Teleforum: Rewind at Your Own Risk

Hi Spooks,

I hope you’re all keeping safe and warm given the current climate. It often feels like the world’s going crazy, and turning on the news can feel less like staying informed and more like watching a real-life horror story unfold.

If you’re anything like me and prone to existential dread, having something to escape into helps. I go through phases with focus. Sometimes all I want to do is read, other times I just want to disappear into a game or stick a film on and let my brain switch off.

Lately, I’ve been doing a lot of gaming. Horror games, obviously, especially lesser-known titles from small indie developers. I’m planning to talk about a few of them on the blog over the coming weeks, so let’s kick things off with Teleforum.

Developed by Monumental Collab and published by Critical Reflex, Teleforum is a free-to-play, found-footage-style horror game. You play as a cameraman visiting the widow of journalist Walter Martins, who ended his life during a live broadcast of the now-cancelled TELEFORUM. Alongside your colleague Juliana, you try to uncover the mystery behind the tape Walter became obsessed with and the truth behind why he took his own life.

The game leans hard into a gritty, analogue VHS aesthetic, and as you uncover clues you’re rewarded with grainy found-footage clips that sell the atmosphere. Mechanics are simple: WASD movement and basic clicking to select dialogue options, which keeps the focus on the story rather than fiddly controls.

Like Fears to Fathom, it’s a short experience, though you’ll need a couple of hours if you want to unlock all the achievements (for the achievement hounds out there). If you’re looking for neat answers, you might be disappointed as there’s no definitive explanation here, and plenty of room for interpretation. That said, it’s easy to become just as obsessed with the mystery as Walter himself, which feels very intentional.

I wouldn’t call it outright scary, but it’s creative, and you can tell the devs have a real love for both horror and the found-footage genre. The found footage moments are particularly well produced, and the music and sound design do a lot of heavy lifting. 

Think that’s the wrong way love.

For a free-to-play game, it’s definitely worth a try, especially if you’re looking to kill a bit of time. You won’t get closure, but maybe that’s the point. Chasing answers where none exist can be its own kind of horror. 

The developers are currently working on another game, Drowned Lake, which looks more involved. I’ve got access to the playtest and will be giving it a go at some point. But for now, give Teleforum a try, it’s free and absolutely worth half an hour of your time.

If you check it out, let me know. I’d love to hear your thoughts.

Stay Spooky!
👻SG👻

Just Me, Some Lasagne, and Pure Dread

Hello Horror Fiends,

You may recall that a couple of blog posts back I talked about horror games and how some of them can be really impactful. I mentioned not only games I’ve played and loved, but also a few I’m itching to dive into, plus some sitting patiently on my wishlist.

And this is where I talk about Fears to Fathom – Home Alone.

This is Episode 1 of an episodic psychological horror game developed by indie studio Rayll Studios. In the first episode, you play as 14-year-old Miles, whose parents are out of town on business, leaving him home alone. This seems a little weird to me, I don’t think my folks would have left me home alone for a few days all by myself! Anyway…

Right off the bat, I absolutely loved the gritty VHS aesthetic. The sound design combined with the dark, empty spaces really amps up the tension. I played this with headphones on and the volume turned up, and there were moments where my pulse quickened.

Who knew that sitting down and eating some lasagne your mum made could have you thinking, “Holy shit… did I just see that? Should I check?”  and immediately set your heart racing.

I don’t want to give too much away in case you want to play it yourself, but for a short game (around 15–20 minutes), this one really packs a punch. There was a moment where I knew I had to make Miles leave his bedroom, and I was genuinely giggling nervously while saying, “I don’t want to!”

Gameplay is simple point-and-click with standard WASD movement, so you should pick up the mechanics quickly enough, even if you’re new to PC gaming.

Who knew eating Mum’s lasagne could be so terrifying?

I know some of you might be put off by the runtime, but the first episode is free to play. And, from what I can gather, the episodes that follow are longer and more involved. You can buy them individually (ranging between £4.29 – £8.50) or you can save 10% by grabbing them all as a bundle on Steam. Each episode tells a short story narrated by the person who survived it, so the characters and situations are all different!

If the first episode is anything to go by, this series is scarily fun to play alone or with friends watching your every terrified reaction. My husband had the pleasure of witnessing mine, and I think he was surprised by just how much it spooked me.

Short but engaging, smart and impactful, this is a great game for horror fans. I cannot wait to download and play the rest. My husband actually bought me the second episode to play (thanks love). It’s further proof that with the right talent, care and vision, indie studios can create something with more substance and heart than some of the bigger AAA titles!

Have you played this series? If so, I’d love to hear from you. If not, I highly recommend at least giving the first episode a go.

Stay Spooky!
👻SG👻