Our first NYPLarcade Game Club explored the works of thatgamecompany's Jenova Chen. In this six week series, we will look at a variety of horror-themed video games, from the terrifying Amnesia to the utterly bizarre Deadly Premonition to the experimental Dear Esther.

What is a game club? Think of it as a book club, but for video games. Participants will play (and/or watch) from 7-8 p.m. and discuss the game from 7:30-8 p.m. at each session listed below. We will meet in Room 101 of the Mid-Manhattan Library. All events are FREE and doors open at 6:30 p.m.

Download official flier | RSVP (optional)

LIMBO (2010)

Lone Survivor (2012)

Amnesia: The Dark Descent  is a 2010 first-person survival horror game developed by Frictional Games (Penumbra series). It was the winner of Excellence in Audio and Technical Excellence at the Independent Games Festival 2011. An indirect sequel Amnesia: A Machine for Pigs is currently in development and will be a collaboration between Frictional Games and thechineseroom (Dear Esther).

LIMBO is a 2010 puzzle platformer with horror elements developed by Danish studio Playdead.  Eschewing both conventional narrative and soundtrack, the story follows a boy’s lonely quest through the netherworld in search of his lost sister. The title’s striking, minimalist art direction has drawn comparisons to German Expressionism and film noir as well as Edward Gorey and Tim Burton.

Slender: The Eight Pages is a 2012 survival horror game developed by Parsec Productions and was inspired by internet posts on the mythology of the Slender Man. Hide is a 2012 first person horror game with a distinct pixel art style. It was developed by Andrew Shouldice for a Super Friendship Club game jam on the theme of "justice". SCP-087 is an experimental horror game inspired by the fictional SCP Foundation (Secure, Protect, Contain) whose stories are also known as "creepypasta". All three titles were created using the Unity game engine.

Lone Survivor is a 2012 2D survival horror game developed by Superflat Games. Jasper Byrne was responsible for the downloadable title's design, programming, art, and music over the 3-4 years of its development. The end result is a surreal, pixelated nightmare that strongly reflects the author's personality and design sense.

Deadly Premonition is a 2010 open world horror game developed by Access Entertainment. It was designed by Hidetaka Suehiro and has gained a cult following (in spite of its dated graphics and unwieldy controls) due to its quirky dialogue and bizarre narrative twists, which often recall the works of film director David Lynch.

Dear Esther is a 2012 art game with horror elements developed by thechineseroom. It was originally released as a mod for Valve’s Source engine with a story written by Dan Pinchbeck, professor at the University of Portsmouth. A new version, released on Steam this year, features design and art by Robert Briscoe as well as an updated narrative and soundtrack. The title was the winner of Excellence in Visual Arts at the 2012 Independent Games Festival.

Dear Esther (2012)

Please feel free to contact Thomas Knowlton at thomasknowlton@nypl.org if you have any questions. You can also friend NYPLarcade on Playfire and Steam.