Transcript

The Horror Games that Haunt Me

From Nexpo · Episode page · Watch on YouTube

· 1 h 30 min · 9,197 words · 106 timestamped sections

This is the full, timestamped transcript of "The Horror Games that Haunt Me", an episode of Nexpo published October 31, 2025 (1 h 30 min, about 9,197 words). It mentions 1 person, work or idea, including Enigma Studio.

What is discussed, and when

  1. – 1:10:00: Enigma Studio

Notable quotes from "The Horror Games that Haunt Me"

Who and what is mentioned in this episode?

Companies & orgs

Full transcript with timestamps

(electronic tones ringing) (computer chimes) (computer chimes) (moody electronic music) - [Nexpo] Three years ago. (thunder claps) (eerie music) You and I dove into the abyss of the Haunted PS1 Demo Disc. A journey through nine unsettling worlds, each telling a story. Each subtly uncanny. And each with a lingering feeling that something was off. It was an experience that explored the genre of something called PS1, or low-poly horror, and while, back then, we kept our sights confined to the Haunted PS1 demo discs themselves; over the years, I've had a stark realization.

(eerie music continues) Game, after game, after game exist out there, emulating the exact feeling of dread that was inflicted upon us by Haunted PS1, and the aesthetic from the PS1-era of gaming. Hundreds of independent horror developers have poured their heart and souls into refining a genre that has rapidly become one of my favorites. And that's because, oddly enough, video games with terrible graphics. I'm talking those where you can just make out what it is that you're seeing. The ones where faces look entirely uncanny, where things linger in the distance, and where silence becomes maddening, can induce a feeling of dread, that I find unmatched.

(dark music) If you can't tell by now, I have an intense love for horror games, and so I figured, tonight, why not do it again? This time, I've played through quite literally hundreds of itch.io and Steam horror games, and have done the impossible task of compiling just five that stand out to me. These are games that tell stories entirely horrifying. Experiences that will stick with you, long after you finish playing them. Grab that candy bowl, shut off those lights, and get cozy. Because this Halloween, you and I are returning to the abyss.

Welcome, my friends, to the Underworld of Low Poly Horror. (dark music continues) - [TV Announcer] We'll return after these messages. All right, guys, before we continue, I'd like to talk about tonight's video sponsor: Zocdoc. Okay, so, we've all been there. Coming across a sudden ache or pain and doing that dreaded Google search, only to find out that we're gonna die within three months. Okay, maybe that was an exaggeration, but you get what I mean. That late-night doom scroll is never fun. Which is exactly why I wanted to share with you guys the magic of tonight's video sponsor: Zocdoc.

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(upbeat music) (computer chimes) "Visit the town of Babbdi, a forsaken district in the outer ring of the megalopolis. Meet its inhabitants and discover how to escape." (PlayStation startup music) You know, it's not often when a game comes along, almost perfectly emulating a nightmare. (foreboding music) Tonight, I'd like to start us off with a game that isn't quite horror, however, it instilled something in me that I can't quite conceptualize. It's a world so dead, yet oppressive. A space devoid of any semblance of authority.

However, constantly, I feel like I'm being watched. Welcome, my friends, to Babbdi. (computer bleeps) We begin our journey in complete silence. We're given no context. No backstory. All we know is that we're nothing but a tiny cog in a much larger machine. (wind howls) (bleak music) Immediately, we approach a man who stares at us blankly. His living situation? Barren. All he has is a table, a chair, a mattress, and a bat. A cold, depressing way to live. Next door, a man sits at a table, staring blankly at a wall, and behind him, another woman sleeps on the floor.

The man explains that he's soon to escape this place. He has two tickets, one for him and one for his wife, and they're going to be taking the next train out of town. Nothing else is explained, and frankly, we have no idea why we're even in here. As we make our way out, we run into another man standing by the elevator. Here, he gives us some more context about the tenants in the previous room, explaining that his wife is asleep because she's sick. "His wife is sick. He needs to leave the city by train. He has tickets to leave Babbdi.

Lucky him." Now, I found this interaction interesting because it sets the tone for what we're about to experience. We have already witnessed these tenants living a dismal life and for this man to claim that he's lucky that his wife is sick because it means they get to leave, where even are we? How bad, truly, is it? After making our way down the elevator and down the path to the city, we happen across a dog playing with... (dog barks) No one. A couple pierces the silence with an argument. And an elderly woman desperately inches her way home.

(wind whistles) (bleak music) In the town of Babbdi, there is no one around to help. Nobody cares that this woman is lugging two bags up hundreds of stairs. Simple acts of kindness seemingly do not happen here at all. Everyone is out for themselves, and it gives rise to a depressing, bleak, and tense atmosphere. Even if we wanted to, there's no option to help her, and so she simply exists here, trapped within this virtual dystopia forever. This theme carries on throughout every facet of Babbdi, and we quickly learn that this city was designed this way on purpose.

It's a brutalist megastructure, intended to make you feel minuscule. To make you stay put. It is the virtual embodiment of oppression, because you could never make a difference within Babbdi if you tried. Again, we're nothing but a cog in a machine. A prisoner that can never leave. After poking around and finding our way through downtown, we happen upon a restaurant with a man named Coach Timmy sitting in the dark alone. He explains that the only way out of town is by train, and through the door sitting right across from him, we finally spot our goal.

