Welcome back to “The Backlog,” the column where I review video games based on a different genre each month. We ended September and the theme of “I love it/I hate it” last week, and now we’re diving into many college students’ favorite time of year: October. For the next month, we’re going to be looking at scary games. We’re starting off with an indie favorite of mine, “Fears to Fathom.”
Developed and published by the indie game developer Rayll, the psychological horror series currently has five episodes available and can be purchased on Steam. Each episode tells true stories, submitted to the developer by fans through FearstoFathomStories@gmail.com. The stories range in content, but they all contain creepy or horrifying experiences for those who survived them.
The first episode — “Home Alone” — debuted in July 2021. As the first episode is much shorter than subsequent episodes, the game tells you it can be completed in about 20 minutes. But as a first impression for players, “Home Alone” captures the feeling of literally being home alone. It tells the story of Miles, a 14-year-old boy who is left at home by himself while his parents are gone for work.
Each episode is narrated by those who submitted the stories, and the game forces you to play as them and experience it firsthand. Mike’s story involves a mysterious stranger appearing outside his home, with unsettling text messages from his mother telling him not to answer the door. Although the idea of not really being alone is scary, the scariest part of this episode is how Miles is able to eat an entire tray of lasagna in one sitting.
The second episode titled “Norwood Hitchhike,” tells the story of Holly Gardner, a 19-year-old woman who must stop by a motel on her long drive home from a gaming convention. With each episode, the game becomes more and more interactive. “Norwood Hitchhike” is a much longer experience than “Home Alone” taking around an hour to complete. This is the first instance where players can drive a car, and it quickly becomes apparent that the driving mechanics are not Rayll’s strong suit. The game also forces you to read texts while driving, so please do not use your phone while driving in real life.
It’s also the first time the game has NPCs, which the player can interact with and read dialogue from. Rayll uses this to foreshadow events and creep players out. But the developer also uses this chance to include the sound meter, where if the player is hiding, their microphone can pick up sound in real life. Essentially: hide and be quiet.
“Carson House” is the third episode, where high schooler Noah Baker is housesitting for a rich media personality. The first episode was set in a very dark environment, but this installment allows players to use a flashlight, the tool of choice for any horror protagonist. Yet what makes Noah’s experience unsettling is the fact that the house he is in uses a security system. Players must use the cameras to see that they’re not alone and find a way out of the house.
The fourth episode is “Ironbark Lookout.” You play as Jack Nelson, a new fire lookout at Ironbark State Park. Needless to say, being alone in the middle of the woods at night isn’t an ideal situation. Rayll hits this notion home by having long stretches of the player being by themself, and suddenly introducing unwelcome company. Rayll has a signature jump scare where the player opens the door and comes face-to-face with a low-resolution NPC, and “Ironbark Lookout” is no exception.
The theme of each episode is that the scares typically come towards the end, and they deliver on the psychological horror aspect. But what I appreciated about the fourth episode was how immersive it was. As a developer, Rayll gets better with each episode, and the small details are what make each one feel as if you are the narrator. The small detail I love in “Ironbark Lookout” is how the trees sway and move with the wind. It might seem minuscule to players as they will only see it for a second in favor of focusing on the story, but it’s the little things that show how much love is put into the game.
The fifth, and most recent episode so far is “Woodbury Getaway,” where Syndey Harper and her old college friend, Mike, escape their mundane lives for a getaway in Vermont. The pair make their way to the rental cabin while waiting for their friend, Nora, to arrive. This episode differs from the others in that you constantly have a companion with you. For the majority of the episode, the player is never alone, but Rayll succeeds in making the feeling not as comfortable as you’d think. If there’s one recurring theme throughout this series, it’s that you are never truly alone.
While most stories include home invasions or stalkers, “Woodbury Getaway” keeps players on their toes by making them question who exactly is out to get them.
As the game is developed by one person, the graphics and mechanics are simplistic. But this does not take away from the content within the game; in fact, some players will find that it makes it even more terrifying. I’ve gushed about graphics and art in other reviews, but that does not mean “Fears to Fathom” or any indie title is lesser because of it.
Indie games tend to have more room for creativity, and this holds true for “Fears to Fathom.” Rayll brings these stories to life through unsettling dialogue, jump scares, funny mechanics and tapping into the player’s microphone. Each installment gets better, and it clearly shows Rayll’s journey as a game developer. If you’re a glutton for scary Reddit stories, “Fears to Fathom” is right for you.
Rating: 4/5