The perfect game this Halloween season is…er, mouthwash

Honestly, any time of year is always the best time to consume any type of horror media, but things do get a little different in October. I know it’s also influenced by capitalism, with all these brands trying to sell me decorations and themed candy that I absolutely don’t need, and besides, I’m really into the Halloween season! Horror brings a strange sense of comfort to even the most uncomfortable of movies or games, and when the leaves are turning yellow and the weather is getting colder, it feels comfortable to engage in something similar.

There’s also the question of what to watch or play during this special Halloween season – of course you can choose one of the classics, but personally I can’t think of anything more appropriate and scary than Gargling Yes. Yes, seriously! Okay, just a little serious, because while the act of gargling may be scary to some, the actual video game “gargling” isn’t that scary, but scary in all the best ways possible. Let’s set the scene.

Imagine you’re on a spaceship, one of a crew of five, hauling some kind of cargo across the galaxy, a trip that will take a year (I know it sounds like the original Alien and it’s obvious That’s where some of the inspiration comes from). Then, one day, the worst thing happens – you hit an asteroid, the ship is in disrepair, and although it has enough power to keep the oxygen supply and the lights on, the engine dies. On top of that, you’re completely burned and covered in bandages from toe to toe, while someone else, the real protagonist, has to feed you painkillers so you don’t scream and sink the ship.

This is the core premise of the game, with the crew relying on the few months of rations they have left to complete a hypothetical rescue mission. Early on, you call in to see what you’re actually hauling and find out it’s…just mouthwash. Everything, every box, thousands of bottles of the stuff. So the rest of the game is you learning more about the characters, and what’s actually going on, and how everyone starts to lose their mind.

The game’s atmosphere quickly becomes unparalleled, somewhere between a late PS1 and early PS2 look, where everything feels grungy and grungy – like picking up a controller makes you uncomfortable. You’ll cut back and forth multiple times before and after the incident, helping you understand the atmosphere of overwhelming love for the company (there’s a horse mascot everywhere, and you’ll grow to hate the posters), and how awful it felt over the long haul. time since the accident.

For the most part, a lot of what you’re doing is walking around on the road, occasionally trying to figure things out, and letting people do their jobs, making cakes with water and gelatin. It’s pretty much a walking sim, but it has some survival horror moments that make me more anxious than any other game – when you can make me afraid of a cardboard box shaking, you’re doing something right (you’re You’ll understand when you get to this point).

It’s inspired by Alien, but minus the aliens, I can’t help but feel like it’s almost a forgotten 70s horror classic. Gargle is a game you can tell your friends who just watched Halloween or A Nightmare on Elm Street and want to expand their palette, and it’s one you can’t miss. Pair it with other slightly artsy films like The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (trust me, this is an art film) or 1977’s House and you can’t go wrong.

It’s all wrapped up in this sad but necessary bowing of your head, frustration with your life, gratitude for a business that can’t give you anything less, and the way you’re forced to face it all. A lot of the game is fun, albeit a bit twisted, but you should also expect some strong feelings. Gargling is also very short, only about 3 hours long, so you can really put it on your list of scary Halloween movies for the year. You may never use mouthwash again.