Nowhere Preview: A Promise For Something Better

When it comes to survival-horror games on Steam, it can be difficult for indie creators to stand out from the crowd and define what makes their take on the genre unique from the plethora of alternative experiences on the storefront. Midnight Forge'sis the latest game to attempt to carve out its niche in a hyper-competitive market and, if the demo is anything to go by, it could have a profound effect on players. Unfortunately, the preview build is incomplete and barebones, making the idea of far more compelling than the actual game.

is a psychological horror set in a remote Norwegian forest where players are tasked with tracking down a group of missing campers. While wandering through a spooky woodis enough to appeal to most horror fans, Midnight Forge goes the extra mile by leaning into Norse mythology for a creative twist, resulting in a theme that's closer to the underrated film than the more mainstream . Initially walking into the area is daunting given the oppressive atmosphere and feeling that something is lurking just out of sight but upon closer inspection, the demo is unexpectedly tame.

Great horror games can be challenging to find. But maybe the genre's biggest problem is that its best titles are just too difficult to live up to.

is clearly an ambitious project, one that's trying to spin many plates. Perhaps the most appealing part of the game is that it aims to provide an authentic detective experience that requires players to discover their own clues and make connections themselves. Awkwardly holding down a button brings up an «Evidence Board,» an interactive element that can be used to place photographs and write notes about hypotheses and potential solutions. Trusting the player to engage with the game is appealing from a puzzle perspective, but it's difficult to know how it'll be realized in the final version.

The early build of shows glimmers of the system in action but without any kind of guidance or tutorial, it's impossible to know whether it's