Looming over the town's canal, adjacent to a massive dam sits the ticket office, and of course, there's no easy route up there. There are things we're missing. Items we need to find to get there. And so, with the finish line in mind, we're left with no other option but to head back in, to navigate the labyrinthian corridors that await us. (footsteps clacking) (footsteps clacking) (door slams) (muffled people chattering) (gentle pensive music) As we explore, we begin to encounter people in wildly different stages of their lives.

A tenant flees when hearing the sound of footsteps. A girl stares blankly outside of an abandoned church. A group of teenagers make the most out of their situation, dancing their lives away in a sewer, removed from everyone else. And, strangest of all... (footsteps clacking) (wind whistling) Someone's watching us. (ominous music) We make our way back down. This is the only person so far that doesn't look like they're dead inside. After finding a leaf blower and learning that it helps us fly, we scale her building and navigate concrete beams jutting out of its walls.

We're actually getting somewhere here, and maybe, just maybe we can save the others, find some extra tickets, and get that elderly woman out of here? The possibilities are endless. So, let's see what she's got. (feet thumping) (blower motor whirring) (rudimentary synth music) (brooding music) This person... These people aren't real. They're dolls, giving off the facade that Babbdi may have residents that aren't completely dead inside. It's ironic that the one person that I thought would help me is quite literally lifeless.

But not only that. Their faces... Their faces are different. AI-different. Now, this made me think about the entire experience that I've had so far. All throughout Babbdi, I've seen signs displaying text entirely nonsensical. It's almost like AI-generated slop, forming an amalgamation of what it believes to be coherent thought. And this, on top of the fact that nothing about the architecture here makes any sort of sense, with winding pathways leading nowhere, windows that meet concrete walls, corridors with not a single room to enter.

This, this AI generated nonsense... I think that's the entire point here. Babbdi exists in a world so devoid of humanity that whoever constructed it was so focused on expansion, on building up and outward at as rapid of a pace as they could, that they didn't care if anything made sense. Those who planned this likely don't even live here, and the end result is a population so far removed from the arts, from entertainment, from kindness and the little aspects that all add up make us who we are, human beings, that all we're left with are the gray-washed corridors of depression.

Nobody is around to help, and even when you can barely walk, nobody cares to try. With our leaf blower in hand, we make our way back to the canal and up to the ticket booth. Finally, we can make our way out of here. And so, we head in, find the ticket master, and... (person speaks indistinctly) (bleak music) "No more tickets." Cold. Insulting even. We head out, hopeless on ever escaping. (wind whistling) Well, that is, before we spot someone in the distance. (footsteps clacking) (wind whistling) (person speaks indistinctly) (person speaks indistinctly) The woman from the beginning of our journey is dead.

Yet, instead of telling us to give our condolences, all we're told is that we can probably have her ticket. I mean, this helps us, sure, but a woman died. Cold. We return to an apartment now infested with flies. The woman's corpse lies exactly where it's been the entire time. And from here, we're given the ticket. We make our way down, and catch the train, and at last, finally escape the clutches of Babbdi. (bleak music continues) I won't lie. I was not expecting anything like the experience that I got with "Babbdi".

If anything, I was anticipating a liminal platformer, yet what I got was a glimpse into a world so helpless, so dead, that from the second I was dropped into it, I was already ready to leave. "Babbdi" explores the idea of living without any sense of humanity. And journeying through it drives home the fact that nobody in this world cares about anything. Their life situation is terrible, yet not a single person makes any effort to change it. These are people that have been beaten down year after year, trapped in a megastructure that forever wants them to stay there.

I truly don't think that I have ever played a game quite like "Babbdi", and especially not one that comes out of the gate swinging so quickly. This is an experience that I highly recommend for all of you to try. There are so many little interactions, so many people living out their lives in melancholy, and the glimpses we get into their routines, or lack thereof, really sticks with you for longer than you'd think. In this world, you are an outsider. Yet considering what they're eternally confined to, I think that's something I can live with.

(upbeat synth music) (computer chimes) "Your new job takes you to the bottom of a giant pit, where the only thing to keep you company is an old one-way fax machine." (PlayStation startup music) (brooding guitar music)

Welcome to "Descending". A narrative-driven psychological horror simulation by a developer named Leth. In the game, we take on the role of a drill operator, heading into the depths of a massive underground cavern. As we approach the bottom, we discover our living quarters. However, upon jumping out and approaching... (metal creaking and screeching)

There is no way up. Not a problem, though, because we can always call... (ominous music) Straight out of the gate, "Descending" sets the tone of isolation masterfully. If we ever wanted to, if something goes wrong, if anything is down here with us, there is no way to call for help. In this world, we're stranded, and all we can do at this point? (door clunks) (lights buzzing) After heading into our living quarters, we're greeted with the monotonous glow of fluorescent lights compounding an environment equally depressing.

Documents litter the floor around us. Propaganda posters about our work are haphazardly plastered all over. And there's an eerie silence, broken only by our own actions. "Our future is below us", our company claims. And so, with nothing else to do, we grab our instructions from the printer. "Welcome to your new position as a drill operator. You'll have to meet the quota of drilling distance every day. Please punch in using the provided passcode, and familiarize yourself with the control panel indicators. Well, all right. Sounds simple enough.

(keypad clicking) (machine humming) We begin to drill, rapidly meeting our daily quota. We'll soon find that it won't always be like this, though, as the next document informs us that this was merely training. For now, we're off the hook. Our bedroom is open, it claims. "Go to sleep." (door creaks)

(bedsheets rustling) (ominous thumping tone) (fax machine buzzing) (fax machine bleeps) On day two, we awaken to the sound of printing. This time, the guide informs us that gas storms are common in this line of work, and we're to keep the entrance sealed at all times. Below it, another code. And so we get to work. (machine clacking) As the storm wreaks havoc, we're informed of another mechanic, this time centering around the drill's batteries. We're told that once it runs out of power, it's our duty to grab one from the battery storage, and to send it down the borehole.

