The Asylum Jam is a 48 hour game jam focused on horror game without negative mental health or medical stereotypes. Last year, this game jam was extremely successful with 60 games submitted! I was very excited to jump into this jam. I was able to play and record all of the games entered into the jam this year (around 45 or so) in a video compilation series! Below are a few of my games, in no particular order.

HalloW is a pretty interestingly made game. Basically, the developers took pictures at night to make the graphics for the game. This is a hidden object type game, that involves collecting some stones to craft into a way of getting rid of a witch that is haunting the area. I really loved the look of this game and I always love a hidden object game. As a young kid, I used to play this type of game with my siblings. Each time the player solves a puzzle, they are given a stone. Once all the stones are found, the player can craft them to get rid of the witch that is stalking around and haunting the town. This witch tries to tell the player that it cannot be done, but trust me, it can. HalloW is not overly scary, but is a really nice creepy game.

Witch Hunt is not a very long game, but it is indeed an interesting game. Based on ignorance, Witch Hunt shows the player a witch burning, through the point of view of the child of the proclaimed witch. There is not any story as to how the mother became a witch or why the child is witness it. The child has three options, giving three different endings to this game. I personally enjoyed the graphics and the phrases said by varying characters in this simple little game.

Blossom
is a game that starts off pretty… well strange. Basically, the player controls an animal who is walking on the screen. This is pretty boring seeing as the animal does not really seem to be going anywhere. Soon, however, the camera pans out to show that the animal is just on a computer. This animal is then flickered by a demon-like person dressed in black, then the lights go out. The player is to go find a torch to light up the place. That task is a bit harder than it seems. This game is super creepy, the graphics are well done, and the use of a lighter, the only thing a person might have on them, is very well done. When looking for the torch, the player’s main source of light is a lighter. Like most lighters, sometimes it does not light, so it is a constant struggle to keep the room lite. Arrows and words appear on the wall to help lead the player around, however this game is quite scary.

Saving Zoey is a visual novel that is above most others. Personally, it is hard for me to find a visual novel that I am interested in, but this one really had me hooked. It is about an older sister who is trying to be a good sister, and takes her younger sister to a haunted house. Zoey, the younger sister, ends up running off, leaving behind her sister Kelly to look for her. This game is definitely interactive, and also very scary. The player plays as Kelly. To be honest, I did not play this game to the end, but I did play long enough to chase other people, and hide. The haunted house turns out to be really haunted, and the player needs to keep his or her cool from time to time. This game has many interactive elements to it, a very well written story, and amazingly well drawn graphics. Its a really nice game.

The Call is a game where the player recieves a call from a kidnapper. This kidnapper has taken the players friend, Alex, and requires the player to break into a house and scan its phone for data. The player does not know what kind of data, or why, but must save their friend. This game is pretty creepy as far as the phone call goes, but also is quite mysterious. The player breaks into a house, and is shown the layout on the screen. From there, they must search around the house to find the correct computer to upload data too. Along the way, the player can find other things that aid him in this adventure. Sound is a very important element in this game, giving it a super creepy feel. The game developers meant to have multiple endings, though at the moment there is only one great ending.

Atticus is a creepy point and click adventure with extremely well made graphics. The player plays as Professor Price, who is looking for a way out of this hellish mansion. This point and click is timed, so watch out for the clock. There are quite a few monsters in this game, but there are also many places to go, lots of puzzles to solve, and amazing graphics to look at. I am a sucker for great art, as well as point and clicks so this game was right up my alley. It is spooky, Halloween-y, and pretty dang challenging at times. Check it out for yourself!

Hold my Hand is a Hansel and Gretel type story where two children are left in the woods by their parents. These children then hold hands as they go through the woods. The forest is pretty scary at night; there are monsters and sticks and darkness. It is also well known that a witch lives in this part of the woods. Do not believe your eyes in this game, for the things one sees in the woods, may not be what it looks like. The player must keep hold of their sibling and find a way home through this evil forest. As a person who studied fairytales, I really enjoyed this variation.

The Asylum Jam has many other creepy and scary games that you can check out for yourself!

#HalloW #WitchHunt #Blossom #SavingZoey #TheCall #Atticus #HoldmyHand #AsylumJam #Jupiter_Hadley