Tale of Tales: The Path Demo

Horror doesn't have to be just about body horror, blood and jump-scare, as the greatest (or in this case, worst) is the steadily rising sense of dread that gnaws at the back of your mind, making you turn whenever you see something with the corner of your eyes. Such is the style of horror adopted by Tale of Tales: The Path , a psychological horror game about a few girls and their walk through a forest.

You play as a young girl that is walking through the forest hoping to reach her grandmother's house deep within an eerie forest. The demo version of the game lets you play only one of the girls' journey, but even it is enough to send you some chills down your spines. The source of the game's horror comes from multiple sources, but the most obvious is the soundtrack, which is a combination of eerie music and typical sounds you'd expect from a forest at night, all while being in accompanied by sounds that make you feel alone yet watched at the same time.

If the soundtrack isn't enough, then the art style may creep you out, as the girls are designed to look like lifeless dolls themselves, and the presence of ravens as your only companion doesn't help at all either. Clever camera work also plays a role, as it changes angles whenever you toggle between running and walking. as such, whenever the girl is running, the camera positions itself in a way that makes you feel as if you're actually a third party watching her, rather than the camera that's supposed to be her guide.

Any game that manages to send chill down your spines without resorting to cliches such as blood, gore and jump-scares deserves recognition, and Tale of Tales: The Path definitely deserves it.