Vermination

Haunted houses are pretty scary on their own, but they become even creepier if the monsters are not just floating ectoplasm. There are many stories regarding human experiments that involve crossing the DNA of people and animals. Such creations would probably never be acceptable, even if we one day find a way to do it without recurring to the dark arts.

Vermination is a 2D horror game with adventure elements in which you have to solve puzzles and stay alive at the same time, because there’s something following you in the darkness. The game is pretty basic on all levels, but considering the fact that it’s an indie production built using simple tools, the result is quite impressive. Not only that, but you may even get terrified along the way.

The story is quite decent, although it doesn’t involve a very complicated plot. Hence, the main character wakes up in a dark and deserted mansion without any idea of how he got there. To make matters worse, there is blood in the bathroom and a few other bad signs that signify danger. Naturally, you have to get out of the mansion and run away, but not before figuring out what the whole mystery is.

The environments are pretty narrow and linear, which means that you do not have too much freedom to explore the house as you see fit. Almost each room contains one or more objects you can interact with, while others can even be picked up and used in other puzzles. Every now and again, the monster will start chasing you around the house, and you have to run until you find a suitable place to hide.

Granted, it’s not as scary as a true horror game, but it all depends on how familiar you are with the genre and whether you scare easily or not. The pixel graphics are quite pretty and detailed, which is especially visible in the level design. The game also features some well-chosen sound effects, which have the potential to terrify you a little.

When it’s all said and done, Vermination may not cause too many nightmares, but it’s still a pleasant adventure. The story, the graphics and the sound are not bad for an indie production, although the puzzles can get a bit repetitive sometimes.