Unplayably Broken Horror Calendula Looks Pretty Swish
Curious computer horror
I like the idea of games masquerading as strange and forbidden software. Memory of a Broken Dimension and TIS-100 are explorations of odd computer systems, Deabirth is made by satans and draculas in Hull, and now Calendula [official site] is an apparently broken game which seems to actively resist attempts to play it. Sounds like someone's got a frankenstein dad or two in their CD drive!
Calendula is a curious upcoming horror game by Spanish team Blooming Buds Studio, and its computery chills looks pretty dang swish in this new trailer:
Interesting, that, innit? I'll recap in words for folks who like these squiggly gits (I do).
Calendula looks like it's split into two sections. The first is overcoming its menu system's attempts to keep you out. The screen distorts, displaces, obscures, encrypts, and forbids, turning it into a puzzle game - a puzzle game with an unpleasant amount of blood and hair lurking behind it if you pull the window out the way. That looks like some solid frustrating fun. Then it seems there are 3D 'game' bits, with snippets of first-person antics; I have no idea what happens there.
The idea of haunted games has become popular in recent years, with plenty of creepypasta tales about spooky Marios where EVERYTHING WAS BLOOD or Sonic games where ROBOTNIK KILLED EVERYONE - with a few ROMhacks and other games actually bringing those tales to life. This is far more interesting, though. This I do want to play.
Alas, I'll need to wait until "early 2016", when Blooming Buds plan to release it on Windows, Mac, and Linux. For now, hey, it's having a crack at Steam Greenlight.