The Spookening is a premium adventure game that focuses on horror elements. This game from Modesty, tagged by its developers as a scare-em-up game, lets you play as a ghost who is caught in a cycle of life and death. Haunt the people of Clifftown and harvest their “Soular Power” to break the cycle and resurrect yourself.

Visually, The Spookening features a world that is inspired by Tim Burton films, also using a retro 3D aesthetic. It’s similar to MediEvil, The Nightmare Before Christmas, or Chex Quest HD. Its simplified and child-friendly gameplay objective also makes it reminiscent of Poi.

A ‘soular’ powered experience

The premise of The Spookening mostly revolves around one man’s quest to bring himself back to life. It may sound simple, but this actually expands into a layered gaming experience. The game offers a variety of citizens to scare and interact with. There are also rules governing the world beyond, which will help you grow and be more effective in your job. These elements make the game enjoyable for hours.

In terms of design, it features 3D environments with gothic fantasy and horror elements that fans would immediately associate with the works of director Tim Burton. The game is played from a 2D, top-down perspective, and it maintains depth and texture across the town, the characters, and even the skills you use. Also, the smooth movement and transition between camera angles are also commendable.

Lastly, the game requires a bit of creativity in order to maximize the scare factor you provide. You’ll need to mix up tactics and skills to catch them off guard. However, scare them too much and it’ll be to your disadvantage. WIth 20 levels, it easily justifies the price tag if the content volume is your concern—although it becomes repetitive halfway through.

Have fun scaring people

For an indie horror game, The Spookening offers more content than what is usually available. It has 20 levels, a variety of characters, powers, and challenges, and an instantly recognizable aesthetic. The levels can start feeling repetitive, but the story and the powerups give you incentives to continue playing, not to mention the gameplay mechanics that will require focus and balance. Fun and slightly challenging, it’s worth the price.