As someone who grew up in the ’90s, I remember chatting on MSN Messenger, downloading strange freeware from message boards, and the feeling of staying up late playing a horror title on a CRT monitor. From the start, the concept behind Among Ashes resonated with me—a game about playing an obscure horror title in the dead of night in the early 2000s. Its rough nature and unique take on the subject worked in a strange but effective way, creating a strong sense of time and place for the fictional events.
While not everything worked, and it felt a bit too influenced by games like P.T. in its later sections, the concept behind Among Ashes held up. I can’t wait to see what the developer does next. Among Ashes has a strong start, jumping into a Doom-style game called Demon Blood that effectively captures the feel of the era. This is interrupted when your friend Mark sends you a message about trying a new horror game he’s found. Sitting alone over the holidays with nothing better to do,... Read more