Today, developer Vertical Reach and publisher Armor Games announced their new psychological horror The Tartarus Key. The heavily stylistic thriller seems to fall right in line with the popular indie game trend of reminiscent low-poly graphics (much like the upcoming El Paso, Elsewhere) with a wiggly, unsettling twist.
Inspired by titles such as Alone in the Dark and taking hints from escape-the-room puzzle games, The Tartarus Key puts players in control of Alex Young, a woman who awakes in a locked mansion under constant surveillance. Guided only by a cynical voice on the other end of a walkie-talkie, she begins her escape from her horrifying surroundings. As Alex works her way out she begins to realize that there may be more to the mansion than some weirdo behind a camera as stranger and more chilling events unravel.
The title is set to feature three different endings that are reliant on player choice, giving gamers a chance to explore every corner of the mansion and save (or abandon) their fellow captives they meet along the way. Players will need to rely on brains over brawn to help Alex survive as they navigate the various rooms and puzzles of The Tartarus Key. Leonor Parra, the founder of Vertical Reach, has stated that she “hates jump scares and vowed to make a game that’s downright spooky without them.”
The game’s publisher, Armor Games, has reached great acclaim in the past as a popular portal for flash gaming, but in recent years has branched out to traditional gaming. It will be interesting to see if they can help indie developers get their games in the hands of more gamers as they emerge as a publisher of ‘full-size’ titles.
The Tartarus Key will release on PC via Steam. Currently, the release is set for some time in 2022.
Are you excited to make your great escape from the horrifying mansion of Armor Games and Vertical Reach’s The Tartarus Key? How do you feel about the revival of polygon style, early 2000’s graphics? Sound off in the comments below!