Welcome to 2023, where the January edition of the DreadXP Dispatch starts things off with a scream. Today, we’re recapping some of the devious recent goings-on from horror games publisher DreadXP. From a new accolades trailer for The Mortuary Assistant, to unsettling content updates for Mirror Forge and Dread Delusion, and a cheeky little reminder about the publisher’s soon-to-launch Red Tape and Sucker for Love sequel.
Viral gaming sensation The Mortuary Assistant took the horror world by storm after its release in 2022, garnering an overnight cult following, a “very positive” review rating on Steam, a feature film adaptation announcement, and the honor of the*gameHERs Indie Game of the Year award for 2022. The game is also now Steam Deck Verified thanks to recent patches!
In lieu of the recognition The Mortuary Assistant has received, DreadXP created an accolades trailer showcasing just some of the many positive quotes this title has garnered. Through this trailer, we invite you to take a look at some of the macabre and dreadful things that made The Mortuary Assistant such a breakout success.
First-person multiversal survival horror game Mirror Forge recently received its Version 1.1.2 Update, a patch with a myriad of bug fixes and quality of life improvements. Through the lens of a former doctor with a traumatic past, solve puzzles, explore an atmospheric world, and survive horrifying entities both seen…and unseen.
The latest Mirror Forge update adds new scares throughout the game, a Steam Deck native 1200 x 800 resolution option, mouse invert, removed Motion Blur, improved level signposting, and much, much more. Check out the full patch notes here.
Announced earlier this month, Pollaris Studios’ Red Tape takes the idiom and translates it into a full-on bureaucracy simulator about a fallen angel trapped in the bowels of Hell seeking a way back to Heaven. Inspired by Dante Alighieri’s The Divine Comedy, and originally conceived as a Ludum Dare Gamejam entry, players will run, jump, wait in line, and experience all the thrills and thralls of horrific corporate culture first-hand. This all culminates with a meeting with the head honcho himself: CEO of Hell Incorporated, The Devil.
Showcased in Dreadful Dev Diary: Pollaris Studios #01, developer Nathan Gabriel discussed how the Italian poem The Divine Comedy served as inspiration behind Red Tape, and how the team has built out the world of a literal corporate hell. Much like the poem, the deeper the ring, the more severe the sin and the higher level of authorization required.
With a very romantic release date of February 14th, be sure to wishlist this hellishly humorous title on Steam.
The sequel to beloved Lovecraftian dating sim Sucker for Love: First Date is just around the corner! Sucker for Love: Date to Die For features a “Shadow over Innsmouth” spin, where the new protagonist Stardust — an asexual woman — must escape from a rural town overrun with fanatical cultists while being pursued by new eldritch “beauties”.
Sucker for Love: Date to DieFor sets itself apart from visual novels by being an earnest love letter to Lovecraftian horror, ’90s anime, and old school dating sims, seeking to faithfully recreate the most memorable and nostalgic aspects of each. It focuses on the often neglected aspect of Lovecraft’s stories: the tangible madmen and monsters under the effects of gods, as opposed to the eldritch gods themselves.
With Stardust, POC lead developer AkaBaka aims to represent a community that often gets left out of the conversation even in LGBTQIA+ content. Sucker for Love: Date to Die For is coming soon to PC. Sucker for Love: First Date is available now for Windows PC on Steam, Itch.io, and the Epic Games Store, and on Nintendo Switch.
Fans can wishlist Sucker for Love: Date to Die For on Steam here: https://store.steampowered.com/app/2240790/Sucker_for_Love_Date_to_Die_For.
Rounding off this month’s announcements, the retro first-person dark fantasy title Dread Delusion recently received a massive update. Titled the Emberian Update, this content drop deepens the cosmic horror open-world RPG with the addition of a meaty questline, a brand new dungeon, and a number of improvements to the combat system.
Sporting an impressive “very positive” review ranking on Steam, Dread Delusion utilizes a beautiful retro 3D aesthetic in combination with a rich, interactive narrative. With choice as a cornerstone of the title’s mechanics, players will carve their own paths through the game’s quests, whether it is finding a way to heal the world — or simply seek power.
Here’s what critics are saying about Dread Delusion:
- “’Dread Delusion‘ feels like Lovecraft made an Elder Scrolls game.” – Inverse
- “[A] vibrant, bold colour palette and a handcrafted open world,” – PCGamesN
- “Dread Delusion is shaping up to be something incredibly special.” – PC Gamer
- “…Dread Delusion is already very much worth it.” – PC Invasion
And that’s enough bone chattering from us! But stay tuned, this is just the tip of the spooky iceberg. The fearsome folks at DreadXP have a number of announcements this year that are sure to send a shiver down your spine.
Follow and engage with DreadXP on Twitter, YouTube, TikTok, Instagram, and Facebook, and join the community on Discord.
