Back when you were little, did you have this mysterious but creepy neighbor who lives by himself? And you wanted to take a peek — nay, sneak — inside his house to see what secrets he's hiding? Very tempting for our childhood curiosity, no?
That is the premise of Hello Neighbor, a new stealth horror game developed by indie game developers tinyBuild and Dynamic Pixels.
Expect no Resident Evil or Five Nights At Freddy's or any horror game riddled with jump scares and grisly creatures. This game's charm is wrapped in cartoonish graphics to disguise the anxiety that dwells inside.
The game is slated for Summer 2017 release for Windows PC.
A Horror Game For Mischievous Cowards
The game is clearly meant for kids — or kids-at-heart. It taps into our childhood suburban paranoia regarding suspicious neighbors. And the curiosity and voyeuristic pleasure we derive from discovering them.
The goal of the game is simple: sneak into the basement of the titular neighbor — a mustachioed gentleman with a preppy college vest — and discover the secrets he's hiding.
This voyeurism-espionage evokes shades of Master of Thriller Alfred Hitchcock's Rear Window. In the movie, the main character spies on his suspicious neighbor, convinced that he is guilty of murder. In Hello Neighbor, the player spots his neighbor hiding something and is convinced that it is something of great secrecy.
Sneak In, Hide, Steal, Escape!
Hello Neighbor's objective seems simple: break in and get out. But it is not a cakewalk. Along the way, the player will encounter environmental puzzles. After all, one does not know the layout of the house, or how to unlock the doors, or where he hides his keys, or how to get them from him.
So it takes more than a brave heart to sneak into the creepy nemesis' lair. It also involves a lot of cunning and fast-thinking. In the gameplay trailer, we see a lot of tactical moves to outsmart and outrun the neighbor. There's a lot of hiding, misdirection and quick running.
Of course, the player will sneak in when the neighbor is not there. The neighbor can sense what the player is up to. The AI will be intelligent according to developers. Thus, it can learn from its mistakes, learn the player's moves and counter them.
The Thrill - And Horror - Of The Chase
The game's horror stems from the anxiety it causes when one sneaks in and try not get caught. There are no jump scares, no screams, no nightmarish creatures trying to kill the player.
Just an angry neighbor.
Yes, he will run after the player and therein lies the heart-pumping thrill. Some people might scream in mischievous delight (in angering the neighbor). But some of us might shiver in cold sweat because anytime the neighbor could be just behind.
Sounds like spooky fun.
