From time to time, I check out the game demos on Steam to see if anything peaks my interest. Frequently I’ll find a little game that, after looking it over, I end up adding to my wishlist. Most of these games tend to be lighthearted puzzle games, fantasy or science fiction RPGS, or the ever-growing list of survival games coming out.
Rarely do I add a walking simulator to my list. However, this one was so bizarre, and reminded me so much of something H.R. Giger would have dreamed up, that it ended up there.
The game is called Necrophosis. By the developers Dragonis Ares and Adonis Brosteanu, this game is tagged as Lovecraftian, Surreal, Walking Simulator, and Mystery.
The description of the game, from the Steam Page, reads –
“Necrophosis inspired by Zdzislaw Beksinski is a chilling first-person horror adventure, plunging you into a nightmarish realm teeming with grotesque forms and ominous visuals. Delve into eerie landscapes and uncover secrets in this atmospheric journey through the macabre.“
I had never heard of Zdzislaw Beksinski before, so I looked him up. He was a Polish painter, photographer, and sculptor born in 1929, specializing in dystopian surrealism. And, might I add, he did it quite well.
From the 1960s to the 1980s, he entered what he referred to as his ‘fantastic period,’ focusing on surrealistic, detailed environments of death and decay. Despite the grimness of his work, he insisted many of them were optimistic and was uninterested in hearing interpretations, even going so far as to leave his works untitled.
Like Giger, I wouldn’t call his art pretty, and I wouldn’t hang it on my wall. But also, like Giger, I can’t help but be drawn to many of his pieces. I found myself staring at them for some time in contemplation, wondering what he was thinking as he crafted each piece.
Inspired by Beksinski’s haunting visions, Necrophosis captures a similar sense of grim fascination. In the demo, you’re dropped into the story with very little knowledge of who you are or why you’re there. You have to figure out how to navigate this desolate world of death and decay, where everything that is has already perished and even death itself can die. There aren’t even enemies to fight; you are truly alone in your isolation.
After stumbling around for a while, missing obvious clues as I stared at the dark, graphical feast in front of me, I finally started to pick up the gameplay, just in time for the demo to end.
I was relieved. I wanted more. I needed to know why this world was the way it was. How far into the future was this reality, and was it truly the end of time?
Now, I find myself reflecting on what I experienced in the game so far and eagerly awaiting a release date so I can continue exploring this unsettling terrain. Despite Beksinski’s insistence that he didn’t know the meaning behind his art, I find myself yet searching for some glimmer of it in both his work and the world of Necrophosis.
If the whole game continues as it began, then I highly recommend it for people who love darkly atmospheric simulators that leave you pondering life, mortality, death, and all that comes after.
And if you want to see more, I’ll be streaming the demo later today at 7:30 pm EST on YouTube and Rumble. I welcome you to take the journey with me, and perhaps you too will find yourself wanting to know more.
Until next time …
Ms. Bella's World 