"Escape Room: Challenge" was developed by Hainan Star Jump, a studio I had never heard of before. Free to download, 0 krypton gold and 0 in-app purchases, it's the kind of game that just relies on the gameplay to beat your nerves.
To be honest, escape room games have been almost ruined in the past two years. They are all luxurious rooms filled with puzzle-solving props. It seems that games cannot be made without a few high-tech mechanisms. This game goes backwards and throws you directly into an endless, monochrome secret room. Yes, you read that right, it's the kind of fluorescent yellow that makes people feel physiologically uncomfortable and full of cheapness, coupled with the continuous sound of lamp current. The atmosphere is immediately full, much more advanced than those flashy horror scenes, and the sense of psychological oppression slowly penetrates into the bones.
The core gameplay is quite interesting. On the surface it is about escaping from the secret room, but in fact it allows you to do the opposite - take the initiative to catch the "lost souls" who are hiding. This is very to your liking. Who said that the person being chased can only run? I'll just fight back, turn into a secret room hunter, and chase those ghosts after I catch them. There is both the adrenaline rush of escaping and the strategic thrill of pursuit. The rhythm is controlled just right.
What makes me most gratified is that this game is very pure at its core. There is no combat power system, no stamina bar, and no daily check-in. All you face is endless rooms and a growing sense of oppression. The loneliness and despair of a person being thrown into an unknown maze is the essence of this type of game. It doesn't teach you how to use gold to become stronger. It teaches you to use your brain to memorize the path, use your courage to suppress your fear, and use your patience to solve this stupid yellow maze.
The only small drawback may be that the picture is not exquisite and even a bit pixelated, but with the tone and sound effects, it feels unexpectedly interesting. If you like the kind of immersive, pure stand-alone hard-core experience that doesn't force you to socialize and doesn't take out your wallet, I really recommend giving it a try. This game is simply a breath of fresh air among indie games. After playing it, you may have a new understanding of "horror"👏
Okay, that's enough rambling, I have to continue hunting ghosts in that dirty corridor. See you in the comment section if you want to share strategies with me 🚪