The Door in the Basement

What a fun game. It reminds me of Under the Warehouse or BABBDI in terms of vibes. As someone who doesn't love heavy combat or survival aspects in horror games, preferring more of an exploration/walking simulator vibe, I felt that this game was a perfect middle ground for me. I never felt frustrated or stuck on any one part, and I appreciated that there is frequent save rooms. Thats a big one for me with any sort of dying in a game. I didn't feel bored at any point, or feel like the game was adding any fake length to it. A lot of care and thought was put into this. I felt a consistent, uncomfortable tension the whole time, which I need in a horror game. I definitely got jumped scared a few times, and they werent like cheap jump scares it was only a jump scare cuz i hella jumped haha. I didn't have any bugs, complaints about technical aspects of the game whatsoever. The only negative for me was that I didn't like the loading screen between opening doors to another area, instead of just fading to black for a second or just going right through the door, the loading screen would pop up abruptly and it was basically the opening menu of the game for a second. Not a big deal, but it kind of broke the immersion ever so slightly for me. Other than that, I highly recommend this one to any one who relates to my horror gaming personality LOL <3

You follow Ben, a guy who went down to the basement to grab a few boxes. Just as he’s about to pick up the last one, he notices a door in the wall that definitely wasn’t there before. It creaks open as he gets closer, almost like it’s inviting him in. Curious, he steps through and the door shuts behind him. That’s when it hits you. He’s not the first person to end up here, but you’re determined to be the one who finally makes it out. The game leans heavily into atmosphere, so the controls stay simple and out of the way. You’ve got your standard first person movement, plus a sprint that you can use freely, which fits nicely since you’ll be wandering through large, empty spaces. There’s also a crouch for squeezing into tight spots like air ducts, and a basic interaction button. There aren’t any waypoints or explicit objectives, but you’re rarely left feeling lost. Most of the time, the game gently nudges you forward with an obvious path or an open door. When something important is nearby, an icon with an arrow appears to signal that you can interact with it. You’ll mostly see this on doors and on scattered notes that slowly piece together what’s really going on. Those notes double as collectibles tied to an achievement, but the system around them feels a bit rough. Once you read one, it doesn’t disappear, and there’s no real way to track what you’ve already found. You don’t get a clear confirmation either, so it’s easy to second guess whether a note actually counted. Miss one, and you’re out of luck for that run. Since earlier areas become inaccessible, you’ll need to start over if you want to collect everything. The place you’re trapped in is a strange blend of mining caves, sewers, and abandoned facilities. It feels forgotten and uneasy, like it’s been left to decay for a long time. Sounds play a huge role in building that tension. You’ll hear wind echoing through narrow corridors, chains rattling as if something unseen just brushed past them, and other noises that make it clear you’re not alone. And sometimes, that feeling is confirmed in more direct ways, like the presence of giant spiders. You’ll also come across strange men who seem just as lost as you are, wearing nothing but shorts. They feel like remnants of others who passed through the same door and never escaped. Some are hostile and will try to hurt you, while others are calm, and only telling you not to worry. Even though you can take damage and die, whether from enemies or a bad fall, it never becomes too frustrating. Threats are used sparingly, which helps keep them effective without becoming overwhelming. You can also survive a fair bit of damage, and if you manage to put some distance between you and danger, you’ll slowly recover. Saving is handled through safe rooms marked by distinct doors. You’ll usually encounter them just before more dangerous sections. Inside, there’s not much besides a board covered in wanted posters and a tape recorder that acts as your save point. You get multiple save slots, which is helpful if you want to backtrack for missed notes. Even if you don’t bother, the game only takes around two hours to finish, so starting over doesn’t feel like a huge commitment. Visually, the game uses modern tech but overlays it with a subtle pixelated filter that gives everything a slightly retro feel. It’s a nice touch that adds character without going overboard. You can still make out details clearly, even if the environments themselves are fairly minimal.

Доволі коротенький хорор, щось типу дуже напруженого Backrooms. Приємна увага до деталей та різноманітності оточення. Непоганий сюжет, який добре доповнює атмосферу безнадійсності.

A little late to make this review, just finished my second playthrough of The Door in the Basement. This game was liminal space horror before liminal spaces. There is a reason I came back to it. Expert atmosphere. The visuals and sound design aggregate to such an immersive experience. Very well polished, satisfying, and spooky. The scares are expertly crafted as well. An absolute gem.

Game has not aged well, lots of buildup just to fall flat on its face, most important characters seen and mentioned you will only see for that moment then everything else is just long hallways of noise. At just over 2 hours of playtime the game just turns into a walking simulator with very brief encounters that require running away, to which of course you can outrun everything it'll throw at you alongside a very forgiving checkpoint system incase you do manage to die. Hard pass on this one, just watch a playthrough on youtube and save yourself the money.

Enjoyed playing through this game. A few jump scares with a creepy atmosphere. Nice short game for the weekend :)

Un juego muy interesante de terror, 100% recomendado, me recordó a Limbo pero en primera persona.

Pure trash.

I would recommend this game.