for more equipment, and more successful video shoots.
Perhaps my favourite thing about the game is the videos that you and your friends will inevitably create. After a hard day’s work on a mysterious black-and-white world that has snail-like monsters, traps, drones, and more hiding around the place, you can take your video camera and collect a disk containing the brief footage. Pop this into the TV of your home, and you and your friends can get cozy while reflecting on the terrifying day behind you, enjoying the amusing – and sometimes questionable – comments that pour in from chatters.
Given the minimal amount of footage you can film each day, you must choose the moments that you film carefully while not neglecting the importance of intros and outros to your videos. This, overall, leaves us with some of the worst – but simultaneously most hilarious – compilations I’ve seen in a while. In some instances, like when all of my compatriots died on the dive bell after our ship landed in front of a very aggressive drone, our SpookTube upload felt more like a found-footage film than anything. Being able to easily save your uploads to your desktop is a nice touch, too, and a grand portion of the joy derived from this game is sharing your SpookTube uploads and seeing the adventures of other players. I’m a sucker for any game that has its community engaging with one another positively, mainly sharing laughs. Content Warning has definitely succeeded in bringing groups of wannabe paranormal SpookTubers together, that’s for sure.
Simply put, if you like causing chaos with your friends – and if you liked Lethal Company – Content Warning is worth buying, without a doubt. But if you were hoping for more content, aside from what you’ll be creating for yourself, or for some sort of single-player mode, you might want to keep your wallet closed for a little while longer.