Classic slasher-inspired horror RPG with big Clock Tower vibes releases with a free demo and 96% positive reviews

Terror at Oakheart is a brand new horror RPG explicitly inspired by classic slashers from the '80s and '90s, and less explicitly by NES and SNES horror games like Friday the 13th, Nightmare on Elm Street, and Clock Tower. It only just released this week, but it already has 96% positive Steam reviews at the time of writing, as well as a free demo that any self-respecting horror fan would do well not to miss.

Growing up watching classic slashers like Scream, Friday the 13th, and Nightmare on Elm Street and playing games like Clock Tower and Resident Evil, admittedly at way too young an age, Terror at Oakheart is like a return home - a very dark and bloody home, but a home nonetheless. Watching the trailer and playing Chapter 1 via the demo, it's a bit like walking through a haunted house whose actors and props are each inspired by a different iconic horror IP.

I see some of Art the Clown from Terrifier in the masked killer terrorizing the small, rural town of Oakheart. The ability to play as a number of different survivors reminds me of Friday the 13th on NES. The side-scrolling game of hide-and-seek evokes memories of hiding fromScissorman in Clock Tower. The monster being fed the killer's victims looks like something from Stranger Things, etc., etc.

"The side-scrolling, pixel-based game Terror At Oakheart aims to replicate the experience of watching an 80s horror movie," reads the Steam description.

Throughout Terror at Oakheart you'll sneak your way through a number of different dimly lit environments, including a police station, a ranger station, some camp areas, and Teddy the serial killer's own house, left defenseless with only hiding places to prolong your survival. Although, developer Tainted Pact says all of the player characters "will perish horribly at the hands of Teddy." It's unclear if that means we're all screwed from the very beginning or if there's any chance of survival, but the odds aren't exactly stacked in our favor.

Make it a spooky weekend with