Having suffered quite a bit through poorly conceived and produced horror games on the Switch, it has been refreshing that recently I’ve been on a bit of a streak that could at least be considered room temperature. Having been frustrated by too much walking around with too little genuine tension and too many cheap jump scares, I’ve been heartened by recent efforts that have been much more effective in establishing a mood that sticks with you rather than devolving into cheap theatrics.

You’ll start out simply enough as a woman on a journey of some kind, making her way out through the desert in search of both solace and inspiration for her writing. Stopping for the night at a run down motel on the side of the road, you’ll begin to increasingly encounter odd visions, sounds, and a dark presence, lurking at the edge of your senses before it sometimes will strike. What follows blends together elements of adventure, puzzle room-like challenges, and a slow unfolding of backstory elements that help shine light on your character and what she has endured. 

Given that so much of the weight of the game’s story relies on the voice of your main character, her dialogue and the voice acting driving it are both really good. Especially as she reminisces about her former lover there’s a sense of melancholy that helps her feel a bit more real, and that helps maintain interest in the story side of the equation to see things through. On the puzzle side, as you can expect, it’s a bit more of a mixed bag, and there will likely be times where you’ll feel stuck as you wonder what your next move should be. While this isn’t an uncommon issue in games of this type, it can still be frustrating to have to look up a guide to at least get some direction, if not the full key to solving each puzzle.

What you have in the end is a pretty effective overall story with some interesting characters and details that unfold, and a consistent feeling of unease as darkness stalks you. Without being terribly bloody or excessive, it still keeps the tension ratcheted up as you try to work your way through the game’s mysteries. As is often the case with adventure titles, there are likely going to be some bumps in the road where clarity in what you’re meant to be doing can suffer, but I’d say the game does better than most in the space. All in all, for a reasonable price it is compelling and pleasingly creepy.