There's A Game Releasing This Year That's Influenced By Alan Wake 2, House of Leaves, and Power Wash Simulator

As a seasoned gamer with a penchant for the unconventional and a soft spot for psychological horror, I can’t help but be intrigued by Moving Houses. The developer, Gordon Little, has managed to pique my interest with an eclectic collection of influences that range from the surreal to the terrifying, all wrapped up in a cute, seemingly innocuous moving simulator package.

Game developer Gordon Little will launch a new title called Moving Houses on Steam on October 1st of this year. At first glance, the game might seem like a cute moving simulator, but upon closer inspection, it’s anything but ordinary. With tags such as psychological horror and simulation, the description reads: “Moving Houses is a whimsical physics-based game about finding your way forward… or is it? Keep things tidy, be cautious, or cause chaos – the decision is yours. However, beware, not everything is as it seems within this seemingly peaceful household.”

“At some point in everyone’s life, the phrase ‘It’s time to leave my home’ becomes applicable. That moment has arrived for you, whether you’re ready or not. Experience a whimsical physics-based first-person game that metaphorically represents moving on. As you prepare to depart, you’ll sort through your belongings in a relaxed, comfortable gaming environment. The satisfaction of completing task-oriented house packing chores, gamified for your convenience, awaits you.”

The description is intriguing enough as it is for me, but what grabebed my attention was a collection of influences Little shared on his social media earlier this week, listing Mark Z. Danielewski’s debut novel House of Leaves, developer Veddge’s Doom 2 mod My House, FuturLab’s Power Wash Simulator, and Remedy’s Alan Wake 2. These four things combined with the description have my head spinning with the possibilities here, and then seeing Little share that the pitch for the game stated, “We want fans to tell their friends to play this and when asked ‘Why?’ just say ‘The less you know going into this, the better.'”

Additionally, you can find a comprehensive list of characteristics for the game on Steam, which provides a better understanding of its nature.

A fun physics-based first-person experience
Pickup household objects and try to pack them neatly into boxes
Give up, that’s too much work
Just throw stuff around the house
Ok, get back to it
The satisfaction of checking items off a list
Laughter
Confusion
Crying
Horror
Wait, horror? Isn’t this a cute casual game for the young at heart?
Sorry, you heard me, horror.
Oh. Can a kid play this?
Maybe. It gets kind of spooky. And weird. There’s a little blood.
Whose blood?
…
WHOSE BLOOD?
. . .

As a gamer, I can’t help but feel grateful for any title that comes with a content warning, especially when it reads: “This game may not be suitable for unaccompanied children or those who are sensitive. It contains elements of psychological horror that could potentially disturb some players.”

2024-08-18 02:39

There’s A Game Releasing This Year That’s Influenced By Alan Wake 2, House of Leaves, and Power Wash Simulator

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