Masters of Fear: SCP-087 / The Stairwell

Running from the ghost is pretty terrifying, though, as I have no idea how far you have to go to get away, or if you even can. I managed to keep away from it for about ten seconds in one run, during which it caused weird things to appear to frighten me further. I got caught on some of the background, though, and it killed me. Watching it pick up speed while a jarring sound played through my headphones was deliciously frightening.

Off the topic of the ghost, I really wish the pause system had been removed. It’s my own fault for using it, but the thing shouldn’t be in the game at all. It allows people to take breaks in a game that is built around ratcheting up tension as far as it can without offering any kind of release. The pause system allows sneaky cowards like me a way to steal some breathing room, thus making the game a whole lot more manageable. I don’t know how long it would have taken me to get through it without that function, but it would have been even scarier without it, I know that much.

It does have a few problems for further play-throughs, but for a single horror experience, there is nothing that I’ve ever played that comes close to scaring me more than SCP-087. If you’re willing to go into it blind, its ability to terrify is astounding. It’s true horror without all the bells and whistles, a streamlined experience that fans shouldn’t miss out on. It’s short and it’s free, so you’re officially out of excuses not to try it.

Except for the whole ‘causing chest pain from tension’ thing.

SCP-087 /The Stairwell is free to download on indiedb.

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JoelCouture