Horror has lost something in recent years, in part because the fidelity of games has massively improved. In the 1990s you would be forced to fill in what you were seeing and experiencing with your imagination, making something far scarier than anything that was actually happening on screen. The most terrifying place to be is inside your imagination which is why classics like Silent Hill and Resident Evil remain compelling, so many years later. Fear the Spotlight is a game that understands this very well, with a retro aesthetic that tugs at the darkest recesses of your brain, and it’s finally about to get its full release on Steam.
Like all the best horror game stories, Fear the Spotlight kicks off when something goes horribly wrong, and in the tradition of spooky stuff from the ‘90s that thing is a seance held after hours at school. Playing as high schooler Vivian looking for suddenly-missing friend Amy, this is a proper love letter to the horror titles of years past full of puzzles, horrifying supernatural entities, and huge servings of atmosphere.
Just like the dark, mysterious story at the heart of Fear the Spotlight, the game’s history has also been a ride full of twists and turns. Originally hopping onto Steam in September of 2023, the game was later pulled from sale in October of that same year, with only a few comments from the game’s developer stating that it would return after some huge updates.
Silence descended over the title until a few months later, the developer resurfaced to give a little more context into what had happened. It seems that due to the game’s initial success it caught the attention of new publisher Blumhouse Games, a spinoff from the producer of movies like Paranormal Activity, Insidious, The Purge, Split, Get Out, and M3GAN. With the additional resources offered by the publisher, it became possible to continue working on Fear the Spotlight, adding new gameplay, translations, and bringing it to console.
Which is where we find ourselves now, with the announcement that the game will return soon, in its new, upgraded form. The Fear the Spotlight release date will be on Tuesday October 22. You can learn more about the game, and check it out for yourself, over on Steam.
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