With this, we follow our instructions, grabbing a battery from the dispenser and making our way down to a newly unlocked area revealing a massive drilling machine. We make our way to the borehole on the left, attach our battery to the crane, and send it down. And hell yeah. I think we've got a... Wait. (drill rumbling)

(fax machine buzzing) (fax machine chirps) "Note 2. The numbers on the indicators sometimes feel made up. I know I wasn't the first operator here, but somehow both drills display a depth like they only just started. Not that it matters much. Must do what I'm told." Who wrote this? And why was it hidden on the back wall? Regardless, though, they do have a point. For such an established operation, starting our work at only 168 meters below our current position is a bit shallow? As we've seen, this drill hauls ass and there were god-knows how many people working here before us.

Either, they were drilling painfully slowly, or something else is going on here. How in the world does this make sense? (ominous tone thumps) (fax machine buzzing) (muffled wind howling) (fax machine chirps) (brooding music) On day three, we're informed that corrosion can give rise to what are called breaches that allow harmful gases to enter our quarters. With this, on top of refilling batteries and ensuring we're reaching the correct depth, we're left to patch up the place, lest we face a sudden death. Throughout this workday and the next, not much of note seems to happen.

We're introduced to temperature and RPM mechanics that we need to keep stable, and are informed that when the drill stalls, we're to manually restart it. Overall, though, the work is very doable. Every day, we're given feedback for our job, all the while being reminded that what we're doing is good for our nation. And, you know, this really makes you wonder. Everything so far has been kept in complete secrecy. Things like our starting depth don't exactly make sense. Where were the holes from the previous gas storms, anyway?

Who wrote this note? And... (door creaks) (suspenseful music) What is this? "Hey Eiron. Hope you're doing okay. They told me that your contract was extended so you won't be back for a while. That's awesome! We're all waiting for you to come back a hero. Your sons say hello. P.S.: Please keep this message hidden. I'd like to keep my job. Also, I heard the management was very angry that you drew something on the water cooler, so maybe cover it up." Eiron is a name that we do not recognize, and as far as we know, there is no trace of this person anywhere down here.

Strange. We make our way in, before finding a note on the water cooler. Upon removing it, we find that it was concealing a code. "4124". We scour the quarters for any inkling of what we can use this on, and as fate would have it, discover a safe locked behind four digits. So, let's give it a go. (safe lock clicking) And bam. Three more notes from Eiron. (paper rustles) "I managed to pull some blank paper out of the fax machine. It gets very lonely down here, so I figured I'd keep a little diary. I'm Eiron! I've been working here for a little while.

I hope I find the deposit very soon, because the shifts are really starting to drag. I keep thinking about the war. I was outside during a storm today, and inhaled some of the gas. I was vomiting for hours afterwards. How can this be right, to do this to someone else? The left drill is slowing down more and more each day. I don't think it's got much more juice in it. What will happen if it stops? They've gotta send someone down here to replace it, right? I can't wait to see some human faces, after being here for so long.

Maybe they'll pass along a letter for me." While these might not seem like much, these notes raise some serious questions. Eiron claims to have been working here for a while. Reportedly, it was so long that he began longing for something as simple as seeing another human's face, yet during all of that time, he only managed to drill to 168 meters below surface? It doesn't add up. Moreover, he claims that these so-called "gas storms" are somehow "done to someone else", and I don't know about you, but to me, it seems like these might not be the natural byproducts of drilling after all.

He knows something we don't, because why would he say it like this? Where are you, Eiron? (ominous tone thumps) (fax machine buzzing) (muffled wind howling) (fax machine chirps) It's day nine, and there is still no trace of Eiron. We wake up, and grab the note from the printer, thanking us for our service to the nation. As it stands, there are no further instructions, and all we're left to do is... (machine clacking)

Another gas storm approaches, and breaches only become more common. We run around, patching holes, while simultaneously watching the drill's battery level, temperature, RPM, and depth. Things are becoming overwhelming, and what started as something so straightforward, is now becoming a chore. Nevertheless, we press onward, serving our duty to someone who we, as a player, have never even seen. However, as we do... (intense rumbling tones) Something goes wrong. (fax machine buzzing) (fax machine chirps) (paper rustles) (dark music) Management informs us that our drill has suffered a catalectic failure, a term that makes no sense in the context in which it's being used.

Regardless, this calls for a manual repair, and so we're directed to head down to the borehole by elevator. Downstairs, we grab the elevator and attach it to the crane that we've been feeding batteries to this entire time, before we jump on, and down. Down we go. (dark music continues)

Now, hang on a second. There are lights? In the borehole? Nobody's been down here, though. So, how is this... (elevator thumps) (dark music) On the floor in front of us, a man lies dead. Electrical nodes hooked up to their back, like a bad science experiment. To his left, batteries containing food. And a shovel. (paper rustles) "My name is Eiron Jaskell. They tricked me. There was no drill. I have to dig to earn food. I pass out and get electrocuted back awake. My head is exploding. I can't die. You did this to me!

