Horrorcore review

🧟 Game Overview

Title: HorrorCore: Labyrinth and Pools of Horror,

Developer & Publisher: airem

Platform: PC

Release Date: 14th Feb 2025

Genre: psychological horror / walking simulator

Paid or Free? - £2.71 but I was gifted

Where to Play: steam

💀 My Rating (Out of 10)

⭐ 6/10

🕹️ Game Description

Welcome to HorrorCore: Labyrinth and Pools of Horror, a game that takes you on a journey through a disturbing, dark world full of tension, fear, and unexpected solutions. Inspired by the iconic Backrooms and horror classics, the game will immerse you in a labyrinth where every room could become a trap, and unknown entities lurk in the darkness, waiting for your mistakes.

Quick synopsis of the story 🏚️

As an amateur photographer, you decide to visit the newly opened museum dedicated to internet creepypasta legends. Among the exhibits is the legendary painting "Forgotten Halls," said to hide dark secrets. Fascinated by the history behind the artwork, you decide to capture its image through your lens. However, shortly after entering the museum, you begin to notice strange changes the surroundings become increasingly unreal, and dark shadows seem to come alive. Soon, you realize the museum is not what it seems, and lurking around every corner is something you can't capture in a frame. You must unravel the mystery of "Forgotten Halls" and escape before you become part of its eerie history.

Main gameplay mechanics 🎭

Turning Points in the Dark – brief flashes from the camera that reveal a terrifying reality.

No Flashlight – the camera’s light is the only way to uncover the truth, but each use of the flash leaves you in total darkness.

Dark, Tense Atmosphere – gameplay in the dark, where every step could be your last.

Two Unique Modes – The Normal survival mode and Exploration, where there’s no pressure, but fear is just as real.

Steam Features – The game offers Steam Achievements to track your progress and unique accomplishments, Steam Cloud for saving progress and continuing your game across different devices, Steam Leaderboards for comparing your scores with other players, and support for gamepad controls, providing an alternative way to explore and survive.

Game Options: Disable Flicker (where the light simply shines for about 2 seconds before fading away), in-game brightness adjustment, language selection, voice acting options, control customization, as well as detailed graphics and audio settings. These options allow you to tailor the gameplay experience to your preferences, ensuring an immersive and comfortable environment whether you're adjusting visual effects, sound levels, or how you interact with the game.

Unique features 🩸

In this world, you won’t find traditional light or a flashlight. Your only hope is a camera, or more precisely, the camera flash. This brief, blinding light allows you to momentarily unveil dark secrets, but when it fades… you’re left in total darkness, filled with terrifying sounds that seem to emerge from the depths of hell itself.

👁️ My Thoughts

The eerie museum setting is definitely creepy, and the camera flash adds a twist to exploring the darkness. The sounds used are on brand and definitely made me feel on edge .The game did a great job of making me feel uneasy at all times.

The only thing id say is some areas can feel a bit repetitive even tho not the same style throughout I found myself confused alot to what's going on and navigating in semi/total darkness might not be for everyone. The story is interesting but it leaves you a little confused.

Overall, this is a good horror experience with a chilling mood .If you enjoy psychological horror and don’t mind a bit of challenge, it’s definitely worth a try!

🔧 What I’d Add/Change

Add more to the story I definitely think that could be played on more

Suggested improvements 🛠️

There seemed to be two different voices playing when reading the notes and I'm unsure if that's meant to be or an error. But it made it hard to know what was being said to me.

Any missing elements? 👀

More jumpscares I felt like the jumpscares lacked alittle

🔗 Where to Get It

https://store.steampowered.com/app/3440410/HorrorCore_Maze_and_Pools_of_Horror/