Play With Me

Clowns are a pretty common phobia amongst people, especially after Stephen King came up with his famous masterpiece, It. Hence, there are many examples of video games or movies that use clowns in terrifying roles instead of presenting them as the cheerful entertainers that they really are. On the other hand, it’s not difficult to see why people find them unnerving and weird.

Play With Me is a first-person horror game in which your goal is to walk around a dark and creepy house while trying to avoid the nasty clown that resides in it. The experience is that much more engaging if you happen to have an Oculus Rift, because the game is designed to run in virtual reality and cause a lot more psychological damage than on a classic screen.

As such, you start with little to no explanation regarding the place you have to explore and the reason behind it. There’s no need for a grand story, on the other hand, because the game’s only purpose is to scare you to bits as many times as it can. Hence, your only mission is to walk around and go from room to room in an attempt to keep your sanity.

You can also collect birthday candles along the way for some reason, although it’s difficult to say what their purpose is or whether they even have one. It’s something to do, however, since it would be pretty boring to just walk around aimlessly. The candles also have triggers attached to them that keep the experience engaging, as do the doors once you interact with them.

The graphics are nothing to write home about, but the designers used darkness quite effectively and managed to create a nice atmosphere in the process. The clown’s animations are top-notch as well in most cases, which adds to the experience. Even the sound effects are great, so you can rest assured that the whole game is working tirelessly to keep you on edge at all times.

In the end, Play With Me is definitely not a deep horror game that leaves marks on your subconscious for years to come, but it can scare the bits out of you for a few minutes. Hence, if you enjoy being horrified by clowns and maybe even have VR headset lying around, this can certainly provide you with a bit of fun.