And now they've got you." Like the beginning of this journey, our only way back is gone. And all we're left with now is one final task. (ominous music) (bleak music) This entire time, we weren't controlling a drill, and none of what we thought we knew was real. The war, the work, our duty, all of it was a front, covering up one of the most inhumane experiments you can think of. Eiron Jaskell was, at one point, just like us. A man sent into the depths to make ends meet for his family. Someone seen as a hero, taking the work that nobody else will.

Yet, for the entirety of his time down here, he, too, was unknowingly torturing the victim that came before him. The RPMs, temperature, and speed that we were monitoring and manipulating weren't aspects of drilling dynamics. We were, in reality, manipulating Eiron's heart rate to prevent him from going into cardiac arrest. Adjusting the temperature of his cell from a range of 77 to 113 degrees Fahrenheit and feeding him food concealed inside batteries, simply to keep him alive. This is why the drill would slow itself over time.

This is why our depth started so close to surface. This man was digging his life away, sending his body to the brink of death, over and over and over, until it finally gave out. (elevator rattling) (bleak music continues) You know, we didn't yet know it, but from the second we stepped off of that elevator, we were already dead. A hell covered in rust and dirt, that we would never, ever escape. (fax machine chirps)

(upbeat synth music) (computer chimes) "A short horror game about a monumental computer, designed for imitating eternal torment." (PlayStation startup music) "As far beneath Hades as Heaven is above Earth, construction began on the foundation of a great computer. Decades later, the first reality of eternal torment was imitated by the machine. The year is 2009, and the Tartarus Engine was created. Time passed. To prevent workers from exploiting the machine for their personal gain, multiple protective measures were set in place.

Four technicians devise a plan and execute it into the night. There is no such thing as absolute security. (dark music) Welcome, my friends, to "Tartarus Engine". A horror experience crafted by Mike Klubnika, the creator of "Buckshot Roulette". Here, we take the role of a technician named Harper, who, joined by two friends, is on the precipice of harnessing a highly intrusive technology. You see, in their world, a machine was created, something so sophisticated, so powerful, that it can replicate the very fabric of reality itself.

One second in real life? Years inside the Tartarus Engine. It's an unimaginable concept, that carries consequences equally unknowable. (elevator humming) At the outset, we find ourselves in an elevator with our two friends. We're thrown right in the middle of a planned hack of the Tartarus Engine, requiring us to infiltrate the prison it's being stored in. To do this successfully, though, we're going to have to keep our cool. So, hopefully, they don't screw this up. - Circuitry floor. (keypad bleeps) (elevator doors clunking) May I ask where the three of you are headed?

- [Ethan] The control room, sir. - And why is that? - [Ethan] Maintenance check. - And that device? - [Ethan] It's a hard drive. (elevator rattling) (elevator doors clack open) - [Nexpo] God damnit, Ethan. "Hard drive"? For real? (Nexpo sighs) (elevator doors clack open) - [Ethan] All right, Harper. Go down to the lower level and insert the rack to Partition 11. Meanwhile, we'll get everything set up here. And keep it short. You don't have much time.

(elevator doors clunking) - [Nexpo] After the two depart, we're left with the replacement server rack. We're informed to head to the lower level to install it, and so, we pick it up and await our destination.

(dark music) (elevator doors clack open) (footsteps clacking) Considering how long we were heading down, it's safe to assume that this room, while relatively small, is likely one of hundreds just like it. Before us are the end-user contraptions that make up the Tartarus Engine, and sprawling like an alien parasite, its rusted arms jut out from its core, staring its users in the face. These people, these prisoners, are completely comatose. They can't move, they can't think. And while inside the Tartarus Engine, every facet of what makes them human, has been torn away from them.

You know, we've only been here for about 30 seconds. However, to them, it's been 50 years. Entire lifetimes in which you cannot die or escape, until someone external pulls the plug are taking place right before our eyes. It's a torture that I cannot even comprehend, and who knows what this machine has their minds doing, what real prison these people are eternally confined to. At the back of the room is a map, cementing the fact that this room, indeed, is one of hundreds. We are barely in sector Maverick, with god-knows how many floors above us.

And in my opinion... (watch bleeps) Oh, shit. I forgot we're on the clock. Our friends told us to be done by midnight, and we're running low on time, so let's get this done. (door clicks open) After heading into the next room, we happen upon a railcar that leads to the maintenance area. And so, we activate it and set off. (lever clacks) Partition 11, here we come. (motor gently whirring) (bleak music) If there's one thing I've learned through playing Mike Klubnika's games, it's that he has a very refined talent for making you feel minuscule.

This place is so incomprehensibly large that you cannot even formulate a frame of reference as to how far it truly goes. For all we know, this place is endless. A horizon, nonexistent inside its walls. Once we reach our destination, we get to work, unscrewing the bolts, removing the rack, installing the new one, and booting it up. We don't quite know what exactly it is that we're doing, but we have this lingering sense that it's wrong.

No matter. After finishing up our portion of the job, we find our way back to the elevator. It's about that time, so let's see how things are going upstairs. (dark music) (elevator buzzes) (elevator humming)

(elevator doors whooshing) (footsteps clacking) (elevator doors clunking) (door buzzes) (footsteps clacking) - [Ethan] Harper. We are about to calibrate the device in a moment. There isn't much time left. Strap yourself in. (keyboard clacking) - [Nexpo] All right. So, let me get this straight. We are about to willingly sit ourselves down, strap ourselves in, and hand every semblance of our human autonomy over to someone who we as a player barely know. A device constructed with the sole purpose of psychologically tormenting its victims.

