Is it just me, or has 2025 been an incredible year in gaming? Clair Obscur will likely lead to the resurgence of bold turn-based RPGs. Perhaps Midnight Special, a gorgeous yet harrowing survival horror title, can keep its genre’s torch burning bright! Published by Yahaha Games and developed by Scared Stupid, Midnight Special is an Early Access game that pays homage to the likes of Clock Tower and Resident Evil!
If the trailer hadn’t sold me, the game’s Steam description certainly would’ve! “Welcome to Midnight Special, a point-and-click survival horror game drenched in 16-bit pixel art and 1980s retro dread. On a thunderous night in 1987 in Maine, you awaken in a labyrinthine manor. You must click, explore, and solve puzzles to escape. Will you go gentle into that good night?”
Currently, Midnight Special is enjoying a “Very Positive” Steam consensus with many applauding the game’s ambitions, puzzles, and aesthetics. “You really feel isolated playing this. There’s no hand-holding, barely any dialogue and yet everything feels heavy. Every creaking floorboard or flickering light matters. The subtle horror here is so well done. I wouldn’t mind a sequel or even a spiritual follow-up, because this world deserves more,” one reviewer wrote. I’m always on the prowl for more “classically-minded” survival horror games!
‘midnight special’ has all the tools to become a survival horror nightmare (in the best way)
It’s no secret that I’m a connoisseur of weird, ambitious survival horror/general horror experiences. Hell, I’m one of Harvester‘s eternal defenders and proud apologists. However, Midnight Special doesn’t seem to need much defending. As it stands, the Early Access title will be split into four episodes with the first one, “The Pilot”, available now for $10! If you need an extra nudge, the game’s itch.io page has a free demo you can play (though I always encourage supporting indie devs whenever possible)!
- Classic Point-and-Click Survival Horror — Explore a foreboding environment filled with chilling surprises, puzzles to solve, and secrets to uncover.
- A Tribute to Retro Horror — Influenced by ’70s and ’80s horror cinema and ’90s gaming, Midnight Special blends nostalgia with heart-pounding suspense.
- Atmospheric 16-Bit Graphics — Gorgeous handcrafted visuals capture the eerie, cinematic tone in stunning pixel art.
- Psychological Thrills — Question everything as reality twists and warps around you. Can you trust what you see?
- Immersive Audio Design — An immersive, spine-tingling soundtrack and unnerving audio cues heighten the tension with every step you take.
For me, it’s easy. I see innovative indie survival horror games, I give them the spotlight they deserve. Stay tuned — I plan on writing something more detailed soon as I take the plunge into Midnight Special!
The post ‘Midnight Special’ Is a Horrifying ‘Clock Tower’-Inspired Survival Horror Game I’m Eager To Experience appeared first on VICE.
