What makes a good horror? Is it the constant jump scares? The lingering thought that there’s someone—or something—out there stalking you? Or is it the realization that whatever’s chasing after you is inevitable?
I had these thoughts swirling through my mind while playing Solitary Studios’ titles Murky Water and Silent Still 2, and it actually reached the point where I had to cut my stream short because I couldn’t take it anymore.
Solitary, not silent
There was a special feeling when I first tried one of their games, Murky Water, and I couldn’t put my finger on it until I played Silent Still 2. That feeling was dread.
Playing their games showcased effective storytelling and visuals by establishing the setting, the threat, and how things could go south with just a flick of the wrist.
Let’s put Murky Water as an example.
You’re out in the wilderness waiting for your friend, exploring the river and setting up camp. You already get the gist of what might come for you, either from the river or the forest. Come nightfall, your friend hasn’t arrived. Then, you suddenly see a picture of yourself and it’s not your in-game character, but you, the player.
The demo concludes without expanding on the photo plot point, but a solitary figure across the river suddenly starts approaching you.
It’s a short demo, but it shows how well the developer uses visuals and context clues for effective storytelling without relying on much, just the essence of what makes horror so good. Unfortunately, development of Murky Water had to be cancelled, but it came with good news: another project is in development, along with a sequel to their Silent Still series.
Stare at the abyss, and the abyss stares back
In the spirit of Halloween and to make up for lost time, why not try another game, right? Maybe Silent Still 2 would be fun, and on a personal note, it was fun! It would’ve been funnier, though, if someone else was playing and I was watching instead.
It’s not a bad game per se, but remember when I questioned what makes good horror? It was at this moment while playing that I realized what truly triggered my fight-or-flight response.
Without revealing too much of the plot (mainly because I couldn’t even get past the first chapter without chickening out), you’re exploring an abandoned school but apparently, it’s not completely abandoned.
By the time you get home, you experience sleep paralysis. And if you’ve ever experienced it (or even if you haven’t) you’ll feel that same existential dread the longer you play.
It’s these seeds of doubt and dread that Solitary Studios keeps planting, making their horror games more than just games. They’re full-on experiences.
Imagine using a mic and hearing an echo but from a completely different voice. Now imagine seeing your face on screen, without even realizing a picture had been taken.
You wake up only to see something looming, stalking, and staring at you and I kid you not, I slept with the lights on after playing.
It’s this feeling of helplessness that Solitary Studios capitalizes on and boy, do they deliver.
Closing
Never have I ever witnessed an indie game developer in the Philippines excel at horror quite like this (aside from maybe a weird developer or two) and Solitary Studios is now on my list of horror developers to watch out for.
Recently, they’ve gone from an indie dream to a fully registered company, and if that’s not proof of how well they’re doing from a horror standpoint, I don’t know what is.
Things are looking up for them, and their journey is certainly one to watch. If you want to follow along—or maybe even check out their games—here are their pages:
- Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/solitarystudios.official
- Silent Still 2 on Steam: https://store.steampowered.com/app/3869680/Silent_Still_2