A device capable of imprisoning you for what you'd perceive to be forever. What, exactly, are we doing here? With nowhere to turn, we have no choice but to strap ourselves in. To be fair, our friend seems to know what he's doing. I mean, buddy's locked in here. (keyboard clacking) So, I guess all right. Here goes. (footsteps clacking) (suspenseful music) (keyboard clacking) - [Ethan] I've almost got everything set up. - [Player] Which preset are you running? - [Ethan] The one where you peel potatoes. - [Player] Splendid.

- [Ethan] Don't worry. It's just for a moment. I'll pull you out as soon as I get nominal readings. All right. See you in a bit. (machine clacks) (fans whirring) (computer chirping) (distorted air whooshes) (eerie music) (potatoes clatter) (peeler clangs) - [Player] I don't understand. They managed to translate the nature of consciousness into mathematics and re-create it in a digital interface. Yet, they use it for this? What even is this? - [Nexpo] We learn that the Tartarus Engine runs off something called Presets, or realities pre-coded for its victims.

And perhaps that's what we're doing here. Finding one for... (dark music) - [Ethan] All right. Is the image clear? - [Player] Yes. The image is clear. - [Ethan] Good. I am setting up the cascade preset now. Warping in 30 seconds. (computer chirps) Cascading the engine in itself should exponentially increase the 1.2x factor of time dilation. Our consciousness will be stored in thousands of empty voice branches, until we reach the final layer. There, we will have all the time in the world to craft our perfect presets.

- [Player] How long did it take you to write the code? - [Ethan] I did not write it. I found it. (distorted air whooshing) - [Nexpo] Our friend didn't write the code that he now has all three of us locked into. (distorted electronic tones buzzing) - Did it work? - Shit, Ethan! Try to reach for the keyboard! - [Ethan] Why? I can't move. - [Friend] I forgot to disable the automa... (distorted air whooshing) - [Player] It's pulling us out. It's pulling us out, layer by layer. What the hell did you... (distorted air whooshing) (distorted air whooshing) (dark music) - [Nexpo] Layer by layer.

A reality inside of a reality, inside of a reality. Fractions of real-world seconds becoming centuries. And by the time anyone finds us, we'll have effectively lived hundreds of lifetimes over, with no hope for recovery.

(bleak music) "The Tartarus Engine" explores the concept of hazardous technology and its relationship to humanity. If you created a machine so sophisticated, so refined, that it could recreate the very idea of reality itself, how would you use it? Is it wrong to use it for what one perceives to be good, to harness its power to create a life so blissful that it becomes somewhat of a new-age drug? Because, from the outset, that's all we set out to do. To escape from the hell that society had found itself in, only to wind up in a hell much worse.

Blindly trusting our idiot friend is what got us here. He fed us a promise predicated on a lie, and as a result, we're to remain here, forever warping, falling deeper and deeper into the depths of time. And just like the others, we too have become prisoners. A fate worse than death, that we will never perceive to escape. (computer chimes) (distorted air whooshes)

(upbeat synth music) (computer chimes) "A short stop motion archeology horror game, where you have to study an ancient artifact and discover its dark secret." (PlayStation startup music) (eerie music) "The Children of Clay" is a game created by a developer named Balasz Ronyai, and while it's a relatively short experience, the tension they've built is unlike anything that I have ever experienced. In the game, we take the role of an esteemed archeologist, who's gearing up to analyze an ancient artifact given to him by an old friend.

He claims that recently, the two were involved in some sort of caving accident, and the sheer thought of it sends chills down his spine. Regardless, he needs to focus on his work, he claims, and so we're left to get started. (eerie music continues) Our examination takes place at our desk, hidden away at a remote location in the Ural Mountains. Our research books, a candle, and a box of matches sit to our left, while our compass, and a notepad are to our right. Dead in front, a magnifying glass, and the star of the show, our clay statue.

With no instructions, we're simply left to figure things out on our own while this distorted, warped figure stares us with hollow eyes. It resembles a human face, we claim. So, let's analyze it. (statue scraping) We rotate the figure, uncovering other features hidden around it. A tail. Some sort of metal plug. And a set of symbols. Now, the central mechanic of "The Children of Clay" involves manually researching through our textbooks. We can utilize specific keywords like "clay", "metal", "symbols", what have you, taking us to their respective pages with further information.

We decide to hone in on the object lodged in its back and look up "metal", learning that the most common types found in archeological sites involve iron, copper, lead, tin, zinc, and all of their alloys. Out of all of them, though, iron is the only one that's magnetic, and so, we use our compass sitting next to the statue, to find that it, indeed, reacts to it. Upon looking up iron, we find that something called "cold iron" is the specific type with a storied history in mythology and folklore, and further, it's believed to repel, contain, or harm ghosts, fairies, witches, and other malevolent supernatural creatures, leading to various superstitions, centuries ago.

All right, I don't know about you, but after reading this, something tells me that this "examination" isn't the best idea. This thing looks so intensely haunting. It's who-knows how many years old, and there's something very off about it. I'm probably reading too much into it. As we can recall, we jotted down the symbols that we uncovered on its side. And, upon looking them up, we're given a translation table to decode them. These characters read left to right, and translate to this. Letter one. U. Letter two. R. Three. D.

Four. U. Five. N. And six. G. (page flicks) "Urdung is a shape-shifting, demonic creature from early Hungarian paganism. In pre-Christian beliefs, it ruled the lower world, and helped God in creating the Earth. After Christianization, it was identified with the devil. One of the oldest Urdung myths is recorded on the Yugra tablet, found in the Ural Mountains." This sculpture isn't just any other clay statue. It's associated with the devil. It has cold iron lodged into it, and it seems to be concealing some sort of unknown evil.

