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- Hidden Track
- Hidden Track
- Hidden Track
- Hidden Track
SHUT IN
Released On: Oct 30, 2020
78
User Score
Available after 4 ratings
tbd
All Platforms
Metascore
Generally Favorable
Based on 6 Critic Reviews
78
67% Positive
4 Reviews
4 Reviews
33% Mixed
2 Reviews
2 Reviews
0% Negative
0 Reviews
0 Reviews
Metascore
Generally Favorable
Based on 6 Critic Reviews
78
67% Positive
4 Reviews
4 Reviews
33% Mixed
2 Reviews
2 Reviews
0% Negative
0 Reviews
0 Reviews
Shut In captures these unprecedented times in a small but unique package. With depth far beyond the initial on-the-surface horror story, this experience taps into the evocativeness of a mental health crisis, and the commentary it makes on the dread suffered by those with mental illnesses is powerful. It isn't all deep, though. The narrator successfully plays on the Undertale vibe and the comedic elements within such a tonally dark tale come across very well.
I call BS that this game is, as its marketing claims, a reaction to
Covid-19 lockdowns. It has nothing at all to do with that, and I
suspect was thought of beforehand. But it’s definitely about the
crappy horror of anxiety and agoraphobia. And as I say, it’s actually
about it, rather than some beacon of hope within it. Or it’s just a
mean super-short horror game in which you’re repeatedly mocked, both
by unfair deaths and a very horrid narrator.
Shut In is a short but intensely atmospheric side-scrolling pixel art horror adventure that nicely builds dread, tension and intrigue whilst also cleverly exploring the everyday difficulties that living with depression and anxiety can bring.
A psychological horror game full of puzzles that make you afraid to do anything in your house, including getting out of bed. The game deals with depression, isolation and how that affects your inner dialogue and feelings.
Shut In had to grow on me. I spent an awful lot of time frustrated with it before I considered its original angle of conveying the emotions (or lack thereof) felt during quarantine, and that new perspective allowed me to look past the otherwise annoying issues. If you’re looking for a commentary on the effects of the pandemic on an already fragile psyche, Shut In just might be up your alley.
Shut In is a short experience with a price to match and it's one that I mostly enjoyed. That said, I do have a particularly dark sense of humour and was able to separate the game from my own mental health struggles. The tone here is so mocking that it won’t be for everyone and I’m still in two minds as to whether it is hoping to raise awareness or simply using mental suffering for entertainment. I’m inclined to give it the benefit of the doubt, but your mileage may vary. Unlike our current situation, this is one period of isolation that isn’t mandatory.
User Reviews
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Summary SHUT IN is a short dark comedy/psychological horror adventure game which explores depression and isolation by trapping you inside your own house. Explore a hostile home, solve puzzles, and withstand sarcasm from a rude and unreliable narrator. Idiot.
Platforms:
- PC
Initial Release Date: Oct 30, 2020
Developer:
- Cael O'Sullivan
Publisher: Hidden Track
Genres:
