Murder House

Step into the nightmarish world of Murder House, a chilling survival horror game by Puppet Combo that pays homage to the VHS-era slashers of the 80s. Known for their gritty, retro aesthetic and nerve-shredding gameplay, Puppet Combo delivers a terrifying experience that will test your courage and push you to your limits. The story begins innocently enough, with a small TV crew preparing to film a local news segment at an abandoned house rumored to have a dark and violent history. What starts as a routine assignment quickly descends into chaos as the crew discovers they are not alone. With every corner of the house harboring secrets-and dangers-the players must navigate a maze of claustrophobic hallways, solve puzzles, and evade the relentless pursuit of a deranged killer. The game masterfully blends atmosphere, tension, and jump scares, creating an experience that captures the raw terror of 80s slasher films. The retro PS1-style graphics add to the unsettling vibe, with low-poly textures and dim lighting creating a sense of isolation and dread. The eerie soundtrack, punctuated by sudden, jarring noises, keeps players on edge, ensuring the fear never subsides.

Really my only gripe was the ending at first but the epilogue was very fun and washed out the sour taste in my mouth. The art style as always is stellar and the mood is unmatched. This was the most stressed I've been playing a puppet combo game and then I found the guns and felt like I could take on anyone. I think having both feelings is crucial to horror, the moment you strike back after being scared this whole time. The puzzles were somewhat channeling but not impossible, my blind playthrough I beat it in an hour thirty so that should tell you considering im horrible at horror puzzle games. All in all I found this game for 10 bucks, if you do too it's worth the price.

Murder House is a great short and sweet gem that executes its ideas seamlessly. The titular Murder House is small yet dense with puzzles to solve, doors to unlock, and very good overall horror atmosphere. By the time I'd seen all there was to see in the Murder House I had grown accustomed to the layout and felt a similar comfortability to that of the Spencer Mansion or the Raccoon City Police Department from Resident Evil, which is an inspiration this game wears on its sleeve. Murder House excellently balances it's playtime with clever puzzles, backtracking that never feels overbearing, and loads of nooks and crannies that make it feel like you really are exploring a dilapidated house of horror.

I beat the game in three hours, which is certainly not a bad thing. Horror games are at their worst when they overstay their welcome. Murder House consists of many carefully crafted scares and moments that engage the player and create a very fun and terrifying experience all the way through. I would recommend this game to any classic survival horror fans who are looking to scratch that same itch. Feeling a light to a solid 9/10 on this one.