At this point, it's clear that we're in for much more than we bargained for, and while nothing about our physical environment has changed, there's this lingering tension in the air, ever-growing. We look up information about the Yugra tablet, and are informed of a legend about a star that once fell to Earth. Upon impact, seven inhuman children crawled out of it, before inflicting absolute misfortune upon humankind. Oddly, only six out of the seven children were ever depicted on the tablet itself. However, many believed that the seventh might have been a being called Mumush.

Going deeper, we inquire about this mysterious seventh offspring, and are told that it's an invisible creature with no defined description. It is something that defies every convention of logic, leading many to believe that it might be the spiritual embodiment of one's deepest fears themselves. Put off by this revelation, we decide to put the book away and... (ominous tones) Somehow, the artifact had turned itself to face us, and even stranger, a black liquid now bleeds from its eyes. At this point, we have no idea how this happened, and as we analyze the changes around it, we realize that the metal object has come loose.

We decide to pull it out. (metal clangs) (lights buzzing) (heartbeat thumping) It extinguishes our light source, and any flame that comes within proximity to it. And, upon examining it once more... (ominous tones)

Worried that someone is messing with us, we grab our candle to check our office. As we can see, it's shrouded in complete darkness, and upon exploring, we happen upon artifact, after artifact, all equally horrifying. We make our way to our back shelf and realize that a black liquid is splattered across the wall. With this, the desperate sound of labored breaths echo from the room's corner. Something is in here, and we have no idea who, or what it is. We turn. (heartbeat thumping) (eerie music)

(water dripping) In a desperate effort to get away, we drop our candle. We cannot see a thing and are left to navigate by touch. We reach out, arms swinging in a futile attempt to orient ourselves, and for a second, it feels like we might be making our way out. Well, that is, until we find a wall. Just feet away. On every side of us. (player breathing heavily)

(match scraping) (match strikes) (player breathing heavily) (eerie music continues) "Excerpt from the newspaper article titled, 'The Children of Clay'. 'Just a few months after the disappearance of the esteemed archeologist and the incident involving a broken artifact, the team working on the remote site in the Urals has made an astonishing discovery. A previously unknown underground chamber containing a dozen similar small clay figures has been discovered. They are already in contact with several universities across the globe to further study them.'"

(dark music) "The Children of Clay" is genuinely one of the most haunting experiences that I have ever played. It's a game with immensely simple mechanics, yet that's all it needs. A vehicle to place you in the shoes of an archeologist, to solve a mystery kept hidden for centuries. What we thought to be just another clay statue wasn't what it seemed at all. And as a result of our own curiosity, we had unknowingly unleashed a demon right into our own office. Mumush, the seventh child of Urdung, is the malevolent manifestation of one's deepest fears, and when it comes to us, it seems like that fear was claustrophobia.

An eternal fate of stone walls and panicked breaths, with no one around to save us. To me, this is a special kind of hell. Because not only were we confined, but our eyesight, the very basis of how we can orient ourselves as human beings was effectively ripped from us. All we had was one single match. Just seconds of light that we would never see again.

"The Children of Clay" is up there as one of the greatest short horror experiences that I have ever played and if this developer ever tries their hand at another project like this, trust me, I'll be waiting with open arms. Please, please play this game and experience its atmosphere. I promise you, you will not regret it.

Psst! Psst! Hey, hey, we're good. Hey. It's just me. (chuckles) Before we get to this last chapter, I wanted to, first off, say happy Halloween. As you guys can tell, we've gone through so many incredible indie-horror games tonight, and there is one more right after this that I cannot wait to show you. But before we get to that, though, I wanted to share with you guys the fact that we officially have merch again. (Nexpo chuckles) At shop.nexpo.tv, we've launched a long-sleeve graphic T, and an incredible poster that glows in the freakin' dark.

This drop has gone live today and will only last until November 24th. So, if you like the designs, get 'em while you can. I will say, they are so incredibly comfortable, and the poster looks absolutely amazing. With that said, check it out: shop.nexpo.tv. And without further ado, let's see what final game we've got. (music winding up)

(eerie tone hits) (birds chirping) (computer chimes) "The sun is rising. There's not a cloud in the sky. Truly, a wonderful day to be a horse." (PlayStation startup music) (computer chimes) Oh, yeah. I forgot to mention. Tonight, we've got a special surprise. Yeah. So, uh, remember Enigma Studio? "Mothered" Enigma Studio? The masterminds behind "Echostasis" and the absolutely insane storyline about AI-generated worlds and humanity's fall to algorithms Enigma Studio? Yeah, they're back. Surprise. (eerie psychedelic music) (horse neighs) This, my friends, is "TOLT".

A game about... Well, being a horse, of course. (eerie psychedelic music) (birds chirping) Set within a graphical mishmash of an early 90s edutainment game and a low-poly 3D world, we awaken in a stable, as a horse. The world around us? Quiet. Serene. Perfect. (peaceful synth music) As we gather our bearings, we head outside to find someone awaiting us, named Horace. Turns out that he's our best friend, and he's so glad that we're feeling better, because he's got something to show us.

