Atari taps into its horror roots with Haunted House, a roguelite revival of the first-ever survival horror game that made its debut on the Atari 2600 in 1982. Now reimagined as a stealth-horror adventure from Orbit Studio, the minds behind Retro Machina, Haunted House is ready to creep onto PC and consoles on October 12, 2023.
Spooky to its core and riddled with unexpected ghoulish charm, Haunted House draws inspiration from the classic while adopting modern characteristics, creating a unique 2D isometric horror experience where stealth and precise strategy trump the played-out jump scare.
In Haunted House, players take on the role of Lyn Graves, the niece of renowned treasure hunter Zachary Graves. When Lyn learns of her uncle’s disappearance, she and her friends head to his mansion to investigate, but before long, Lyn’s friends are also swept into the shadows. Players will navigate shifting walls, unpredictable enemy encounters, and all manner of ookie-spookie frights to guide Lyn back to her friends and put an end to the eerie ectoplasms that have infested the mansion. Should Lyn succumb to a sinister spirit, she’ll find herself back at the entrance of the haunted house, facing a completely new floor layout and rearranged enemies, guaranteeing a unique experience with each attempt.
Key Features of Haunted House Include:
- All-Ages Thrill Ride: The whimsical, cartoonish art style only thinly veils the chills and thrills in Haunted House! Expertly riding the line between goofy and spooky, the game keeps things rated E with its primarily stealth-based gameplay and light combat sequences.
- Unlockable Characters: As Lyn explores the mansion, she’ll free her trapped friends, who become playable characters you can use to dive deeper into the mansion. Each friend possesses different stats, so depending on who you explore the mansion with, it’ll be a totally new experience!
- Atari Easter Eggs: The game is full of collectibles and lore based on the original Haunted House and other classic favorites from Atari’s golden age.
- Did We Mention Stealth?: With combat de-emphasized, players must focus on stealth movement and solving challenges unseen in the shadows, along with utilizing the arsenal of traps and items at their disposal.
Haunted House is developed by Orbit Studio and published by Atari. The game launches on Windows PC, PlayStation 4 and 5, Nintendo Switch, Atari VCS, and Xbox One and Series X|S on October 12, 2023. To learn more, visit the official website.
Images via Atari
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