Halloween might be months away, but the time is always right for more horror games! The Swiss Arts Council Pro Helvetia, under the SwissGames banner, are headed to GDC, and they’re bringing a swath of spooky, scary, and downright disturbing indie titles to thrill and terrify players.
Manage a mental asylum in the creepiest era ever — the 1920s — in Sanatorium – A Mental Asylum Simulator from Zeitglas. Experience the absolute dread of combining two terrifying scenarios — a looming exam you didn’t study for and being stalked by a 90’s inspired slasher — in Don’t Be Estranger from Naraven Games. And finally, developer natsha invites you to take a relaxing bath… while also delving into a series of hallucinatory horrors in the mind-bending and unique Psychotic Bathtub – The Story of an Escalating Mind. And Ducks.
All three studios will be attending GDC as part of a SwissGames delegation that includes 15 Swiss developers spanning a wide variety of genres. If you’re heading to GDC and want to speak to them about any of their titles, simply click the link below and book a time to see the developers in person!
Zeitglas
Sanatorium – A Mental Asylum Simulator
Description: Set in a fictionalized 1920s where pseudoscience trumps legitimate psychiatric treatment, Sanatorium – A Mental Asylum Simulator puts players in the shoes of a newly-recruited doctor without a medical license, working at the asylum with the ultimate goal of bringing their dear Auntie Patty home safe. As the doctor, you will use patient files, charts, and symptoms to diagnose and treat the mentally ill. Upon end-of-day evaluations, you will learn which treatments do and do not work for your patients. Prepare for your morals to be tested, as there are two goals to keep in mind: will you honor the Hippocratic Oath in good faith, or will you betray it, knowing that long-term patients provide you with greater financial gain?
Platform(s): PC, MacOS
Trailer: https://uberstrategist.link/Sanatorium-GDC-2023-Launch-Trailer
Naraven Games
Don’t Be Estranger
Description: It’s the night before the big test. You and three of your classmates are panicking because none of you studied. You break into your high school, looking everywhere for the answers to your exam. You hear the school’s doors slam. You’re trapped and a killer is trying to murder all of you. Don’t Be Estranger is a short comedy horror tribute to the ‘90s era of slasher movies. It’s a spooky exploration in which you and your classmates use walkie-talkies to communicate and ultimately, make life-or-death decisions.
Platform(s): PC, Playstation and Xbox consoles
natsha
Psychotic Bathtub – The Story of an Escalating Mind. And Ducks.
Description: Psychotic Bathtub – The Story of an Escalating Mind. And Ducks. is a multi-linear, fictionalized narrative game that features Ophelia, a woman suffering from a psychotic disorder. This decision-based game relies heavily on making the right choices, as the outcomes of each decision become gradually more severe. By drowning your duck, turning your wine into poison, and flooding the bathroom, this game intends to shed light upon mental health issues and the spiraling pitfalls that certain decisions or habits can lead to.
Platform(s): Windows PC
Trailer: https://uberstrategist.link/Psychotic-Bathtub-GDC-2023-Announcement-Trailer
There are plenty more games coming with the SwissGames team to GDC this year, and if you’d like to interview the devs or check them out for yourselves at GDC, simply book a time slot here or shoot us an email and we’d be happy to coordinate!