(hooves clopping) (birds chirping) (birds chirping) (mellow guitar music) And, well, I'll be. It sure is a damn good day to be horse, isn't it? Horace invites us down to the field where we meet his twin sister named Holly, and just like him, Holly's ecstatic that we're feeling better. She explains how there's so much that we can do now, like hanging out and eating grass and running around and... (slowed-down cheerful music)

(lively upbeat music) (horse neighs) Do you know, there's this weird, lingering undertone that something's happened to us. Something off-putting that I can't yet pinpoint. Holly informs us that we should talk to the others. However, before we do, there's something she has to tell us. It's a very special secret that she can only share in the woods. Upon heading over, she invites us to meet her behind the pub tonight, because there's supposedly something strange going on in town. The humans across the bridge are up to something weird, and just like the rebellious horses we are, we're gonna be sticking our noses where they don't belong.

After this interaction, we head to the field, and meet up with our various horse friends, all equally charming. They all have their own issues, their own lives, and share their backstories while harping on about how great it is to live such an easy-going and laid-back life. Curiously though while everyone mostly has something unique to tell us, there's a common theme that repeatedly comes up. It's the humans. (eerie music) Never are we to interact with the humans. Now, within the world of "TOLT", there's something off with the town just across the bridge.

The people here contrast completely with the lively and upbeat existence our horse friends exhibit. They sob endlessly. They warn us that something's coming. They ask us if anything about today specifically feels different. And the sign to their village doesn't fit at all with the themes we've become accustomed to so far. Behind the facade of open pastures and a perfect life, something here is very wrong. And as long as we stick to the status quo, being a horse and nothing more, we will never know what exactly that is.

(eerie psychedelic music) (hooves clopping) (birds chirping) Later that day, we find Horace and Holly standing by the bridge, and upon talking to them, they invite us to go check out the apple factory on the hill. When we arrive, they explain to us that they visit this place every day, and that inexplicable noises emanate from it. Bizarrely, Holly claims that it sounds like Heaven, and that a similar phenomenon takes place at the human's university in town. For some reason, though, the sounds aren't happening today, coincidentally the one day that we're awake and ready to hear them, and so, they decide to head back down and again invite us to hang out in the field.

(eerie psychedelic music) (birds chirping) It's dusk. And everyone is gone. Horace and another friend named Tony are just as confused as we. Tony invites us to hang out back at his house, and it sounds tempting, however, as we can recall, we had other plans with Holly. We head to town and find it engulfed in an uncanny ambience. Everything about this side of the bridge just feels wrong. Nevertheless, we find Holly behind the pub and ask her what's up, to which she explains that her plan is to break into the human's university itself.

The place with strange noises. The space in which horses do not belong. We follow Holly through a secret gap in the fence, an unsettling feeling boiling over in our mind as we take each passing step. No matter, the longer we take, the more trouble we might find ourselves in, and so we press onward. Until... (eerie psychedelic music) It's night. Dead silent. An encroaching darkness intrudes on our field of view, only allowing us to see feet in front of us at a time. Holly is gone, and so we're left to explore this building alone.

(hooves clopping) Upon heading in, we find not a single soul around. There's no furniture. No books. Nothing about this place looks anything like what you'd expect from a school. As we continue to explore, we find that the staircase is concealing a secret path downward, and so reluctantly, we head down to find... Who the hell are you? (slowed-down playful music) (horse neighs)

(horse neighs) (playful music continues) (playful music continues) (horse neighs) God damnit. Typical. Typical. So, yeah, as it turns out, Holly's bright idea was to prank us with this human friend she made named Billy. The dude is a bit of a nut, but overall, he's thankfully not a threat. After this exchange, Holly invites us to continue exploring the building, and heads upstairs. However, before we follow her, I wanted to point out something odd. There's this inconspicuous brick wall plastered at the rear of the room, something that we notice was recently poured.

This structure is fresh, so let's keep that in mind. We head upstairs and find Holly in the back room, and upon talking to her, we find that, God damnit, Billy's up to his antics again. (horse neighs)

Or at least we thought. We agree not to look. However, you know that we're going to anyway. We can't let our curiosity go to waste here. And so, just a peak. Oh, my god. Oh, my god. Oh, my god. A fucking floating face is chasing us. And all we can do is run. (hooves clopping) (mellow guitar music) Upon getting away, Holly confides in us about how incredible that adventure we just had was. She thanks us for joining her, before deciding that we should call it a night. Thereafter, we walk together up to our stable, and bid our farewells, officially bringing us to...

(upbeat music) The first ending in our adventure. (dark music) All right. So, let's do a quick recap here. So, in "TOLT", we play as a horse in a strangely perfect virtual utopia. We have everything we could ever need, and everyone simply goes along with it. Holly is the only other horse in this game that expresses any interest in finding out more about the humans, and seems to regularly rebel against the status quo. The university seems to harbor more than it's letting on, as a hidden room awaits in its basement.

Furthermore, a freshly-poured cement wall can be found by nightfall, and after poking around for just too long, a massive head seems to chase us out. As it stands, it looks like nothing else within the world of "TOLT", implying that there's something we're not seeing. This adventure with Holly wasn't just hijinks. We were definitely on to something. It's just we were just a bit too late. (eerie music swelling) So, let's try something else. (eerie psychedelic music) (birds chirping) (peaceful synth music) It's morning, and we've made our way to the university.

Emanating from it? The mysterious sound of Heaven that everyone's been raving about. We're alone this time, but we've got to see what's in that basement. We head towards the back of the building, and... (mellow music) A strange warning interrupts our view. "Always remember. The horses enjoy straightforward lives, preferring to spend quality time with their friends. As such, the horses do not concern themselves with the dramatics of humans." Interesting. PSAs like this, obstructing our entire perception of the world we currently exist in is a bit meta?

