Dread X is a new distribution platform for indie horror videogames

April 9th 2020, 2:46pm

Last Updated on July 30, 2021

It was seismic when it was discovered famed horror director Guillermo Del Toro ( PAN'S LABRYNTH) and famed videogame director Hideo Kojima (METAL GEAR SOLID) were working together on the new SILENT HILL game, SILENT HILLS. That hype got magnified when P.T. was released, which was a short (but dense) interactive teaser for the game that was well-received as a standalone thing – even moreso when Konami cancelled the SILENT HILLS project altogether, and P.T. was the only remnants of its existence.

However, the fact that a teaser could be that popular and influential, as well as be a good showcase for innovation, gave Epic Pictures the idea to create DREAD X, a new distribution platform for indie horror videogames. Basically, they have amassed a pool of talented indie developers, such as David Szymanski, who made the game DUSK:

Everyone's asleep, post whatever the heck this is pic.twitter.com/g3M9lA6vgT

— David Szymanski (@DUSKdev) April 8, 2020

Torple Dook, who worked on EARL'S DAY OFF:

Here's another sneak peek of progress on the secret project. More info coming soon™? so keep them eyes peeled!
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????Turn that sound on!????#IndieGameDev #MadeInUnity #LowPoly #BloodMagic pic.twitter.com/lIgd9UhEuZ

— Torple Dook (@TorpleDook) April 9, 2020

And Airdorf, who made FAITH:

???? #indiedev #gamedev pic.twitter.com/96etwF06Ja

— Airdorf ???? (@Airdorf) April 7, 2020

Among other great indie videogame developers, to work together in a sort of "game jam" environment, and create ten videogame teasers similar to P.T. in terms of unique, short virtual horror experiences. However, they won't be like P.T. exactly, in terms of style, visuals, or anything like that, as Ted Hentschke – Editor-in-Chief for DreadXP (Epic Picture's gaming website) – says, "there's a lot of P.T. rip-offs out there" but rather in spirit, as according to the THR report, the types of genres the game teasers would be are varied, and include things like, "an RPG (role-playing) card game; a game in the style of a 1979 Tiger Electronics (toy manufacturer) game that you would see sold at Target; and a shooter".

Not going to lie, this all sounds pretty cool! Since games are so labor and time-intensive, it's nice for smaller developers to be able to show off their unique voice and talent with quick, short experiences in one package – not unlike how short films or short stories do the same with film festivals or anthologies.

Meanwhile, you should be seeing these games on Steam and itch.io later this month for $7, with a portion of the profits going to the Doctors Without Borders charity.

So what do you guys think? Does this sound appealing to you? Either way, sound off below!