Too meta, in fact. It makes me wonder what our role truly is here. Not Spark. Us. We continue. Making our way down to the basement. Before... (static crackling) "Caution. This software was designed with specifically intended user-behavior in mind. Deviation from intended behavior is inadvised." (dark music) As it seems, there's some sort of external entity monitoring us, and considering the other works from Enigma Studios, like the virtual reality hell created within their game "Echostasis", or the digital demon controlling your life in "Mothered", it becomes clear that this experience isn't about just being a horse.

Beyond this door, something malevolent awaits, and, well, we've come this far. We can't stop now. (eerie ethereal music) After passing through, the game fundamentally changes. We now observe this world with a fixed camera, like an onlooker, detached from the character we've been controlling this entire time. We make our way down the corridor, and happen upon a massive staircase, leading us into a room, with humans. Strangely, nobody here makes any effort to acknowledge you, as they're so fixated on what's in front of them.

Whatever it is, they seem to worship it, and upon getting a better view, we find that it's shaped like an apple. What in the world is this? At the back of the room, we find another human sitting at a computer. To his right? A massive switch. And so, of course, we flip it. And set in motion a ritual that we can hardly comprehend. Upon approaching the center of the room, we find three phrases on the floor. "Holly must". "Know Henry". And "Says hello". We tell the man at the computer, who inputs the phrase, and thereafter, the world as we know it completely breaks, and everyone meets a sudden death.

(thunder claps) (intense electronic buzzing) (thunder claps) (thunder claps) (dramatic electronic music continues) "Holly must know that Henry says hello." A phrase so simple in meaning, yet enigmatic in context. Who is Henry? And why does something so simple have such a profound impact on their lives? (wind rustling)

We're asked a series of questions, all introspective in their intention. We're asked if we're happy. If we long for something more. What the meaning of life truly is. (dark music) (audience laughs) We're questioned on our fear of death, and our drive for knowledge, all the while, a low-fidelity laugh track reacts to our answers, like a TV show being broadcast to the world. And after inputting our answers, we make it to one final question,

(eerie psychedelic music) (eerie psychedelic music continues) (computer chirps) We return to the computer room. Holly must know that Henry says hello. Holly must know that Henry says hello. Holly must know that Henry says...

Like a bad dream, we awaken in the field. And just like the very beginning of this adventure, Holly awaits us, eager for the day ahead. Yet, something is wrong. (eerie psychedelic music) (horse neighs) And with one last question, she inquires on if there's anything we need to tell her.

(electronic tones droning) (audience laughing) (eerie psychedelic music) And, at last, my friends, the adventure of "TOLT" draws to an end. (dark music) This demo, contrary to its outward appearance, is one of the most intriguing pieces of media that I have ever played. This game isn't about being a horse, it's not about making friends and running around. Nobody inside this world knows what the hell they're doing here. The horses, the humans, everyone is trapped here, confined to serve a digital god that they cannot even conceptualize.

The threat lingering over this world is so unhinged, that on a dime, your entire existence can be wiped, only to be reset and dropped into it, all over again. This is why the humans are so sad, so scared. They know the hell that they're eternally confined to, yet they can never tell us, because we're a God damn horse. At this point, we have no idea who Henry is, or why his message impacted Holly so badly. However, if you ask me, I think this person might be the digital manifestation of sin itself. Because of our own curiosity, we figuratively bit the apple, corrupting our innocence, ruining our easy-going lives, and unleashing evil straight into our virtual world, once perfect.

That is why Holly was so interested in the apple factory. That is why she claimed that it sounded like heaven. She was so intensely curious, but behind those gates, it was wasn't heaven at all. To be honest, I could go on about this game for another half hour. However, I'm going to leave you all here. Please, please give "TOLT" a try, and check out Enigma's other games while you're at it. If you're up for a haunting interconnected narrative, with audiovisual presentations that break every convention you can think of, trust me, you'll enjoy your time inside their worlds.

TOLT's, as we've seen, is much more than meets the eye, and who knows what answers the full game has in store for us. (gentle music) As you can see, the world of indie-horror games is immensely vast, and chock full of experiences, all unique in their own way. Tonight, you and I took a journey through five hand-picked, eerie and haunting short-form video games that I found around the internet. This video, much like the Haunted PS1 upload, was an absolute blast to make, and I hope that tonight, there was at least one game that creeped you out as much as it did me.

In the description, every game and developer we've talked about tonight will be linked in the Pastebin. So, if you're interested in checking out more of their work, they await you with open arms. With that said, I'll be here playing pool. Until next time, my friends. Happy Halloween. (gentle music continues)

(gentle music continues) (gentle music continues)

Questions about this episode

What is discussed in "The Horror Games that Haunt Me"?

In order: 1:00:00 Enigma Studio.

What is mentioned in this Nexpo episode?

1 people, works and ideas are mentioned, including Enigma Studio. Each one on this page links to its own page with every episode that mentions it.

How long is "The Horror Games that Haunt Me"?

The episode runs 1 h 30 min; the transcript is about 9,197 words in 106 timestamped sections.

More from Nexpo

About this transcript: the episode's spoken words as captioned on YouTube, split into timestamped sections. Reclip.Me locates every person, work and idea in the text, keeps the time it is first named, and quotes the words around it verbatim. Last updated January 21, 2026.